Any trip to Queensland deserves a visit up the Sunshine Coast to the Australia Zoo, the brainchild and success story of the late Steve Irwin. A national treasure, Steve and his family have built up the Zoo from a small wildlife park, making it the great tourist attraction, and Australian conservation effort it is today.

The zoo boasts great attractions, but mainly the Crocoseum, a large arena where the zoo keepers put on shows through the day. The Crocoseum was Steve Irwin’s great dream, as he wanted to show the general public crocodiles in clear water ponds, to educate people to the dangers of the murky waters in the Billabongs. This is great fun for all the family, and showcases all the animals on show at the zoo, whilst teaching the children about safety in the bush and surrounding areas. Birds swoop overhead, elephants walk past you and the croc show is bar far the best animal show you will ever see.

Take the time to wander around the zoo and you will get the change to feed the kangaroos and wallabies, cuddle a koala, and come face to face with one of the world’s biggest snakes! If your feet get tired from all the walking around, hop on the safari bus and take a guided tour around the park, whilst a zoo keeper tells you interesting stories about animal escapes and conservation facts.

Whilst on the sunshine coast, take a hike up the Glasshouse Mountains, a group of eleven hills which include Mount Beerwah. The mountains were named by Captain James Cooke, and were formed as molten lava cooled to form hard rock in the cores of volcanoes, between 26 to 27 million years ago. Don’t forget to bring insect repellent, and have your Travel Insurance with you for the rare case of a nasty bite.