A theme park might be the ultimate playland for children but I have decided it's way more fun when you're 26 years old.

Not only are adults tall enough to enjoy all the rides but we can go wherever we want, buy everything which tickles our fancy and we don't get tired after three hours of waiting in lines.

Busch Gardens is in Tampa, Florida and it has an African safari theme, meaning it's a theme park and a zoo rolled into one monstrous area.

I might be heading for my late 20s but as we drove up to the Busch gardens carpark (an area which seemed to go on forever) I was about as excited as a 10-year-old. We had arrived spot on 9am so we could be there right as the park opened.

It was still teeming with people and we realised we would be waiting in a lot of long lines. Luckily my boyfriend is a clever fella and he watched everyone turn left to start their tour of the park so he told me to turn right.

And that was how we managed to be riding one of the most terrifying rollercoasters in the world five minutes after paying our admission fee.

This rollercoaster was called Montu and it was so exhilarating I'm sure I didn't breathe the entire time. I always forget what being on a rollercoaster feels like until I?m suspended above the first downward spiral, fearing for my life.

It was the start of a mind-blowing day. We went to huge theatrical productions, we saw a magic show and a barbershop quartet performance.

We rode a handful of terrifying rides and all of the slow and happy ones aimed at making children smile.

We took a gondola ride over the safari park and got thoroughly soaked on the log flume and river rapids ride.

And when we could barely feel our feet we hobbled to the car and drove away while those with more stamina than us continued to scream high up on the mighty Montu.

Next stop: Just seeing Scott Dixon race in Florida was enough to feel a wave of Kiwi pride.

Check out more photos from my trip in my Flickr album.

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