Kidding around
with Lisa and Brad Palmer

Add whimsy to your winter with a magical mix of music, merrymaking, mouth-watering produce and... mini goats?

Perched in the picturesque hills of Penguin, Lisa and Brad Palmer have brought these elements together at Hideaway Farmlet for an Off Season experience that’s equal parts romantic stay, rave and rambunctious farm tour.

We’re talking a sunset mini goat doof including a meet-cute with the mini goats before your host (and DJ) Brad spins tunes from your favourite genre, as you unwind with a wine or whisky. There’s also the option to crash in the farm’s cosy cottage for two.

“They’re all members of the family,” says Brad of Hideaway’s herd, an adorable mix of Australian miniatures and pygmy goats.

Each of these charismatic creatures has their own name and personality, from fence-jumping escape artist Ella and delightful Douglas with his Tassie-shaped white patch, to Bridget (“a bit of a bully”, we’re told) and cheeky boy Atlas.

“Atlas actually opens fences. He's picked a lock,” Lisa says with a chuckle. “But he’s a favourite.”

He’s our first goat... we started with two and now we’ve got 24.

BIG MOVES AND SMALL FARMS

Lisa and Brad’s journey from the ‘burbs to breeding mini goats began nearly a decade ago when the couple and their three daughters swapped Perth for the wide-open spaces of Penguin, on Tasmania’s north-west coast.

"We came over in August for a holiday… and moved here the following December,” Brad says. “We thought, ‘Tassie’s home – this is where we want to be’.”

Having dabbled in permaculture, growing an edible food forest in their Perth yard, they craved more space (and a cooler climate), upsizing from a 700m2 block to Hideaway’s four-acre farm. Nestled between a patchwork of paddocks and sparkling sea, the farm is an idyllic mix of 1940s stone buildings and charming English gardens set amongst the rolling fields and giant blue gums.

There’s also an ivy-covered cottage fit for a fairytale offering romantic accommodation overlooking the orchard and paddocks.

“It has a real old English vibe to it and we've kind of built on that,” Lisa says. Think vintage décor, shelves stacked with eclectic books, homely treats and games to rekindle the spark with your partner.

MEET THE MINIS

During your Hideaway stay you can join Brad on breakfast duty doling out feed to the farm’s giddy goats, lucky ducks and happy hens.

“They'll know when Brad's coming out in the morning and it’s feed time – they all come running,” grins Lisa. “It's such a sight to see.”

More than just pets, Atlas, Ella and the herd are at the heart of Hideaway Farmlet’s regenerative farming ethos. The duo run tours for guests and curious public keen to mingle with the minis while learning more about these multi-tasking weed munchers, soil aerators and fertilisers.

“They come up for pats and they love a brush. They're just super friendly because we spend so much time with them. They’re really tame,” says Brad.

THE G.O.A.T OFF SEASON

While the farm changes with every season, Lisa and Brad agree winter is an especially enchanting time.

Come autumn, the colours that you see here are spectacular. Then winter we particularly love.

“We are more winter people than summer people,” Lisa confesses.

“We can light a fire, have some whisky or wine and really enjoy being outdoors on a clear night and being able to look up and see the stars.”

It’s something they love to share with visitors. So, this Off Season they’re adding a G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) doof into the whimsical winter mix, where you can meet the mini goats in the paddock before Brad, a DJ with a passion for vinyl, spins a sunset session of your favourite genre.

The result? A mini goat rave, complete with crackling fire, DJ decks and a herd of curious goats in the background.

Rock and roll, 80s and 90s, drum and bass (a favourite of Brad’s), techno and dance: there’s no shortage of music choice.

“Brad’s been collecting records for 30 years,” says Lisa.

“I had a couple of resident spots in some clubs in Perth,” Brad admits modestly. “Played some big dance parties in a couple of festivals.”

To put miniature goats with music, I thought: there are two worlds colliding.

This unique experience is paired with some of north-west Tasmania’s famed produce and homemade homestead treats. Unwind by the fire with a dram of Hellyers Road Distillery whisky or glass of Ghost Rock wine, nibble walnuts fresh from the farm tree and Ashgrove cheeses while you tap a hoof to the doof.

As for the goats, while they prefer to bunker down in stormy weather, in their winter coats they become “fluffy puffballs” and are cuddlier than ever. They also change colour.

“You’ll get a red goat or brown goat completely white. They’ll grow this cashmere angora fur all over them and look like big snowballs,” Brad says.

Even better, late winter brings the opportunity to meet the kids, with the first newborn doelings and bucklings born from August.

“We thought this would be something really fun,” laughs Brad.

Goats in winter coats, a DJ doof and sundowners? They’re not kidding.