Vet nurses Melissa and Brad Singleton from Brisbane fell in love with Africa years ago – and now their daughter has too
“We have so many positive, amazing, magical memories from our trips to Africa,” says Melissa.
Brad first visited in 1999 when he and Melissa were just colleagues, but then in 2005 they celebrated their honeymoon there, on a 36-day overlanding trip through nine different countries. They returned in 2017, this time working with Encompass Africa and travelling with their daughter Zara, who was seven years old at the time.
“We wanted her to be able to experience the magic of Africa,” says Melissa. “So Jono and Danica helped us plan an epic trip through Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. We went to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Ol Pejeta, Victoria Falls, Madikwe… it was amazing.”
One of the most powerful moments of that trip was meeting Sudan, the last male northern white rhino (who sadly died the following year, aged 45).
“That moment left a deep impression on all of us. We wanted Zara to literally look extinction in the eyes – to feel his breath, his heartbeat – and understand the importance of conservation and caring for the natural world,” says Melissa, who is an emergency vet nurse and in the past worked at Australia Zoo with Steve Irwin. Brad, meanwhile, manages a specialist vet hospital, and the two of them have spent years working in wildlife rehabilitation. Animals are clearly very important to this family.
The following year, when Melissa discovered that Ol Pejeta was launching a volunteer program, Brad insisted she go. “I felt guilty leaving the family behind,” she says, “but I knew it was something I had to do.” She returned to Africa – again with Jono and Danica’s help – to not only volunteer at Ol Pejeta, but also complete an ultra-marathon raising funds for the famous conservancy. The challenge was to run 1,245km in a year – which Melissa completed nearly four times over. “I did most of it at home, but I also ran part of it on this trip, with zebras crossing in front of me and rhinos on the side of the road,” she says. “It was incredible.”
More recently, the family were back in Africa in 2023 – this time for two full months, combining conservation, vet work and safari. Zara, now 13, and with some vet work experience under her belt, was in the thick of the action.
“We started in South Africa with four days at Marataba where we did a rhino intervention – darting, ear notching, DNA and blood sampling,” says Brad. “We were meant to do just one rhino, but she had a calf with her, so we got a two-for-one! Zara was so involved – giving injections, taking hair samples and helping with microchipping.”
Next stop was Ant’s Nest, where the family spent four days horse riding alongside wildlife.
“It was Zara’s first real time riding, and by day three she was cantering – she’s a natural,” says Melissa. “You can get really close to wildlife on horseback because the animals aren’t spooked, and we were able to ride right up to rhino, giraffe and zebra. We were only a few metres away.”
Brad loved it, too: “The horses are well-trained, but still have so much personality. We would ride them out for sundowners and then let them go. They’d wander off and spend the night in the bush with their friends, and then just turn up again in the morning for breakfast!”
The accommodation at Ant’s Nest also impressed.
“There were rondavels – round thatched cottages – and the food was incredible,” says Melissa. “We’d eat in a different location every night – by the pool, the fire pit, the main lodge…”
And then there was an unexpected highlight that turned out to be one of the most unforgettable moments of the trip: a rare pangolin sighting – a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with one of the world’s most elusive and heavily trafficked creatures.
“We mentioned how much we’d love to see one, and the next thing we knew, we were walking with pangolins on a monitoring project,” says Melissa. “It was incredibly special.”
The family also helped relocate buffalo, moving them from an enclosure into the reserve. “Everything about our entire experience at Ant’s Nest was just amazing,” says Brad.
Their next destination was Johannesburg, where they volunteered at the Johannesburg Wildlife Hospital for four days, and stayed at Rooster’s Nest B&B, a short walk from the hospital.
“We organised this ourselves, after connecting with the hospital’s vet on social media,” says Melissa. “They knew our veterinary backgrounds and were happy for us to bring Zara, who blew us away! Nothing fazed her. She did everything from cleaning cages to chopping up one-day-old chicks to feed caracals and servals.”
Brad and Melissa were also able to help treat various wildlife admitted to the hospital, including birds, bats, snakes, leopard tortoises, nyala antelope, rock hyraxes, African wildcats and more.
“We did everything from preparing the food and feeding the animals in their enclosures, to helping with the initial triage and treatment whenever emergency cases came in – I even got to give anaesthetic to a little bush baby,” says Melissa of their time at the hospital, where working with police on illegal wildlife trafficking cases is also part of regular operations. “It was just so rewarding.”
After South Africa, the family flew to Nairobi to spend the rest of their time in Kenya. This part of the trip was organised by a friend, but even then, Encompass Africa stepped in to help when needed.
“Everything they do is seamless,” says Melissa. “They’re soooo good at what they do, and the Safari Portals they create for you before you travel are so helpful and get you really excited before the trip even starts.”
For Brad, being greeted every step of the way made all the difference.“Especially after a 30-hour flight, having a concierge meet you at the airport and then get you through customs and drop you at your hotel just takes all the stress out. It’s not just about luxury – it’s about safety and peace of mind,” he says.
“In all the times we’ve travelled with Encompass Africa we’ve only ever had one tiny hiccup, when a driver didn’t show,” says Melissa. “But after one quick call with Jono, it was all sorted five minutes later. Everything they do, they excel at.”
It’s one of the reasons why the family plans to keep using Encompass Africa when they head back to their favourite continent.
“Because we’ve spent so much time there, we know what we want from our trips, and Jono’s been able to design the most perfect itineraries for us – exactly what we wanted, or even better! Just about every trip we’ve ever done has been to Africa – and every trip we do in the future is going to be Africa,” says Brad
Melissa agrees: “We got back from this trip and said, right – now we’ve just got to pay it off so we can start saving for the next one!”
