Albert River

Kids love water theme parks. Adults too. But after indulging in another plunge down yet another nautical plastic tube you might find yourself justifiably itching for something a little more authentic.

That's exactly what we did at Gold Coast Hinterlands this week. That means untamed destination where we can get a thrill from the water while still being at one with nature. During our farm stay, we had picnic lunch at Albert River, blending traditions with frenzied fun. There was no fast food shop (where price can jump crazily high at theme park) but prepacked sandwiches. There wasn't bracelet for day pass either, because we could play as many times as we wished in the wilderness. And no wonder. Few places on earth can match the natural beauty of a river in the lush forest.

When my daughter saw a rope tied on the treetop, her first impression was it should have belonged to Tarzan. Or flying fox. My eight-year-old dared not to try. Grabbing the string and swinging, and all the way splashing into the river: that's way too wild, and beyond her comfort zone.

Thankfully, the children around showed her the ropes (no pun intended). After watching their jumping poise - on par with athletes in the diving competition at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast - my daughter was tempted to try her hand. She mustered strength of every muscle fibre to swing into the icy cold water, swam back to shore. One rope swing after another. A feat that I couldn't have imagined. By putting all of her energy into the diving rope, my daughter had played so many times she forgot to have her sandwich.

The feel-good effect of endorphin and adrenaline release is what my daughter finds most amazing. "Dad, you should have written a blog post on this highlight of our trip," Jasmine looked up at me, after scrolling through my blog.

And here I did.