Behr Dinkum - Dani hits Bondi

I'D ONLY ever intended being in Oz to film a GMTV competition-but as you all now know, I'm stuck in the jungle in ITV's I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!

However, before I got myself "locked up" for a couple of weeks, I saw some of the key spots in Australia-including beautiful north Queensland on the West coast and cosmopolitan Sydney.

One of the main attractions of Queensland is the Great Barrier Reef-a kaleidoscope of colour stretching over 2000km-which I was desperate to explore.

My tight schedule only allowed me to get to the low isles but I'd love, with more time, to reach the outer reef.

The boat trip there was awesome and the water so clear. I took the opportunity to snorkel, and ended up swimming alongside reef sharks-who were completely oblivious of and uninterested in me.

The colours of the coral are truly spectacular and I couldn't believe how close we got to the sea life.

A trip up to the World Heritage rainforest Daintree, renowned as the oldest in the world, showed me another kind of water predator-the crocodile.

I took a boat up the river where crocs as long as 5ft lay basking on the banks. Scary!

Dunk Island Beach in Queensland

From Daintree I headed up to Cape Tribulation and what has to be one of Australia's most spectacular beaches.

Cape Tribulation Beach is where the rainforest meets the reef. Turquoise waters and white sands are edged by the lushest green forest you've ever seen.

And the funny thing is, the beach is deserted! If this was in the UK, it would be covered by deckchairs and stretched-out bodies.

A particular highlight of my trip was meeting aborigines.

Behr hunting at the zoo

The Kuku Yalanji tribe at Cooya beach taught me about authentic bush tucker and medicines -everything from treating nettle stings to constipation-plus how to survive in the jungle.

Quite handy, as it turns out!

As well as that I learned how to spear fish, and even got make-up tips-like how to brighten your eyes with berries. It was great to learn how I could stay alive without all the comforts we take for granted in the Western world.

I couldn't go to Australia without getting close to the local wildlife, so I headed for Cairns Zoo where you can cuddle koala bears.

My koala, Georgie, gave me a HUGE hug but he was a lot heavier than I expected and clung on tight.

Then I met another iconic Aussie resident-the kangaroo.

Cairns Zoo has an area where you can actually sit with roos and feed them. As soon as they saw me with food, eight of them jumped over and started nibbling chunks of sweet potato out of my hand.

Away from the zoo, a balloon trip afforded me the luxury of watching the sun rise from 3,000ft. Ballooning is such a tranquil experience, and it was amazing to look down and see kangaroos jumping around in the outback.

There is just so much to do in Queensland-so try to stay as long as possible to make the most of the natural attractions.

I loved all the outdoor activities on offer, and the weather certainly made them a lot easier than doing them back home.

Before going to Queensland I stopped in Sydney where I had just five days to film the highlights for GMTV.

We took advantage of three of the most fun ways to see the city-by Harley Davidson, boat and seaplane. The Harley tour is a great experience, as you get to see so much more than you would behind glass in a car or bus.

Whizzing around the city and following the roads around the coast is a great thrill, and hopping on and off at key spots is a way of getting those all-important holiday snaps.

The seaplane showed me another view of Sydney-from the sky.

I had a great view of iconic sights like the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Later the water taxi got me closer to the attractions at ground level.

Then I took to the water myself -surfing on Bondi Beach.

Just a one-hour lesson with Let's Go Surfing's Big Wave Dave was enough to get me standing on the board and riding my very first wave. It was an absolute thrill and definitely an experience that I hope to repeat.

Obviously it's a long journey to Oz from the UK but if you are going to travel that distance then it is certainly worth doing it in style.

Emirates Business Class helps you pass the time with a huge selection of movies, a fully reclining chair and food as good as any top restaurant.

Australia is an amazing country-I hope I am still saying that when I get out of the I'm A Celebrity jungle!

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