A fantastic petting farm - Image: Elaine de Wet
I've been searching forever and a day for somewhere on the Sunshine Coast to take our grandson so that he can interact with farm animals - to give our little man a taste of country life. Short of taking him for a
farmstay, I've been hoping to find something that one can do with a short visit but still have all the fun of a farm.
Cuteness overload - Image: Elaine de Wet
And
voila! I've found it!
Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast previously PoulTree Park in North Arm, 28.4km from Buderim via the M1, definitely ticks all the boxes:-
Not too large, so that one is forced to walk miles to interact with the animals;
Meet the cutest cuddliest miniature farm animals including goats, sheep and pigs with names like Dafnie and Clinton, the guinea pig;
Say 'hello' Dafnie - Images: Elaine de Wet
Feed the kid goats with special food purchased for $1 when paying entry;
Take a peek at the guinea pig (Clinton) in his cage;
Admire and pat the purebred heritage hens, the laying hens and ducks (if they don't squawk and run to hide under the trees);
The Old Hen House - Images: Elaine de Wet
Open for two hours at a time - so one can do everything you need to and still have spare hours in the day to do some other adventuring ie. like popping into
The Ginger Factory on your way home or visiting the
Yandina Historical House.
All sorts of kids were out and about - Images: Elaine de Wet
Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast (previously PoulTree Park) doesn't have specific opening times, so one has to check either their
website here or their
Facebook page here for times, as and when they're listed.
Pay and get your 'stamp' here - Image: Elaine de Wet
The opening times on Labour Day were from 10.30am to 12.30pm and we couldn't believe how busy it was. After parking the car, visitors join the queue to purchase entry, which is $5 per person (including littlies), and an extra $1 for a ticket to feed the animals. Then we all got 'stamped' - a nice green one that I'm still trying to wash off my hand.
The next open day at Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast will be on Sunday 24 September 2017 10.00am to 2.00pm and the fantastic news is that you can
purchase your tickets on-line here (more time with the animals and less time in queues).
A Family Pass for two adults and three children is only $20 when purchased online.
Pick up your animal food with pre-purchased ticket before entering the pens - Image: Elaine de Wet
The fun then starts, with everybody being able to enter the various pens (first pick up your cup of animal food at the gate) to pet and feed the animals.
Important Information before visiting Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast
Wear covered/closed-in shoes - gum boots are a good idea - for safety reasons (you've guessed it, I wore open sandals, duh!);
Wear dark, old clothing as the soil is red and can stain (wish I'd read this one before, I wore white and I saw other guests with very pretty silver shoes on);
Insect repellent is recommended as there appear to be an abundance of green ants;
If parking on site, please park in designated areas. We did notice that once the designated parking was full, visitors were parking on the road outside the Farmyard Espresso Animal Park, which was then a short stroll to the ticket spot;
This little piggy stayed at home - Image: Elaine de Wet
As this is a working farm, children are not to be left unattended. Children under 8 years of age must be supervised at all times by an adult;
You're welcome to bring a picnic rug (picnic blankets are available from Farmyard Espresso) to have a picnic on the property;
Photography is permitted but photography including other people's children is not permitted;
No smoking and no alcohol;
If you require a full flushing toilet with warm water and a sink please ask a staff member for directions - there is a basic outdoor loo under the bamboo;
Wash hands-on exiting the pens - taps and hand wash were all provided.
Cosy indoor coffee spot - Image: Elaine de Wet
Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast
do have a Farmyard Espresso where one can purchase a coffee or tea and sit either indoors in a very cosy lounge area, or outside on one of the garden benches under the trees. Unfortunately, we found the queue was a tad too long with visitors streaming in to purchase their entry tickets, so it was a more viable option to skip this part of our fun morning and perhaps pick up refreshments elsewhere.
Vouchers can now be ordered online here for your coffee.
Enjoy the gardens - Image: Elaine de Wet
An outing to Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast is absolutely worth it for
ALL age groups. To hear the squawks of the excited children when faced with these gorgeous bundles of fur is all the thanks a parent or grandparent needs.
Our verdict: A morning well spent and
only half an hour from Buderim.
PS I've just read this on their Facebook page:-
'Do you belong to a playgroup? If you can organise a group of 20 parents (minimum, plus children) we may be able to organise a weekday farm opening...contact us for more information.'So, as you can see it's pretty important to keep checking in to see what activities Farmyard Espresso Animal Park - Sunshine Coast are organising.
Little fluffy bundles of joy - Image: Elaine de Wet
