Brisbane families looking for a farm day tend to head out of the city, and the official pages that actually describe family-friendly farm visits cluster in two places: the Scenic Rim and the Sunshine Coast hinterland. This guide draws only on the regional tourism bodies and the operators’ own pages, and it names no prices. Moreton Bay and other districts are not covered because no fetchable official page for them turned up.
Alpacas, camels and miniature donkeys in the Scenic Rim
Destination Scenic Rim calls the Scenic Rim an easy one-hour drive from Brisbane. Most of the Scenic Rim detail below rests on a single article, Visit Scenic Rim’s animal encounters piece, which is dated 19 September 2025. Operators change what they offer, so treat each item as a lead to confirm rather than a booking guarantee.
Visit Scenic Rim lists Mountview Alpaca Farm as offering an alpaca walk, in which visitors leash up one of its 70 alpacas for a 30 or 60 minute walk. It says walkers carry a bag of alpaca food and stroll around the property. Visit Scenic Rim adds that the farm publishes personality profiles online so that visitors are paired with a suitable animal.
Visit Scenic Rim describes Summer Land Camels at Harrisville as Australia’s largest camel farm and dairy, and says camel rides need to be booked online. At 9 November 2026, Visit Scenic Rim says entry to explore the farm is free. It also says the farm makes camel products ranging from camel milk cheesecake to skincare. At 9 November 2026, the operator’s own page lists its address as 8 Charles Chauvel Drive, Harrisville, and says it is open 9am to 3pm every day except some public holidays. At 9 November 2026, the operator also says no dogs are allowed, apart from certified support dogs and assistance animals.
Visit Scenic Rim says the Bearded Dragon Hotel on Tamborine Mountain offers a donkey picnic that seats guests in the countryside with a gourmet two-course picnic and three miniature donkeys. It adds that there is a paddock behind the pub with alpacas and goats. In the same article, Sarabah Estate at Canungra is described as offering lunch and the chance to meet alpacas and miniature horses, and at 9 November 2026 that article lists it as open Friday to Sunday.
Open-gate days and working dairies
At 9 November 2026, Visit Scenic Rim’s article says Harrisville Heritage Poultry opens its barn doors to the public once a month, with chicks and ducklings to cuddle, goats, sheep and alpacas to feed, and guided pony rides. The same article describes Towri Sheep Cheeses as a farm of 350 sheep on 300 acres. It says that, at 9 November 2026, the farm opens its gates each month for the Towri Growers Market, with produce and sheep milking demonstrations. Visit Scenic Rim also notes that Towri’s owners are primary producers with work to do, so outside open days, functions and cheese making workshops the sheep are not put on show.
Visit Scenic Rim describes Tommerup’s Dairy Farm as a sixth-generation family farm with 150 years of history in the Kerry Valley. It says a day trip gives a taste of farm life with time to sample the farm’s produce. Its farm stay, the article says, lets guests join the farmer milking the jersey cows each morning and feed baby farm animals.
A farm wildlife stop at O’Reilly’s
Not every animal encounter is a farm animal. Visit Scenic Rim says O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park is two hours’ drive from Brisbane and runs a Discovery Program with a Birds of Prey show, wildlife tours and a glow worm experience. Daily bird feeding lets visitors hand-feed crimson rosellas and king parrots, and Visit Scenic Rim says the only cost is a bag of birdseed. For the national park itself, see our Lamington National Park day trip guide.
Farm stays that include the animals
Visit Scenic Rim names Clandulla Cottages, Yalbaroo Scenic Rim Retreat and Eighteen Mile Cottage and Homestead as farm stays across the region.
On the Sunshine Coast, Visit Sunshine Coast says Wittacork Dairy Cottages offers a tour of a working dairy as part of a stay, on 700 acres with walking tracks, led pony rides for kids and calf bottle-feeding. It also lists Blackwattle Farm for alpacas and miniature goats and says Seven Peaks Farm Stay and Blackwattle Farm are a short drive from Australia Zoo. Seven Peaks is described as having views of the Glass House Mountains and friendly farmyard residents, and our Glass House Mountains guide covers that landscape.
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The tourism pages give no prices, and neither does this article. Operators set their own rates, tour times and booking rules, so each operator’s page is the place to confirm them. For a wider choice of outings, see our day trips from Brisbane with kids and nature and science activities for kids around Brisbane.
Frequently asked questions
Which Scenic Rim farms let kids meet animals?
Visit Scenic Rim lists Mountview Alpaca Farm (alpaca walks), Summer Land Camels, Harrisville Heritage Poultry (monthly open days) and Towri Sheep Cheeses, among others, in an article dated 19 September 2025.
Can I stay on a working farm?
Visit Scenic Rim names Clandulla Cottages, Yalbaroo Scenic Rim Retreat and Eighteen Mile Cottage and Homestead, and Visit Sunshine Coast describes a dairy tour as part of a stay at Wittacork Dairy Cottages.
Can I bring the dog to Summer Land Camels?
At 9 November 2026 the operator says no dogs are allowed, except certified support dogs and assistance animals.
