Werribee Zoo is absolutely fantastic. There's so much space to let the animals roam, and so many different kinds of enrichment available for them.

Every single staff member that we've interacted with at our numerous visits has been so obviously passionate, knowledgeable and kind to every animal - from the informative and engaging keeper talks to the way that they stop to say hi to the little willy wagtail birds that flit all over the zoo. And the people working at the ticket booths, cafes and in the zoo shop have always been lovely and helpful, too.

Being able to sit at the Meerkat Cafe and watch the meerkats on one side and the gorillas on the other (depending on crowds) while eating lunch or drinking a coffee is great. The food and drink prices are steep, but they're good quality and a decent size. I do recommend bringing your own food and drinks from home, though, to save some money and to avoid having to wait in lines.

The safari tour is an absolute highlight of every visit. You can see so many amazing animals, and a lot of the guides add hilarious puns and jokes to their informative spiels. Michael was the tour guide on our latest visit and had our whole bus cracking up (which is a particular feat, as one carriage was full of a group visiting from a retirement village and another carriage was full of children visiting from a kindergarten, on top of the usual mix of general public). My mum said he was "the best tour guide we've ever had."

There's plenty of little play spaces to keep kids engaged all over the zoo; there's multiple rope and 'obstacle' courses, little winding side paths through greenery that run alongside the main walking paths, 'ant hills' to climb over, sandpits and there's even a little water play pad section near the hippos. There's a model boat viewing platform at the hippos, too, and a model safari Jeep viewing platform at the lions, as well interactive cameras, speakers and so many little things to look at at the other enclosures and along the paths. There's also a little maze which explores how domestic cats are much safer when kept inside and not allowed to roam freely, which is a fun detour as well as having an important message.

Definitely go in the morning if you want to catch the keeper talks, and go on a weekday during school terms if you can. The walkways are spacious and there's plenty of places to get food and sit and eat during the peak times, but the windows and viewing platforms for the enclosures can get crowded during  weekends and school holidays. Not to the point where you won't be able to see anything though - if you can only go on a peak day, definitely still go! - you might just have to wait a bit to get to the front.

The elephant enclosure is due to open in a few months, and is going to be incredible. We'll absolutely be coming back to see it once it's finished and the elephants have moved to their new home!