Go "Down Under" - by ferry, not plane

France is determined to provide its visitors with a wide range of experiences and now Australia is only a ferry-ride away.

It is not a three-week cruise across the oceans, instead le Parc Australien (the Australian Park) promises an authentic Australian "adventure".

Based in Carcassonne, the park covers five hectares and contains paintings from local artists as well as aborigine gold, boomerangs, kangaroos and, of course, the "Australian dream".

The park's wallabies are called Jason, Jack and Joey, to name a few and there is a nursery area where visitors can coo at baby kangaroos, emus and ostriches.

It is divided into different zones, called the Aborigine, Ostrich and Boomerang areas.

As well as exhibits, the park promises "incredible" demonstrations, traditional games, gold sifting and didgeridoo-playing.

Carcassone is in the former prefecture of Languedoc and the fortified section of the site is listed as a Unesco world heritage site.