A Peaceful Alpaca Farm Escape Near Canberra
Sometimes, all you need for a peaceful weekend escape is a short drive out of the city.
I had been looking for a place near Canberra where my children could do more than simply look at animals from behind a fence. I wanted them to have the experience of getting close, feeding an animal with their own hands, and spending a little time surrounded by nature. That search led us to Blackwattle Alpaca Farm in Murrumbateman, only about a 30-minute drive from Canberra.
A Bucket of Food and a Field Full of Alpacas
We chose the Hand Feeding Tour, a 30-minute experience that takes you right into the paddock with the farm’s alpacas and llamas. Each visitor receives a bucket of treats, and within moments, you find yourself surrounded by animals waiting eagerly for their turn.
For children, there is something wonderfully exciting about holding out a small handful of food and watching an alpaca gently eat from their palm. When the bucket starts to empty, all they want to do is keep feeding them.
But what surprised me was how much the adults enjoyed it too. We heard that some visitors had even come from Melbourne. It reminded me that experiences like this are not really just “for the kids.”
There was something unexpectedly calming about standing quietly in a wide paddock, watching alpacas and llamas wander around us. Their thick, soft fleece almost invites you to reach out and touch it, and somehow that simple physical connection with an animal felt comforting — almost therapeutic.
Of course, they are still farm animals, not stuffed toys. Before entering the paddock, we were given safety instructions and reminded to treat the animals gently and carefully. Alpacas and llamas can be startled, so children need to stay close to an adult and follow the guide’s directions.
The Kind of Countryside That Makes You Slow Down
The animals are only part of the experience.
What I loved most was the setting itself. The farm opens out into peaceful countryside, with alpacas and llamas roaming against a backdrop of rolling land and expansive rural views. It feels surprisingly far removed from the city, even though Canberra is only half an hour away.
There is no need to fill the day with activities. You can simply watch the animals, let the children take their time feeding them, breathe in the country air, and enjoy being somewhere quiet.
It is close enough to Canberra for an easy morning or afternoon outing, but once you arrive, it feels like you have taken a little trip away.
That is perhaps what made the visit so memorable: we didn’t travel very far, yet it felt as though we had gone somewhere completely different.
Don’t Leave Without a Scone
After meeting the alpacas, there is one more stop I would not miss: Blackwattle Cafe.
The small farm café serves coffee, light food and sweet treats overlooking the paddocks.
For us, though, the highlight was the scone.
Warm scone, strawberry jam and thick cream — simple, classic, and honestly one of the best scones I have ever had. Sitting there after the tour, eating a scone while looking across the quiet farm, somehow completed the whole experience.
It was not a fancy meal or an elaborate day out. It was just one of those small travel moments that stays with you.
Next Time: Walking With an Alpaca
By the time we were leaving, my five-year-old was already talking about what he wanted to do next.
“Next time, I want to do the alpaca tour.”
He was referring to the 1.5-hour Alpaca Adventure Tour, where visitors take an alpaca or llama on a scenic walk around the farm and dam, followed by a hand-feeding session and time for a drink and sweet treat. Children under 10 share an alpaca with an adult rather than leading one independently.
After seeing how much he enjoyed simply feeding them, I can imagine that walking through the countryside with his own alpaca companion would feel like a very special adventure.
And I think there will be a next time.
Blackwattle is exactly the kind of place I love discovering around Canberra: close enough for an easy family outing, yet peaceful enough to feel like a genuine escape. There are no crowds to rush through and no long list of attractions to tick off. Just animals, open countryside, a good scone, and a few hours together.
Sometimes, a quiet afternoon in the countryside is all it takes to slow down and stay with you a little longer.
Visit Blackwattle Alpaca Farm
Address: 315 Patemans Lane, Murrumbateman NSW 2582
Phone: 0403 991 612
Opening Hours: Friday–Sunday, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Website: blackwattlealpacas.com.au
Tip: Entry to the farm and Farm Shop is free, but you need to book a tour if you want to enter the paddock and interact with the alpacas and llamas.
