About a 45 minute drive south west from Brisbane in the beautiful Scenic Rim is the Summerland Camel Farm at Harrisville.

When we arrived at the Camel farm there were camels everywhere standing directly in front of beautiful mountains and landscapes in this very pretty location. It clearly was a very peaceful home for these graceful creatures.

After a quick visit to the farm house and café we met up with Jeff the director who took us on a guided tour of the farm, the camels and the dairy operation. It was so enjoyable learning about the history of this amazingly successful venture from such a passionate and knowledgeable person. I truly was not aware of how beneficial these lovely creatures are. These very inquisitive and friendly animals were comfortable with us getting up close to them. It was a very hot day when we were there however with the trees and breeze it was surprisingly very pleasant and very interesting to learn that camels are so clean that there were no flies.

The owners have over 30 years of experience in biodynamic holistic farming techniques and land regeneration to build a resilient farm eco-system without the use of chemicals, insecticides or pesticides. They care for their camels with world first low stress handling techniques to minimise stress, ensure the herd structure is respected and the mother and calf bond is maintained throughout. Their herd is loved and nurtured by a team lead by one of the world’s leading Camel Veterinarians using holistic health care techniques. Most of their camels are brought in from the wild in Central Australia, where they would otherwise be inhumanely culled.

After our tour, which I could have enjoyed for much longer, we returned to the lovely country farm house which overlooks the camel paddocks and Flinders Range in the Distance. This is where we sampled the camel milk which was really pleasant and has so many incredible benefits. We learned that Camel milk is harder to harvest than cow’s milk, however it has properties worth the price, which is about 9 times what you pay for cow’s milk at the supermarket.
They are also producing cheese, Camel milk skin and hair care products, and Gelato which is simply scrumptious. I left there with some of their delicious camel milk and feta cheese.

Up until this day I always thought that Camels originally came from the middle east or even Africa. Do you know where they actually originated? Unless you already know, you will be surprised.

Canada!!!

A visit to Summerland Camel farm was a fantastic way to spend a day out. All you could ever want to know about Camels, camel farming and the products that are produced from their milk you will learn here. This is an experience that I could recommend to everyone and anyone.