As featured in the Sentinel Times Editorial click here to view the full article (PDF, 7MB).

THE spectre of the devastating fire that ripped through Maru Koala and Animal Park back in January 2009 has almost been completely wiped away by the latest, major stage of re-development at the popular tourist attraction.

Grand Opening

Outdoor area

Cafe

With the emphasis on achieving a significant improvement in the quality of the food and the dining experience at Maru, the change for the better is evident as soon as you step out of the car.

Thanks to the development of a newly paved entry way, bordered on both sides by a new alfresco dining area; undercover in the woolshed themed shelter or outside under shady, permanent umbrellas and on handcrafted tables and chairs, there’s an immediate sense of arrival at Maru.

Here you’ll also find a new, clean, innovative toilet block, handily adjacent to the car park and animal park.

Come inside and the original café and reception area has been converted to take care of the visitors’ immediate needs, setting them on their way to Pirate Pete’s Mini Golf, a visit to the absorbing animal park at the rear or a satisfying meal or snack in the new dining room.

Continuing the park’s rustic theme, the dining room is warm, spacious and inviting, looking out over the animal park. Serviced by a well-appointed commercial kitchen and clean, new toilets, the developments are a revelation which will allow Maru to bake fresh rolls to go with homemade soup, prepare gourmet pizzas and pastries and whole range of quality new culinary delights.

Catering to all sorts of functions is also on the menu.

“It is great to see it all finally coming together and I can’t wait to open the doors and let everyone in this Sunday, August 21,” said business owner Ian Heffer.

“There will be entertainment provided, including a free jumping castle and face painting for the kids. So come along and enjoy the day and sample the range of delicious new food lines, including sweet pastries and cakes, gourmet pizzas and breads.”

For all those visitors that then decide to pay to enter the animal park, the owners are offering free entry to Pirate Pete’s Mini Golf as well.

“There will be guided tours and talks at the start of every hour in the koala enclosure, and a range of close encounters available with different animals for those that want a unique experience.”

Maru recently won the Bass Coast Shire Council People’s Choice Award in the Tourist Attraction category and the Good Access Good Business Award.

“We are also finalists in the current Gippsland Business Awards in the Tourism Attraction and Good Access Good Business categories, and I’m proud to say that three of the five Gippsland finalists in the tourism category are from Bass Coast,” Neroli Heffer said.

“We’re excited to present our new kitchen and dining area, long awaited since the devastating fire at Maru in January 2009,” she said.

“From humble beginnings as a small craft shop in 1983 at Grantville, we are now an award winning regional attraction and we’re particularly excited about opening the latest phase of development.”

President of the Grantville and District Traders Association and vice chair of the Bass Coast Business and Tourism Partnership, Neroli is committed to developing the local tourism industry.

“The grand opening for the new kitchen and dining area is Sunday, August 21, from 10am to 3pm and everyone is invited to come along and take a look while also enjoying some free activities.”

For more information on this great family day out, telephone (03) 5678 8548, visit the website www.marukoalapark. com.au or the Maru Facebook page.

Show your support for the re-birth of this local attraction, that is a pivotal part of the Grantville and regional community.