I grew up in Wollongong and somehow never went to Symbio Wildlife Park. Now I go with the kids a few times a month.

We have a season pass, which we definitely take advantage of going as much as we do. It costs $120 for adults and $75 for kids, with bubs under three going for free. We’ll often go there just for the park or the Splash Park in summer, so it is the best option for us just living down the road.

Symbio is the perfect-sized zoo for kids. The bigger zoos are a big mission, an all-day affair, which leaves parents and kids exhausted. Don’t get me wrong, your kids will be tired after running around Symbio but they won't be so tired that they go to next-level tantrum devil mode. It’s easy to walk around and see everything in half a day.

We always walk the same path. Crocodiles first, lizards, then meerkats, monkeys, snakes, then a stop at the park, koalas, red pandas, emus, wombats, kangaroos and wallabies, goats, chickens and rabbits, dingos, back up the hill to the birds, Splash Park (in summer) and finally, the gift store. The gift store is a parent's dream. Most toys are under $15.

My favourite animals are the meerkats. Standing at the glass fence, I have so many videos of my kids giggling away as they rush past. And who can resist hand feeding the kangaroos! I just die seeing the confidence in my kids going up to animals bigger than them with an open palm.

I do have an important tip, though. Make sure your lunch packs are zipped and food is away as you go into the goat, kangaroo and wallaby areas. I have been caught a few times wrangling three kids while fighting off several goats/wallabies from the pram. Not a good look.

I’ll catch you in the grounds. I’ll be the one chasing after three little curly blonde kids, stopping my one-year-old from going head first down the giant slide, stopping my daughter from “hugging” the kangaroos and stopping my eldest from climbing into the lizard enclosure. We’ve all been there.

Visit Symbio's website for opening hours and tickets.