Private zoos tend to be rundown, dinky affairs that seldom offer good value for money or humane animal enclosures. This one, though, looks after 28 endangered species in a nice bushland setting and has Australia's largest collection of big cats, including even a couple of ligers -- or are they tigons? It's not cheap (A$95 on weekdays and A$125 on weekends and public holidays), but the 2-hour ZooVenture Tour is a great way to get up close and personal to tigers, lions, and bears. There's a safety fence between you and the big cats, but that doesn't feel like much protection when you're looking a 110-kilogram (243-lb.) Sumatran tiger in the eye as he takes a piece of meat from your hand. There is also a "Meet a Cheetah" program that takes you inside the cheetah's enclosure.