Talk to the animals!

Do you and your little ones fancy getting a taste of farm life? Well, there are plenty of places you can visit to get closer to friendly goats, chooks, ducks, cows and even a donkey or two.

Petting farms are a great place for the whole family, and give kids a chance to learn about everything, from where milk really comes from (not the supermarket) to how their warm woolly jumper began life. Here is a round-up of some popular petting farms.

Bundoora Park, Bundoora, Vic
About half an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD, Bundoora Park’s Children’s Farm gives kids a chance to feed and handle farmyard animals, with bottle-feeding the new lambs and kids in the barn a highlight. You’ll see guinea fowl, chickens, cockatoos and alpacas, then wander through the farmyard to see pigs and cows and pat the donkeys. You can also see emus and kangaroos during a tractor ride through the Wildlife Reserve, and little ones can round off the visit with a pony ride or a picnic. There are plenty of barbecue and playground facilities, too. Visit bundoorapark.com.au

Swan Valley Cuddly Animal Farm Henley Brook, WA
This petting farm is in the heart of the pretty Swan Valley, about a 30-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Ideal for a day trip, after visiting the farm you can enjoy boutique breweries, art galleries, vineyards, a chocolate factory and cafes in the area. The farm allows the kids to pat a piglet, nurse a baby chick or bunny, maybe watch a chicken hatch, collect fresh eggs and feed the lambs and kid goats. There’s a free train ride, a bouncy castle and play equipment, and free buckets of feed are provided. Mum and Dad can also enjoy a free cuppa.
Visit cuddlyanimalfarm.com

Zoo sleepovers: bed & breakfast
AT Daintree Wild Zoo, QLD
This zoo is home to rare and endangered species such as the north-east Queensland golden-shouldered parrot, plus Australian native icons such as the emu and dingo. Bed and breakfast accommodation catering to kids of all ages is available, giving your family the opportunity to see the usually secret nightlife and have breakfast overlooking the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest. Visit daintreewild.com.au


Roar ’n’ Snore at Melbourne Zoo, VIC
The Roar ’n’ Snore overnight camp is based in the Historic Elephant Exhibit. Explore the mystery of the zoo after dark, then it’s time to fall asleep in your tent, to be woken in the morning by the calls of gibbons and birds. Camps run from September to May on selected nights and are suitable for kids five and older. Bring a sleeping bag and pillow – and a sense of adventure. Visit zoo.org.au

Hahndorf Farm Barn Hahndorf, SA
If you live in the Adelaide Hills and want to get close to nature, a visit to Hahndorf Farm Barn should do the trick. This children’s farmyard and nature wildlife park is a 30-minute drive from Adelaide and will appeal to the young and young at heart. You can watch honey being made, hand-milk a friendly cow, watch sheep being shorn, meet the resident miniature ponies, talk with the local cockatoos, cuddle a baby rabbit and count Sam the Suffolk ram’s impressive teeth. Hahndorf even has its own ‘Bambi’ and ‘Thumper’ – two beautiful deer that can be hand-fed. You’re free to wander round the barn at your own pace, and at the Farm Barn gift shop you can buy fresh honey made on site or buy a scarf or beanie made from the farm’s handspun wool for next winter. Visit farmbarn.com.au

Oakvale Farm & Fauna World Salt Ash, NSW
Located a two-hour drive north of Sydney, Oakvale Farm & Fauna World has been going for over 30 years and more than five million visitors have watched and learnt about the farm’s range of native wildlife and farm animals. Oakvale recently added an exciting new Reptile Ravine, plus you’ll find a menagerie of ducklings, rabbits, goats, sheep, horses, kangaroos, wombats, emus and dingos. Kids have a chance to milk the resident cow, pat a koala or two and enjoy a guided tractor ride. And at 1pm there’s a waterfowl feeding show where you can see pelicans being fed. Visit oakvalefarm.com.au

Collingwood Children’s Farm Abbotsford, Vic
This farm in Melbourne is a haven among the high-rises and freeways. It spreads over seven hectares alongside the Yarra, and kids can feed and pet the animals, help with farm chores and look for eggs. There are pony rides and regular cow-milking sessions, too. Plus, on the second Saturday of each month there’s a colourful farmers’ market. Visit farm.org.au