“That’s Henry, Pablo, Noodle, Neville, Teddy, Paddington, Humphrey, Wallace, Archie…” says farmer Shane Hancock, pointing around a paddock of his Pine Mountain Farm.It turns out that a long career in teaching – he is also deputy principal at Leichhardt State School – has given him a knack for remembering names, which is handy when you’re also in charge of Queensland’s largest herd of llamas.
If you’ve got kids then you know that close encounters with animals never get old. Luckily Ipswich has a handful of great places where you can interact with furry friends. Here’s 7 places to visit that offer animal experiences.1. Ewe Nique Hobby FarmThis charming hobby farm is home to sheep, lambs, alpacas, chickens, goats and geese. Children and adults can meet, pat and feed the animals and walk through the bird aviary which features replica dinosaurs and fish ponds!. Ewe Nique Hobby Farm also has a coffee shop selling hot and cold drinks as well as homemade cakes, slices, muffins and other snacks. 2. The Llama FarmA farm experience that offers visitors the chance to take a Llama for a walk, feed, pat them and take a Llama selfie or two. The Llama Farm has the largest herd of Llamas in Queensland as well as donkeys, goats, miniature ponies, peacocks, turkeys, guinea fowl and more. Tours are available on weekends and school holidays by appointment. They are also running a Little Llama Farmers school holiday program.
There’s lots to love about camping. The freedom, fresh air, the faint smell of last night’s campfire, warm marshmallows, the outdoors, wildlife, stars and the chance to sit down and actually talk with your friends and family … the list is endless.Do you know what’s not to love about camping? Setting up the tent. I can almost see you nodding in agreement. Arriving at your campsite to a tent that’s already set up sounds like bliss, right?Well, it is!
As Dr Andrew Tribe held out a stumpy tailed lizard, he asked the kids if they would like to hold it. My five-year-old daughter, who is clearly not a reptile fan, slowly shrank backwards to ensure that I was between her and the odd-looking lizard. My seven-year-old son simply said, ‘’Yes please!’’ and held his hands out. Dr Tribe, who runs the wildlife research centre at Spicers Hidden Vale, promptly plonked the armoured lizard into his hands and continued on with some fascinating facts.‘’Do you want to hold it mum?’’ he whispered.‘’Errr, no thanks,’’ I whispered back. To be honest, I could barely tell which end was its head and which was its tail.
Nestled inside the beautiful Queen’s Park is the jewel in Ipswich’s crown – The Ipswich Nature Centre.Home to some of the city’s cutest and fluffiest residents, the Ipswich Nature Centre is a safe haven for a wide range of Australian wildlife.As animal lovers make their way through the lush landscape gardens and exhibits, they can’t help but say “aww” when they see the cuddly wombat, or watch the pair of energetic dingoes that love to play and climb together.
According to the much-loved children’s song, Old MacDonald pretty much cornered the market on farmyard animals – but we say he’s got nothing on the City of Ipswich!Finding your inner farmer is fun and easy when there are llamas, camels, ducks, geese, goats, sheep and cows to meet at family-friendly tourist locations across the region.
