It's fun for young and old at
Rain, Hayne and Shine Farmyard in Balnarring, just over an hour from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula.
City slickers get the opportunity to leave busy lifestyles behind and get hands-on with a whole host of friendly farm animals of the cutest kind.
Feed the quacking ducks and gaggles of geese, bottle-feed a bleating lamb, or milk a mooing cow for a very real, rural experience you'll never forget.
There are hens, ducks and turkeys, as well as calves, horses, donkeys and pigs. Meet tortoises, farm dogs, a friendly dingo and even a ferret and some pet rats. (I'd personally give the rats a miss, but each to their own.)
Pony, goat cart and good old-fashioned hay rides add to the frolics and fun, while parents might enjoy a free cuppa while waving to their kids.
You and the kids might like to get in the mood with these
images
of some of the world's cutest farm animals.
Rain, Hayne and Shine – open 7 days a week rain, hail or shine – also runs special events during school holidays. Keep an eye on their newsletter or give them a call to see what's coming up. Kids often get the opportunity to milk, say a goat, followed by a lesson in how to separate the cream, churn the butter, pick some wheat, grind it into flour, and then look forward to a very fresh, very homemade morning tea!
Those with littlies, or those who are kids at heart, might also like to check out the
Collingwood Children's Farm or the
Animal Land Children's Farm at Diggers Rest.
