The King’s Birthday Long Weekend on the Sunshine Coast: Three Family Days Out at Fairhill

The King’s Birthday long weekend falls on Saturday 3 to Monday 5 October this year, and it doubles as the last weekend of the Queensland spring school holidays. Three days, and a houseful of children who have already done the beach. If you are after things to do on the Sunshine Coast this long weekend, Fairhill is open every day of it, 8am to 4pm, including the public holiday Monday.

The farmyard animals are out every day, the Gardens Café is serving from breakfast, and the Sunday and Monday each have something of their own on the programme. Here is how the three days shape up.

Saturday 3 October: a full day in the gardens

Saturday is the day to come early and take the whole place at your own pace. The Ranger-led Animal Farm Adventures run every half past the hour all morning, and the gardens, trails and Wild Nature are open to explore at your own speed for the rest of the day. The miniature goat kids are in the new G.O.A.T. Playbarn, which opened on 19 September and is now open every day with the rest of the farmyard. The full programme is on the Fairhill Adventures page.

Sunday 4 October: World Animal Day and the Family Quiz

Sunday 4 October is World Animal Day, which is about one simple thing: the animals we share the world with, and the people who look after them. It is a good fit for a farmyard, so Fairhill is spending the day with ours. Farmyard Adventures run through the morning with the Rangers, the guinea pigs hold court at Cuddle Corner, and the baby mini goats are in the Playbarn.

Then at 2.30pm it is the World Animals Family Quiz in the G.O.A.T. Playbarn, with Family Memberships and afternoon tea for the winning team. Afterwards, carry on down to Turtle Lake, where the long-necked turtles, ducks and water dragons will be having their own day out. Everything for the day is on the World Animal Day event page.

Monday 5 October: the King’s Birthday public holiday

Yes, Fairhill is open on the public holiday, the usual 8am to 4pm, and the farmyard animals are out as normal. From 1.30pm the day turns into A Right Royal Adventure: make a Nature Crown at the craft station from recycled card, crayons and fallen leaves, follow the Royal Garden Quest through the gardens, the Wild Nature Realm and the Farmyard, then join the Crowning of the G.O.A.T., when the Rangers lead the goats on a short Royal Promenade followed by the children in their crowns. Supervised goat photos and cuddles round it off, subject to the goats’ willingness, as always. The details are on the King’s Birthday event page.

Breakfast, lunch and a coffee in the rainforest

The Gardens Café and the Terrace Bar are open every day of the long weekend from 8am, with last orders at 2pm, so breakfast before the first animal session or lunch before the afternoon programme both work. Entry to the Gardens Café, Country Store and Nursery is always free, so a coffee, a browse or a plant run needs no ticket at all. See the Gardens Café page for the menu.

And then it is Halloween

The long weekend is the last stretch of spring at Fairhill before things turn orange. Halloween PumpkinFest starts the following Saturday, 10 October, and runs every day through to Sunday 1 November, with pumpkin carving, the new Haunted Barn, the Trick-or-Treat Trail and the costume parade around the bonfire. We wrote about it in last week’s post, and the Halloween PumpkinFest page has the full programme.

The long weekend at a glance

• Open every day of the long weekend, 8am to 4pm, including the King's Birthday public holiday on Monday 5 October
• Farmyard animals every day, with Ranger-led Animal Farm Adventures every half past the hour all morning
• The new G.O.A.T. Playbarn, home of the miniature goat kids, open with the rest of the farmyard
• Sunday 4 October: World Animal Day, with the World Animals Family Quiz at 2.30pm in the G.O.A.T. Playbarn
• Monday 5 October: A Right Royal Adventure from 1.30pm, with Nature Crowns, the Royal Garden Quest and the Crowning of the G.O.A.T.
• The Gardens Café and Terrace Bar open daily from 8am, last orders 2pm
• Halloween PumpkinFest starts the following Saturday, 10 October

Tickets and memberships are on the Fairhill booking page.

Three days, three different reasons to come. We hope to see you in the gardens this long weekend.