Popular Goomburra petting zoo Long Neck Farm sells for $1.4m

From hobby farm to tourist hotspot, this Goomburra Valley family enterprise sold for $1.4m just months after their world was turned upside down.

Long Neck Farm at Goomburra in the Southern Downs has officially sold to a Brisbane family. Photo: Long Neck Farm/Facebook

The Ross family never predicted the success their hobby farm turned cafe and petting zoo would have when they opened it to the public almost two years ago.

Within their first month of opening Long Neck Farm at Goomburra, the business took home the People’s Choice award at the Warwick Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

However the family has made the difficult decision to sell the business after a devastating health diagnosis.

Support has flooded in for the family who recently announced they had sold their beloved animal farm to a Brisbane family.

Long Neck Farm at Goomburra in the Southern Downs has officially sold to a Brisbane family. Photo: Long Neck Farm/Facebook

According to property data, the farm sold for more than $1.4m.

The family has always been big lovers of animals and often had passers by stopping in at their previous property asking to see the alpacas and other animals up close, which was one the driving forces behind their decision to open publicly.

Tanya Ross previously told News Corp their decision to offer free entry to the public was to allow families to enjoy a day trip without the financial stress of entry fees.

“We have five kids and we know what it’s like to just do a little day outing, by the time you pay entry fees and all that sort of rubbish, it just sort of gets away from you,” she said.

The farm has become a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike, with the Friday and Saturday night wood-fired pizzas a major hit.

The farm was a popular destination for locals and tourists for its cafe and wood-fired pizza nights on weekends.

Mrs Ross said although they’ve enjoyed running the business, the recent cancer diagnosis of their son saw them decide their time was better spent focused on family.

“As much as we love it, it is demanding and we’d rather dedicate the time to our son,” she said.

Long Neck Farm co-owner Tanya Ross. Photo: Long Neck Farm/Facebook

The serenity of the Goomburra Valley first attracted the Ross family to the area, later building the petting zoo and cafe to provide an opportunity to immerse visitors and locals with the animals.

“We’ve had children come through that have never seen a chicken before, so it’s been really heartwarming to provide that opportunity,” Mrs Ross said.

While the alpacas, chickens and peacocks will remain on the property, Mrs Ross said their long neck attractions – the ostriches – have been moved on to another farm to help with the new owner's transition.

The beloved long necked attractions have been moved on to another farm. Photo: Long Neck Farm

Although the family has decided to move away from the region, Goomburra Valley and their beloved animals will forever remain in their hearts.

“We’ve been really overwhelmed by the community support and the offers to help out at the farm, we couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.

Mrs Ross said she has no doubts the community will continue their support when the new owners re-open the farm to the public.

For more information visit the Long Neck Farm Facebook page.

Originally published as Popular Goomburra petting zoo Long Neck Farm sells for $1.4m