What do you do when you want your children to experience being on a farm? Go to an actual working farm, of course. And the one place you can have a Brisbane Farm Experience is with Naughty Little Kids goat dairy. They are a working farm close to Brisbane and every Sunday they let the public come and learn about what they do.
Getting to the farm
The farm is located in the Scenic Rim, less than an hour’s drive from Brisbane CBD. Their address is 1531 Ipswich Boonah Rd, Peak Crossing. You will have to drive by car as no public transport is available nearby. The farm opens their gates at 12:40pm and close at 5:00pm.
Farm terrain
The ground at the farm is sloped, but there are not any steps. A pram, wheelchair, or walker can easily be moved about on the tour. Plus, there isn’t a lot of walking and the staff are very accommodating.
Farm tours for Brisbane families
Every Sunday afternoon, Naughty Little Kids runs three farm tours to give Brisbane families a wonderful farm experience. They start at 1:05pm, 2:15pm, and 3:25pm. The 1:05pm tour is the busiest, but the staff handle the numbers well and make sure that nobody is left out. Each tour runs for about an hour.
Baby goats
The tour starts with feeding and patting the goat kids. There is a fence separating the goats and children which is great if your children are not used to animals. Smaller goat kids are brought in to the pen for children to pat or lucky adults to hold and cuddle.
Big Goats
After saying goodbye to the goat kids, the next part of the tour takes you to the big goats which is always a favourite part of the Brisbane Farm Experience. Here, the staff at Naughty Little Kids tell you all about what their goats eat, about their beards, why the males smell and the breed of dogs that protect the goats and keep them safe. Then the fun starts with milking a goat by hand. Everyone gets the opportunity to milk a goat. The farm staff will help the children to milk but adults are encouraged to try it by themselves. Some children will be unsure initially but after their first go at milking they often line up for a second or third go.
Cheese making demonstrations
The next part of the tour is more for the adults. It is a cheese making demonstration. This part of the farm tour is packed full of interesting information and you can tell that the Naughty Little Kids team have really put some thought in to making the tour interesting for the adults. Really young children will probably be more interested in playing with the wooden toys or colouring-in that is available. The best part about this is that the staff will explain clearly how you can make the cheese yourself at home.
Farm samples
The tour concludes with samples of the gelato and cheese that is made on the farm using their milk. The gelato is very refreshing, and it is made for people with allergies. If you have never tried goats’ milk before, you will be pleasantly surprised. The cheese that they make is delicious and you can easily see why they won a gold medal for it at the EKKA.
Naughty Little Kids have had a number of different TV shows come and film what they do on the farm. Here is a video of when The Great South East visited for a tour
Gelato
All their gelato is made using natural flavours and natural colours. It is also gluten, egg, nut, soy, and coconut free. They have five flavours for you to try; vanilla, strawberry, mint, chocolate, and coffee.
Cheese
The award winning cheese from Naughty Little Kids is called Stenby. It is a soft, mild cheese with a slight saltiness. You can use it in place of bocconcini, ricotta, fetta, or a cream cheese. The staff say that it tastes great with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and cracked pepper. Or, with tomato, basil leaf, olive oil, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
They also have a hard cheese called Caprino Romano. Caprino means goat and Romano means Rome/Roman. Initially it tastes like a vintage cheddar, as you leave it in your mouth it becomes more like a mild Parmesan. There is something for everyone.
Tickets
Tickets can be bought at the farm on the day or you can pre-purchase your tickets online at the Naughty Little Kids website. At the farm they can take eftpos and credit card payments. The prices for the tickets are Adult (18 and older): $15, Child* (17 and under): $5, Family (2 x Adults & 6 x Children): $35. *Children under 12 months old are free.
Products
This wonderful working goat dairy do sell all of their products at the farm. It is a good idea to bring an esky and some ice bricks from home. However, you can purchase a small foam esky and ice bricks at the farm if you forget.
Make the most of your Brisbane Farm Experience
Bring your camera. There will be lots of opportunities for you to take pictures of your children with the goats. Tell your children not to pat the dogs. They are working dogs and are there to protect the goats. Bring a hat, sunscreen and water. It can get hot and there will be times when you are out in the sun so remember to slip, slop, slap.
Purchase your tour tickets online and read more about the Naughty Little Kids farm on their website www.naughtylittlekids.com.au
Join the conversation