One of Brisbane's nearby attractions is the Irwin family's Australia Zoo. Starting life in 1972 as the Beerwah Reptile Park, the zoo has gradually grown into a huge operation now providing fun and education to thousands of visitors daily.

Steve Irwin (R.I.P.) spent most of his life getting the zoo into this kind of shape and he'll rest easy looking down on what has been achieved. It's a nice memory to see his cheeky face popping up in all corners of the park. What a colourful character.

The park has been designed to give the animals a lot of room and comfort, so you may be a bit dissappointed if you're expecting an action-packed frenzy of animals coming at you from all directions. The main show in the Crocoseum was also a bit sedate. With such a famous crocodile reputation, we were expecting a ferocious display from these beasts, but it ended up being a couple of feedings and then back to bed.

All in all, a nice day out. Australia Zoo is predominantly geared up to entertain families and young children rather than thrill seekers. That said, it was interesting to learn more about Australian mammals, reptiles and birds.