​Just think, as we struggled to work through deep snow and sub-zero temperatures, the biggest problem Down Under was finding sufficient sun-cream to cope with the heatwave! Dave Mark took a family holiday in Queensland and came back a huge fan, not least because of welcoming, friendly, locals . . .

After a few days in Brisbane, Dave and family headed for Noosa, a popular and upmarket surfing spot, set on the magnificent Sunshine Coast and surrounded by glorious beaches

Through an accident of geography,  my five-year-old daughter has a Hull accent. When white stuff falls from the sky, “It’s started to snurr”, and when she’s allowed fizzy pop, she asks for a Diet Currk.

So, imagine her delight when, after 24 hours in mid-air, she got off the plane in Brisbane and – apart from the fact there was no snurr –  a welcoming crowd of excited ear-wiggers said her accent was the cutest thing they had ever heard.

But to say they are welcoming in Queensland is an understatement.

Before touching down in gleamingly clean Brisbane Airport, I’d been regaled with tales of how the Aussies hate the Poms. But on this evidence, we could have bunked down with any of the airport staff, provided we didn’t object to their constantly giving Elora things to say – and then laughing uproariously at the result.

It was an auspicious start, and a sign of things to come. We found that customer service in Queensland can put the best the United States has to offer in the shade.

If you ever find yourself fondly recalling how, in the good old days, you could ask a stranger to hold your baby while looking in your purse for your bus fare, take a trip to Brisbane. It’s full of people in no rush to do anything but have a natter.

The friendliness of the people is just one of the reasons to visit this blossoming city, the capital of Queensland.

Today, Brisbane bristles with excitement, enthusiasm and business. It’s a boom town, with cranes and powerlines strung like cobwebs between the glass-and-steel skyscrapers rising above the Brisbane River in a sepia-tinged sunrise which somehow brings to mind images of pre-war New York.

Our three-week stay started in the city to acclimatise to the 30-degree heat and recover from jet-lag –  the only hangover from a comfortable flight with Etihad, via Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

My partner’s parents emigrated to Australia about 15 years ago and their wedding anniversary prompted our decision to fly to the far side of the world to join the celebrations.

Of course, three weeks in their beautiful home in Graceville, 15 minutes from the city centre, was an attraction too, keeping our costs vaguely sensible.

After a couple of days spent acclimatising to the gorgeous weather (blue skies, temperatures in the high twenties, just enough breeze to stop your suncream melting and running into your eyes), we drew up a list of places to see.

The roar from the children when we suggested Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was enough to frighten the kookaburras, so we borrowed a car and loaded the kids’ backpacks with bottles of water for a 15-minute drive to one of the city’s proudest attractions.

Feeding a dolphin on Moreton Island

Within minutes of arriving, it seemed that the holiday might well peak early. Hidden away behind a green and leafy housing estate is a wonderland recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest koala sanctuary, with 80 years of experience and more than 130 of the leaf-chewing marsupials.

The children were speechless. Clinging to every branch, snuggled together in every tree, these docile, ultra-cute creatures stared down with eyes that seemed affectionate and wise.

When Elora recovered the power of speech, she had to hold one of these delightful animals herself. Just had to.

With a tour guide who liked children almost as much as she seemed to love koalas, Elora was soon in the queue to pose with a gorgeous creature called Nivea.

There aren’t just koalas at Lone Pine. We were literally tripping over kangaroos. We hand-fed lorikeets (brightly-coloured parrots). And we watched two Tasmanian devils display one of the most extraordinary displays of ferocity we had ever seen.

It was a great day, and the staff all bore the joyous expressions of people who would do this for free  –  and can’t quite believe their luck at also getting paid.

Next up, a visit to the inner-city beach, a concept which puzzles some Brits. Nestled between the meandering Brisbane River and the bohemian, arty, South Bank region, a series of lagoons, water-features and sandy areas bring a taste of tropical paradise into the heart of the city.

Despite being jam-packed with tanned and toned teens, it was a friendly, warm and inclusive place to spend a relaxing day.

Brisbane city and the Brisbane River viewed at night

There are no shortage of places to eat in this cosmopolitan city, but pick of the bunch for steak-lovers is The Regatta. We hopped on a City Cat (a water-taxi service that’s surprisingly reasonable) to meet the family at this terrific eaterie.

The seafood is marvellous in this part of the world, but at The Regatta it’s superb. Kilpatrick oysters (hot, with barbecue sauce and bacon) were followed by a colossal, perfectly-cooked steak.

After a few days in the city, we headed up the coast to Noosa, to stay on the newly-built Peregian Springs estate. Noosa is a popular and upmarket surfing spot, set on the magnificent Sunshine Coast and surrounded by glorious beaches.

Alongside the Noosa River, it’s a great place to stay, with cafes and restaurants and many things to do and see.

At Sunshine Beach, we watched the kids dive into crystal waters  –  even if our youngest irritated the lifeguards by repeatedly yelling “Shark!”.

Thanks to the award-winning Discovery Group, we spent a day exploring the local everglade region with an unforgettable wilderness cruise into one of Australia’s most pristine regions.

Our boat was sturdy enough to keep the fear of crocodiles to a minimum, but felt strangely authentic – the right kind of vessel in which to cruise the mysterious, dark tannin waters and enjoy the magnificent Noosa River as it changed colour, watching the sun set slowly in paradise.

For shoppers, Eumundi Market is a must. Perhaps two hours from Brisbane, it’s packed with stalls selling everything from hand lotions and hot peanuts to didgeridoos and designer fashions.

We’d saved the last of our spending money for Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Sanctuary on Moreton Island.

We’d booked a villa on this pristine sand-island an hour-and-a-half’s boat journey from Brisbane and at times during our stay it felt more like the Maldives.

With beautiful waters, perfect white sand and miles of untouched wilderness to explore, we overheard people whisper the word “paradise”.

Moreton Bay is home to approximately 600 bottlenose dolphins and Tangalooma is visited on a nightly basis by a small pod.

Eleven dolphins frequent the shores of Tangalooma, hunting, surfing and playing with fellow pod members. Each night, visitors wade into the shallows holding a fish to hand-feed these wonderful creatures.

The night we took part, a tropical storm hovered and waves crashed over our heads, but it was an honour to interact with the marine mammals – surpassing the moment earlier in the day when our whale-watching cruise provided us with the spectacle of a humpback whale rising from the Pacific waters to wave its tail.

Three weeks flew by. We got tans. We felt better. We ate well and still managed to lose weight. Elora picked up the local accent, and it was a life-changing experience for us too.

We’ll certainly go again.