It involves lavish hotels with a turn down service and spectacular views, picnics with water views, feeding wild lorikeets, rooftop cocktails and strolling just 10 minutes from city accommodation smack bang onto a beach.

The weather is better than Sydney too and you won’t be stuck in traffic for hours trying to get to your adventure.

The destination might surprise you as it’s not some exclusive island, instead it’s actually Brisbane.

Families can discover one-of-a-kind experiences, indulge in delicious food as well as participate in mesmerising wildlife encounters.

Here’s some ideas for packing an adventure filled holiday into an unsuspecting place like Brisbane.

First up to creating an unforgettable day is to start off at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which offers a morning packed full of experiences and is actually a highlight for both adults and children.

Kick off the day at the Sanctuary feeding a paddock full of friendly kangaroos who hop right up to your open hand to gently gobble up their roo food and then head on over to the wild lorikeet feeding, which is included in a ticket.

There you will see dozens of birds descend on a row of containers with handles that sit in a tree trunk, which you can then pull out to hold the wild animals up close and see them shrieking with joy.

The birds are cheeky too – flying up to land on heads – with the kids watching in wonderment and honestly the adults having the best time I’ve seen – giggling with glee at their antics.

Another experience is being able to touch a koala. My family met Urchin, who was seven years old and happily chilling out while munching on some eucalyptus leaves.

There was the bonus of being able to take a series of photos on our phones, which were sent straight to Nanna.

Also at the park we saw Lucy the dog rounding up some very rogue sheep who did not want to behave and also met an owl, who we were told could hear our heartbeats even from half a metre away.

Then a quick 10 minute drive away from Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was Mount Coot-Tha which delivered breathtaking views over the city and was a good pit stop for food.

The perfect way to end the day was arriving at a spot just down from the Brisbane Powerhouse for a luxury picnic by the river by Vintage Picnics.

The set up was lush with comfy chairs, a speaker to play music, a bottle of prosecco and a goodie box of food – one designed for the adults and one for the kids.

There you can relax and watch the birds fly over, tuck into sandwiches, meats, cheeses, fruit (and chocolate cookies and lollies for the kids) and watch the sunset.

A great place to stay too is Spicers Balfour in New Farm. The beds were extremely comfortable, they had bathrobes to lounge around in and also weights if you fancied a workout, luscious body wash and soap, plus some reading chairs, a desk and a fancy selection of loose leaf teas.

It was like a home away from home with the staff friendly, welcoming and warm at all times.

The food at Spicers Balfour was divine – a creative take on Vietnamese food presented with French flair – that was fresh but indulgent.

Before dinner you can grab a cocktail on their rooftop bar and watch as the Story Bridge shimmers in the dark.

Then head to the restaurant for dishes such as beef short rib with curry and potato anna, king prawns with coconut, pork belly with green papaya, cabbage and red onion and squid with rice noodle, nahm jim, coriander and spring onion alongside charred broccolini with mala dressing.

Breakfast also delivered the delicious goods at Spicers Balfour. Our child couldn’t get enough of the coconut waffles with kaya caramel, strawberry and ice cream, while the eggs benedict was a surprise with its palm sugar ham and the turmeric and ginger granola with coconut yoghurt was also a standout.

Spicers Balfour provided a great destination to catch a ferry into the city, take a short walk down the road to see views over Brisbane city as well as exploring New Farm park.

For lunch, you can grab a bite to eat at Howard Smith Wharves which is also close by to the hotel, with views of the Story Bridge.

We checked out Felon’s Brewing Co for lunch at Howard Smith Wharves enjoying the funky vibe and pizzas.

You should also treat the family to an extravagant stay at the Emporium, a five-star hotel right in the centre of the CBD and just metres away from South Bank.

A jacuzzi style bath awaits with the bathroom tech allowing you to frost the window or clear it up so you can gaze out at the striking views of Brisbane city, the automatically opening curtains is a novelty for the kids and the big beds offer a restful sleep. There’s also a turndown service and chocolate delights waiting when you arrive.

The Emporium gives you very easy access to the playground that South Bank offers.

There you can take a stroll through the Bougainvillea Arbour, take your shoes off to walk along the beach with city views, stop to watch the kids scale the climbing ropes to take a thrilling slide down and hop on the Wheel of Brisbane for views stretching out across Brisbane.

A short walk away is also the Gallery of Modern Art, which stages exciting exhibitions and while you’re at South Bank stop for a bite to eat in one of the places along the river.

We tried The Jetty which offered an enormous share plate of 350g of butchers cut steak on a huge share plate, while the amaretto sour and whisky sour cocktails hit the spot.

Brisbane also offers extra appeal for kids who are keen watchers of Bluey,

Many of places you can visit in Brisbane are actually real-life locations that inspire the beloved TV show Bluey such as the Brisbane Powerhouse which gives off a slight spooky vibe for the kids and showcases some cool artwork.

For excited fans, a groundbreaking Bluey’s World immersive experience is opening on November 7 and it’s exclusive to Brisbane.

It will showcase life-size sets, interactive play and a soundscape, inspired from episodes of the global phenomenon Bluey. The kids and adults can also play beneath the shady branches of the Poinciana tree in Bluey’s backyard.

It came after hundreds of Bluey fans set a world record on Sunday for the biggest game of Keepy Uppy.

Spanning an almost 2000km playing field, 702 Keepy Uppy enthusiasts joined in the epic game made famous in the much-loved television series staring the adored cartoon blue heeler and her family – by keeping up giant red balls in the air.

The Australian Book of Records oversaw three official games played simultaneously at Brisbane’s South Bank as seen in Bluey, Gold Coast’s Main Beach and Cairns Esplanade, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

The writer visited as a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland.