Tidbinbilla is a fantastic nature reserve about 45 minutes drive south west of Canberra. Thanks to Bryan 'Keegan' Hughes for tipping us off on this one as it was the highlight of our trip to ACT.

As soon as we entered the park, there were emus and kangaroos everywhere ... our first sighting of both. Then Gill was looking in a pond by the visitors centre for a frog that was making noises and a Red-bellied Black Snake emerged from the water and slithered onto shore ... our first sighting of a venomous snake! In fact we only established this dangerous characteristic by Googling it when we got home ... I was more concerned at the time with thrusting a camera lens into its fangs!

We made some enquiries about entrance fees at the visitor centre to learn that it was all free! I still can't get my head around this recurring Australian generosity. Given the park content, I think most would be more than happy to pay a small fee towards its upkeep.

Venturing further into the park, we were excited to see the more wildlife on offer. Other star attractions include platypus, wallabies, and koala bears, but on this occasion there were no sightings. Instead we were treated to good walking trails, a wide variety of birds, and some amazing close proximity kangaroo encounters.