Trevena Glen Farm celebrates milestone

Trevena Glen Farm has continued to evolve in the 40 years since it hosted its first school excursion.

The popular destination for locals and tourists will celebrate the milestone in August, offering discounts for miniature train and tractor trailer rides. It will also have horse riding and a jumping castle onsite.

The farm at Mount Samson was originally owned by Don Goebel and Lorraine Goebel-Brown, who were asked to host an excursion by a local school.

“It was actually a dairy farm to start off with, then they went into farming goats as well. The school next door wanted to do an excursion, they walked out the gate and up the hill … that was the very first school excursion and then it (the farm) stepped out into tourism,” current Managing Director Lindsay Rooke explains.

He, wife Katie, and Liz and Alan Gray, took on the farm 11 years ago, expanding it to offer horse riding, an NDIS program, birthday parties and animal encounters.

Most recently, the farm commissioned a new miniature train ride, multi-level tree house and playground, and added a café.

“What we’re about is just helping friends and family connect in a fun, safe place,” Lindsay says.

“The fact that we get to do that with animals is great but what it’s about for us is actually just seeing that and countering where our culture goes … to be reclusive and be behind devices and inside as opposed to spending that time together and building relationships and making memories.”

Lindsay says the farm continues to appeal to visitors for a range of reasons.

“I think it’s a combination of things … obviously proximity is one thing. We’re just over 30 minutes from the airport, CBD and cruise ship terminals, so that’s definitely one aspect,” he says.

“I think more than that, it’s just the hands-on nature (of it) and the beautiful setting, and just the fact that it’s that real personal experience. It’s you with the tour guide,” he explains.

“It’s a nice release … you kind of exhale. People say ‘wow, this is amazing’.

“As we reflect on 40 wonderful years, we are reminded of our roots and the values that have guided us every step of the way - community, education, and joy. We look forward to continuing to serve as a place where memories are made, lives are enriched, and the spirit of adventure thrives.”