Fun at the Farm

With one of Katy's new years resolution 'to pat baby animals' we couldn't not book the farm stay when it popped up on our web search for accommodation in the Margaret River area and at about half the price of any of the other trendy apartments we would be silly not to!

Rolling into to the Sunflowers Animal Farm at 5pm, all the girls wanted to do was find the animals. However we manage to convince them we should check out our accommodation first. Our self contained 2 bedroom unit faces north and is appropriately named North! It overlooked the rolling paddocks with forest in the distance. The best thing about this place is the extras that guests are entitled to such as unlimited access to the animals, free buckets of feed, bottle feeding, pony rides, tractor rides and collecting eggs.

A few jumps on the beds then the girls were off! They found the guniea pig enclosure first and were absolutely besotted especially once they caught several of the little ones. Caramel soon become the favourite.

Next discovery were the baby chicks with two ducks mixed in huddling under the infra red light. Easy targets but not super cuddly! In a crate close by were a bunch of baby rabbits. They went high up on the list of favourites with their soft coats and cute faces! Smokey got the most attention here.

Then a lap of the farmyard before being called for dinner - lots of goats, a few lambs, a calf, too many chickens / ducks and geese of every kind, a turkey, several very large pigs, an alpaca, a peacock, another enclosure of larger (and harder to catch) rabbits, a horse, a few shetland ponies and three boarder collies!!

Next morning as you can imagine the girls were up at the crack of dawn, well actually this was nothing new really as both girls were still on Canberra time. Amazing how quickly they can get dressed and have breakfast when something exciting is outside!

After morning cuddles with the guinea pigs although not Caramel who had disappeared with numerous other (presumably sold and not eaten!) it was time for pony rides! Basil, the 28 year old shetland pony was saddled up with both girls completing several laps of the yard. Lots of smiles!

While waiting for the bottle feeding session, the girls took a bucket each of feed for a lap around the farm yard. Two baby goats had escaped from their enclosure and were particularly hungry! The bigger rabbits allowed the girls to pat them although only while they nibbled on carrots! Back in the shed, a litter of 9 boarder collies appeared. Only 3 weeks old these puppies were adorable, reminding us of Cathy's new puppy Bolt back in Canberra.

 

Bottles eventually emerged with the 4 lambs taking priority and each girl feeding one. Then it was the calf's turn followed by the 11 month old joeys. All very sweet. By this stage Andy had returned from his run, had a shower and was ready to depart for the beach so off we went!