DADDY'S gonna take us to the zoo tomorrow - well, not quite, but I'll tell you what, a visit to Knowsley Safari Park beats a zoo hands down in my opinion.

One minute you feel like an extra from Daktari as a baboon leaps onto your car bonnet and considers whether or not to rip off one of your windscreen wipers; and the next you feel like you are in Jurassic Park as four tonnes of prehistoric flesh, in the form of two white rhinos, come thundering towards you at thirty miles an hour.

That's the reality of a safari drive around Knowsley, the animals are within touching distance.

And in some instances, the animals, particularly the cheeky llamas, will pop their heads inside your car if you leave the windows down.

We visited on a sunny Sunday afternoon and the drive through the park took two hours. There are obvious favourites such as the lions, the tigers and the elephants, but many other creatures deserve equal attention.

Perhaps the most cherished memories will be of two tigers playfully fighting, standing up on their hind legs and clawing each other in front of a mesmerised gallery.

And, we will never forget an extremely inquisitive camel which tried to break into the car through the passenger window.

Space does not allow me to list everything we experienced, but once the trek through the reserve is over there is much more to see and do. An area has been built up into a mini fun park with fairground rides for children and adults. There's also an animal farm for the children with ponies, pigs and other cloven-hooved creatures.

We rounded off our funtastic day out with the sealion show, 20 minutes of mischief and tricks from the park's three resident aquatic jesters, namely Grumpy, Shana and Podge, for the bargain price of £1.50 per person.

Knowsley was opened in 1971 by Lord Derby, and the last time I visited was soon after. It has grown into a huge, successful venture and I'm pleased to be able to say that the animals look happy and at home.

And at a price of just £10 per car for up to seven people in a vehicle, you can enjoy your creature comforts and have a great day out without breaking the bank. The park is open until the end of October and is well worth a visit.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.