Flamingo Land theme park and zoo

Why?

BECAUSE it's one of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK and it's right on our doorstep.

It's got so many rollercoasters and rides, that you'll have trouble knowing where to begin.

New this year is Kumali, an awesome suspended looping rollercoaster that whizzes its passengers around 1,000 metres of track with a G-force of 4.5. Also worth trying out is Velocity, the only motorbike rollercoaster in the country - 0 to 100km/h in only 2.8 seconds, the Corkscrew and The Wild Mouse.

My favourite was the Lost River Ride - a journey through Savannah-style grassland among lions, zebras and giraffes then a 60ft plunge over the falls! There are plenty of rides for younger children including, a mini alligator rollercoaster and Red Baron aeroplane ride, as well as spinning teacups, Flying Clowns and the Junior Driving School. Fort Flamingo Land - a great adventure playground - is as popular as ever.

In recent years, the park has spent millions of pounds upgrading and extending the zoo.

There are Siberian tigers, lions (although we only got a brief glimpse of one), rhinos, hippos, giraffes, chimpanzees, zebras, camels and the cuddly lemurs to name but a few.

There's also a bird walk where you can see penguins, vultures, condors and of course the pink flamingos. New this year is the flight of fantasy exotic bird show, featuring birds of prey. The children's farm has been revamped and named Muddy Duck Farm, and a new family tractor ride created. The tropical reptile house is also worth a look.

There's so much to see at Flamingo Land that it's worth arriving for when the doors open at 10am - but be warned, queues for the more popular rides can be quite long (half an hour or more for some of them) Refreshments?

THERE are plenty of diners and cafs selling snacks and reasonably-priced drinks. Tea costs 85p a cup, and coffee £1.25. There are also plenty of places where you can have a picnic.

Family friendly?

MOST definitely. The park is relatively flat, so it's easy to push buggies along. The Daktari jungle train, which does a full circuit of the site, has space for pushchairs (and wheelchairs). There are plenty of nice and slow rides for very young children, as well as several play area with slides and climbing frames.

There are lots of toilets dotted about, with baby changing facilities.

Wheelchair friendly?

AS mentioned above, the site is quite flat, although the viewing areas for the tigers and hippos would be difficult to get to.

Disabled toilets are available.

Parking?

LOADS of spaces, both in the main car park and in the overflows, but be prepared to queue to get in on busy days.

How to get there?

Take the A64 past Malton, then the A169 towards Pickering. Take the signs to Kirkby Misperton.

Opening times: 10am to 6pm, until October 29. The zoo is open during the winter months.

Admission: Adults and children aged over four, £19. Under-threes free. Family ticket (for any four people, £70), senior citizens and disabled, £9.50.

For more details, phone 0870 752 8000, or visit their website: www. flamingoland. co. uk