Brilliant, cool, deadly, amazing - these seem to be the only adjectives children use today. And according to Julia, Kelly, (both 10) Daniel (eight) and Gina (six), Oakwood Theme Park in Wales was all of the above with tons of emphasis.

I spotted an advertisement from Irish Ferries for a day trip to Wales and Oakwood theme park for £59 for two adults and two children from Rosslare. Uncle Joe and the cousins were roped in as well, and off we set on a miserable morning to wet and windy Wales. Yes, it was the bank holiday week - it will be hard to forget.

The children had never been on a ferry, and the size of the Isle of Inisfree is staggering. The last time I travelled by ferry it must have been a mailboat - and the difference is amazing. It's like a hotel now. The kids played in the Gamezone as the adults took in the view from the Panorama lounge. The four-hour journey passed quickly.

We arrived in Pembroke at lunchtime and went by coach to Oakwood, about 40 minutes' drive away. Set in woods and parklands it was hard to see from the entrance that it covers ed eighty 80 acres. The only thing visible was an enormous metal arch. The miniature railway took us right to the souvenir shop where the first purchases were rain macs for Joe and Kelly.

The purpose of the metal arch became apparent. It was a ride called Vertigo. Three people are strapped together and hauled up to the top of the arch and then dropped on a bungee line to bounce up and down and then swing from side to side. It was the only ride that cost extra (£30 for three people). We passed on this, not because of the cost, but fear.

First stop was Jakestown, a replica of a mining town. We went down the mines and shot varmints. But the best thing was panning for gold. The mine had sluices and troughs just like the Sierra Madre. We all had a go at panning and found lots of pieces of gold (pyrites), which were brought home as treasures.

The screams and clatters of the rollercoaster eventually intruded on the goldminers and Megafobia had to be investigated. It is a massive, wooden rollercoaster. Once was enough for me. Somewhere along the course of the ride is a camera and when we got off we could see photographs of ourselves, to admire or purchase, but I hated the picture of my scream-twisted face.

It rained all day, but no one minded. We got wet early on from the bobsleigh ride and continued to get wetter as we went on the water rides and took peddaloes out on the lake. However, the advantage of going on a wet day was that we didn't have to queue for anything. The kids could go on everything as many times as they liked.

The go-karts, with tracks for children and adults, were very popular. My favourite ride was the treetops rollercoaster. It squirmed in and out of an evergreen forest and as evening came down, a mist rose from the ground and swathed it in a Poe-like atmosphere. Late in the evening we went to the Coconut Creek Caribbean club where the steel band played and the indoor tropical thunderstorm provided entertainment. Uncle Joe and I tried the cocktails while the kids limbo-danced. The finale of the evening was a fantastic fireworks show. Fortunately, it had stopped raining and the night was clear. If you have ever brought a brood of kids to Funderland you will know how much it costs. So it was a great value day out. According to the kids, it was the best day out this summer. They slept the whole way back to Rosslare, tired but contented and with lots to talk about.

Oakwood is in Canaston Bridge, Narberth, Pembrokeshire. For information, tel: 0044 1834 891376.

For details of the Irish Ferries offer, tel: 6610533