All aboard for a day of family fun

Finding your inner farmer is fun and easy when you have hundreds of animals waiting to meet you at White Ridge Farm.

As visitors make their way around the property, they will find llamas, alpacas, cows, goats, piglets, sheep, donkeys, miniature horses, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, birds and even a camel eager for their share of attention and food.

The farm is owned by Katrina and David White, who bought the property and built everything from scratch.

Working on a farm is a fun job, but for Katrina, she loves seeing all the smiles on the kids’ faces every day.

“Every time I get the opportunity to walk around the farm, I always see lots of happy and smiling kids who are so excited to be here,” Katrina says.

“The kids love to visit all the enclosures, see the animals up close and feed them out of the palm of their hand.

“All of the animals are super friendly and affectionate towards the guests - they love the attention, the pats and of course, the food!

“It’s very easy to work here when you see everyone around you is happy.”

Just like humans, Katrina says all the animals have names and their own unique personalities.

“All of our team members have their own favourite animals, as do the guests who keep coming back,” Katrina says.

Not only can you meet all the farm’s furry and feathered friends during your visit, but there are also several family-friendly attractions to entertain young kids and the young at heart.

All the attractions are included in your entrance fee, which means there are no additional costs, and you can enjoy them as many times as you like.

One of White Ridge Farm’s newest attractions is a train, which Katrina’s husband David built himself.

The train has its own station it departs from and takes riders on a six-minute scenic adventure through bushland.

“We know kids of all ages love trains, so this is a great addition to the farm,” Katrina says.

“We introduced the train ride earlier this year and since then it has been a big hit with visitors.

“People will often run to the station and ride the train a couple of times during their visit.

“It can seat both children and adults who are hoping for a ride, and David is planning to make more carriages soon.

“Having been here for eight years, and turning the farm into what it is today, we are always thinking of new ideas to grow, expand and evolve, so when an idea like building a train comes to hand, we work towards building that.”

The train operates between 10am-2pm and runs in a different direction to the already existing tractor ride, which is also popular amongst guests.

“The tractor ride is like a game of spotto,” Katrina says.

“The driver has a microphone and points out different things and animals to see on the farm.”

To see more photos from the farm, click through the gallery below.

Lots to see and do 

Other popular attractions on the farm include two interactive animal areas, including a dedicated rabbit and guinea pig area, adventure playgrounds for kids to play on, a sandpit filled with tonka trucks, little tyke cars which kids can drive themselves, a café and souvenir shop, plus a nine-hole putt putt course.

“A mini putt putt course isn’t something you would normally find at a farm, but it’s such a fun activity for people of all ages to play,” Katrina says.

“It’s not an overly challenging course and is perfect for little kids right through to teenagers and adults.

“The mini golf course is located underneath our gum trees so it’s nice and shady during the summer.”

There are also three large undercover areas with tables and chairs, one of which has a big bookshelf where kids can choose books to read, as well as a piano for the kids to play.

Not only is White Ridge Farm a great place for a family day trip, but it also caters for groups like birthday parties, school excursions, nursing homes, vacation care, daycare and kindy.

“Our birthday party packages are extremely popular,” Katrina says.

“As part of each package we do a guided farm tour where everyone can handfeed our beautiful animals including our amazing llamas and alpacas.

“The guided tour is not something that we normally offer and is reserved only for birthday parties.

“We also include a fossil dig and hay rides for the kids and parents.

“The lucky birthday person will also receive a special gift which is a beautifully illustrated children’s book which David and I wrote ourselves.”

Katrina is also dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all visitors. She has taken measures to ensure the premises are accessible to visitors with mobility challenges, with all the bitumen pathways designed to be wheelchair and stroller friendly. The farm also has disabled bathrooms and accessible parking spaces available.

“All our team members have undergone specialist training with Spinal Life Australia to ensure they have the knowledge and the skills to assist and support visitors with disabilities,” Katrina says.

White Ridge Farm is open Wednesday through to Sunday from 9am-3pm, and open seven days during the school holidays.

For more information, visit their website.