Symbio Wildlife Park, near the start of the Grand Pacific Drive, is home to hundreds of creatures and offers daily animal shows and enthralling wildlife experiences. Reserve an animal encounter to pat a koala, feed a meerkat and join keepers and dingoes on their daily walk around the park. You can also see water dragons, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos and echidnas, among the many other native animals in the sanctuary. An impressive collection of reptiles — big and small — slither and crawl, and you can enjoy a daily reptile show.

Princes Street Gardens is a dramatic swathe of greenery in Edinburgh’s very centre, directly beneath Castle Rock. These twin parks — East and West — were created in the 1820s after the draining of the polluted Nor Loch, a medieval defensive lake. They are separated by The Mound, an artificial hill formed from excavation debris during the New Town’s construction. The West Garden is larger and home to the Ross Bandstand, a stage for summer concerts and Hogmanay celebrations. Near The Mound entrance, the intricate Floral Clock blooms with a new design each year since 1903. More than just a scenic shortcut, the gardens are a testament to city-making: a Victorian solution to urban blight that became one of Edinburgh’s most beloved civic spaces, perfect for a stroll, a picnic, or simply admiring the iconic views.

Beside the well known beach of Tylösand, there are 21 beaches along the 45 kilometre long coastline. The only school of lifeguards in the Nordic countries is located at Tylösand, where 60 lifeguards are trained annually. Lifeguards patrol the beaches during the summer. Disability adapted bathing places are located in Tylösand and Östra stranden (the Eastern beach). Inland, you find bathing places among many of the lakes.

Make your way into the Limerick City Gallery to find a superb collection of Irish painting. The selection is quite vast, but among the works that should not be missed are "Chairoplanes", Jack B. Yeats’s portrayal of an amusement ride, and Seán Keating's "Simple Folk".