Things to do
Coffee, orchids and sheep with names…
Ipswich has a new destination – a hobby farm with its gates flung open for city folk. Visitors are lured to Haigslea EWE-Nique for some country air and a chance to meet cute farm animals. While you are there you can also browse for plants.
Orchid-grower Penny Allen and her partner ‘Farmer Dave’ Hanson began opening their Haigslea EWE-Nique Hobby Farm to the public in mid-2018. It’s off to a busy start for the pair and their band of sheep, alpacas, lambs and goats.
Children can meet and feed the animals. Little Korbin and his Mum, Grace, (pictured), got a kick out of feeding Kingfisher the lamb on a recent visit. Each child goes home with a tomato plant they can pot up themselves from the nursery. There are also huge buckets of cymbidium orchids available to buy by the stem. Penny and Dave have plans to further develop the plant nursery and their extensive gardens as their hobby farm evolves.
It all began when Penny bought a six-week-old lamb, Speckles. Fast forward four and a half years and Speckles is part of a whole flock of sheep. Names such as Champagne and Malibu, lambs – include two recent sets of triplets – alpacas and a goat named Mini.
Haigslea Ewe-Nique Hobby Farm is open Wednesday to Saturday (and Monday to Saturday for Ekka week) and admission is $5 per person. There’s an open-air cafe on site where you can sip your coffee on a hay bale and enjoy freshly baked treats.
Check the Facebook page for full details and book your visit on 0410 487 263.
