A lifelong dream, a 19-acre farm, and a paddock full of shaggy Highland cows are about to become one of South Australia’s cutest new day-trip experiences.
Winlow Farm, a brand-new animal experience just outside Two Wells, is preparing to open to visitors from early June, bringing Highland cow encounters, baby goats, mini cows and bottle-fed calves to Adelaide’s north.
While Highland cow experiences have taken off in recent years, owner Sandy says there has been nothing quite like this in the northern region, and the idea came from a dream she has carried since childhood.
“I actually grew up in Roxby Downs in the country, and I’ve got family in the countryside as well, so it’s sort of just always been a dream of mine wanting to move out to the country and have as many farm animals as I possibly can,” Sandy says.
How long has she carried that dream? “Honestly, since I was a little girl. From as young as I can remember.”
Sandy and her partner Leigh have turned that dream into Winlow Farm, after finding 19 acres just outside Two Wells and deciding to open the property up for visitors. Leigh also comes from a country background, with his father growing up on a cattle station in Queensland, making the farm life dream something they both shared.
The experience will centre around the farm’s main front paddock, which is being set up like a giant petting zoo, where visitors can interact with the animals, pat and feed them, and take photos. A viewing platform is also being built as part of the experience.
“The animals are so ridiculously friendly, like you just can’t get them away from you,” Sandy says. “They all act like dogs, which is just crazy.”
Alongside the Highland cows, visitors will also be able to meet baby goats, mini cows and four bottle-fed calves.
“All our animals are basically babies,” Sandy says. “None of our Highlands are over the age of two, so it’s a proper baby animal farm experience.”
Some of the animals free range around the property, which Sandy says has always been part of her dream farm vision.
“You drive in the driveway, you open up the gate and they just bolt towards you,” she says. “For no other reason other than they’re just so happy to see you.”
Sandy says the animals have been raised with constant human interaction, which has helped make them calm, trusting and incredibly affectionate.
“They just trust us. So in turn, they trust all other humans that come here. It’s really, really cute.”
For city visitors, Sandy hopes Winlow Farm will offer something they don’t get to experience every day. For her, being surrounded by the animals has become part of daily life, but she says she is often reminded just how special it is when people visit the property for the first time.
“It’s so normal to us to have goats and cows run up to you as soon as you drive through the gate and to look out your kitchen window and have Highland cows there,” she says.
Once open, Winlow Farm will look to offer farm visits and experiences where guests can meet the animals and enjoy the property.
There are also plans to expand the experience beyond general farm visits, with professional photo shoots, kids’ birthdays, private events, corporate team-building workshops and disability care excursions all on the cards. The property also has large event bell tents, opening the door to private celebrations.
Sandy says while the Highland cows will be the major drawcard, she is just as excited for visitors to meet the other animals that make the farm so special.
“The Highland cows are definitely the main hook,” she says. “But I know that once you get here and you meet the other animals, you’ll realise how great they are too.”
For Sandy, the farm is more than a new business. It is the kind of place she always wanted to create, and one she hopes will bring that same joy to everyone who visits.
“It’s impossible to be upset or feeling down or any sort of thing when you’re here on the farm and around the animals,” she says. “It’s just the best thing ever.”
Winlow Farm is hoping to open from June 1, just outside Two Wells.
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