Best places to holiday near the Gold Coast: The Llama Farm at Pine Mountain
You are about to meet an animal whose s*** literally does not stink - welcome to the holiday spot within a drive of the Gold Coast. FULL DETAILS >>>
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YOU are about to meet an animal whose s*** literally does not stink.
It’s hard to beat that introduction by The Llama Farm owner Shane Hancock, who makes no secret of his admiration for the star attraction at his Pine Mountain property.
ULTIMATE GUIDE: Best places to holiday near the Coast
Along with an anatomical quirk that leaves the poo-enriched paddocks at Queensland’s largest llama farm smelling as fresh as a daisy, generations of domestication have ensured life really is calmer with a llama.
“They are naturally drawn to humans, which is what makes them so ideal for an experience like this,” Mr Hancock said.
The animal lover runs farm tours and guided llama walks alongside his day job as a deputy principal.
Offered on weekends and in school holidays, the goal is to put food on the plate for a tribe including donkeys, mini ponies, goats, sheep, camels and maremma dogs.
The family friendly tours start with a crash course on camelids. Wondering how to tell a llama from an alpaca? The banana ears are a giveaway.
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But it’s the meet and greets that most guests have been waiting for and this tour leaves no paddock gate unopened.
The camels are first, gently accepting carrots from eager hands. One attention-loving fellow stands alongside the fence so the littlest of kids can prod his rubbery hump and hug his huge, hairy head.
Groups stop to cuddle miniature horses and donkeys before meeting the headliner.
From a tiny splotch-covered cottonball called Oreo to the more shaggy matriarchs, it’s on for young and old when the scoops of chaff come out.
But, even when a favourite snack is involved, it’s surprising how considerate the llamas are.
“I find they are a lot more relaxed than alpacas and actually seek out affection,” Mr Hancock said.
The final farm introduction tends to warrant the greatest excitement in anyone raised north of the rabbit fence – bunnies. Really big bunnies.
Weighing in at around 8kg, the giant Flemish rabbits are hoisted on to a special table where visitors can stroke their soft white fur and snag a selfie.
Photos, from organic opportunities with all of the farm’s residents to more formal setups snapped by the host, are a key part of the encounter.
Guided llama walks produce some of the most spectacular images, silhouetted against the setting sun.
Accommodation is among Mr Hancock’s future plans for The Llama Farm, but for now travellers will have to look a little further afield.
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You can bring your dog – or even your horse – along for the ride at Tallavalley Farm B&B, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage sitting pretty on a working farm at Ipswich.
Keira Farm, a 500-acre cattle property 15 minutes west of Ipswich, is another option, perfect for washing away the dust of a day well spent.
“Our outdoor spa bath has its own gazebo with seating, a sink made from a eucalyptus stump and fairy lights as mood lighting,” owner Emma Pegler said.
“The bath has the best view of the farm, looking out over our ever-changing hay paddock and across to the magnificent mountains of the Scenic Rim behind.”
Coast perfection: How to holiday at home in style
Nostalgia meets new attractions at Burleigh Heads, where you can book a beach butler to upgrade your seaside staycay.
Here’s where to stay, sip, sup, stroll and spa for the ultimate holiday at home.
STAY
Sand in the shower and between the sheets. Salty hair and sunburnt shoulders. Sultry nights with windows thrown open to the whish of the waves.
Within the walls of Burleigh’s old brick walk-ups and fibro shacks you’ll find a time portal to the golden days of simple seaside getaways.
But as remnants of the town’s 1950s/60s tourism boom are supplanted by slick sky homes, snagging an old-school holiday bargain is becoming about as hard as finding a carpark in summer.
Discerning travellers willing to spend a little more to capture coastal nostalgia can make new memories at bon Sol.
Set in the sun-bleached ’60s shell of holiday units, the chic beachfront bolthole has been given a no-expense-spared makeover by Halcyon House design mastermind Anna Spiro.
The roomy two-bedroom Pandanus apartment has received Spiro’s signature textile treatment, in a pattern-rich palette of cool blues and greens borrowed from Burleigh itself.
While a locked-and-loaded cocktail cart is among the perks, it’s bon Sol’s beach butler that’s the real blessing.
Anyone who has endlessly circled the block to shark a park before playing pack mule for a brace of bodyboards and umbrellas, barbecuing bare feet on scorching sand, will understand the sheer decadence of having someone do it all for you.
Guests can skip unencumbered on to the shore to discover white and yellow bon Sol-branded umbrellas, deckchairs draped in designer towels and an ice-filled esky stocked drinks.
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SAVOUR
Foodies are arguably the biggest winners in booming Burleigh, with a rejuvenated restaurant scene bridging past and present.
Nook Espresso, a hole in the wall that hung along for the ride in the Burleigh Pavilion revamp, is my favourite for coffee, although the caffeine competition is heating up with the arrival of Easy Tiger in the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade and Sea Dog on James Street.
Savour share plates, cocktails and cool coastal vibes at Light Years Asian Diner, or book the quintessential Burleigh beachfront dining experience with a tideline table at Rick Shores.
The polished pan-Asian eatery, floor-to-ceiling windows washed by the waves, is far more sophisticated than the kiosk where I’d line up for ice cream as a kid, but the spirit is the same.
Rick Shores also has a handful of alfresco tables where walk-ins can savour a sundowner with their toes in the sand and a bug roll in hand.
If you miss out on a spot, watch the waves over a beer or a frosty frosé on the southern side of Burleigh Pavilion, a more casual open-air bar and eatery.
String lights and sea breezes cast their spell at dusk, but it can be standing room only in peak season, so get in early.
Dodge the crowds at Lockwood, Burleigh’s (kind of) secret drinking den hidden in the alley behind Justin Lane. Request entry via text message.
STROLL
A spot of fresh air is just the thing to counter all that feasting, and Burleigh serves up the scenery with tracks crisscrossing its national park.
The Oceanview track makes good on its name with a new blue view around every corner.
The 1.2km scenic stroll spans from Burleigh hill in the north to Tallebudgera Creek’s Echo beach on the southern side of the headland.
Skirting the coastline with its basalt boulders, this section of national park passes through pandanus groves, tussock grasslands and coastal heath.
You may spot white-bellied sea-eagles, whales in winter and spring, and birdwing butterflies in summer.
Oceanview is popular with runners, so keep to the left and allow room to pass if you’re taking your time.
It’s also a favourite sunrise spot with photographers, offering the perfect vantage to capture morning colour over the ocean, looking back towards the Surfers skyline.
While walkers are unlikely to work up too much of a sweat on the relatively flat path, it’s bookended by refuel stations (Nook Espresso at the bottom of Burleigh Hill and Neptune Kiosk just over the Tallebudgera Creek bridge).
Return by the same path or head uphill via the Rainforest circuit and Tumgun lookout.
Alternatively, set out on the 1.8km return Tallebudgera Creek walk from David Fleay Wildlife Park for a totally different perspective of the seaside suburb.
You rarely see another soul on this tranquil track where a raised boardwalk winds waterside through the mangroves.
Keep an eye on the treetops as you pass the southwest corner of Fleay’s for guaranteed koala spotting and another one peeled for hidden rope swings into Talle’s trademark blue waters.
SPA
Greenhouse the Bathhouse is another pocket of peace, tucked back from the beach where the suburb gives way to leafy Tallebudgera Valley.
Book a soak session at this unisex bathhouse and rejuvenation space to while away the hours in a relaxing rotation of mineral plunge pools, hydrotherapy spas, saunas and sun deck.
Pampering packages include massages, champagne or kombucha, and nourishing nosh.
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