Trying to find activities for the whole family that does not involve the TV or wasting away all your savings can be tough. We have the perfect solution to this dilemma: the Bokkie Park. For those of you that are completely hopeless with Afrikaans, bokkie refers to goats. This park is a huge plot of land with plenty of hungry farm animals dreaming of giant, juicy carrots. Not that these animals aren’t fed. You’ll see truckloads of food arriving for them, but they are just a bunch of gluttonous beasts. And we mean both gluttonous and beasts. You have not lived until a goose fight breaks out in competition over the food you’re holding.

This venue has a wide array of animals. These animals include cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ostriches, rabbits, horses and, of course, goats. Although, walking into the park, you’ll probably be surprised by how few animals you see around. The property is big enough to allow plenty of room for all the animals to roam. The quiet will not last long, though. Before you know it, you’ll have a flock of geese stalking towards you. Hungry geese can be alarming, they look like gang members preparing to attack. Plus, they hiss — vehemently. That said, it’s quite fun to see them blundering towards the food thrown on the ground, desperate to get there before their peers do.

When the geese have been greedy enough and you move on along the winding walkway (with them stalking you, no doubt), you may be lucky enough to spot a collection of ducklings gushing after their parents or catch a rare glimpse of a baby lamb suckling on its mom.

If you do, you have arrived at the goat part of your journey around Bokkie Park. The first time we came here, we did not see any goats or sheep around. Then, quite suddenly, about 50 of these animals came blazing towards us, or rather the bag of carrots. It was amusing to have them climbing onto one another, head-butting each other out the way, and even tearing holes in the bag containing the carrots — all in a bid to devour the nourishing morsels within.

Next, you’ll find the pigs and their litter of piglets. These little darlings are not so interested in food. However, it is always worth paying them a visit. We could spend hours watching them. The little ones run up to their food trough, the fence, the pens and even each other to wiggle their bottoms in an attempt to get a good, satisfying scratch, and the bigger critters burrow about in the mud. It is just glorious.

Among the herds of goats and sheep, you’ll come across a few ostriches. We do not recommend too much interaction between these brutes and young children. These large birds are the notorious bullies of the park. They will fight, chase and intimidate to get their bit. They had to be mentioned simply because it is so entertaining to watch them eat. Your little ones will be flabbergasted watching an ostrich swallow a carrot whole, with that huge sideways lump travelling down its long, skinny neck.

Remember to leave some extra snacks for the last of the creatures. The cows like to drift around the park and are, therefore, sadly forgotten. But feeding these animals will certainly be a treat for children. Just keep some serviettes handy as the cows like to wrap their extensive and sloppy tongues around the hands that feed them. This gloppiness is not something one should miss.

Other than the animals, the park also offers braai facilities and lapas. This is perfect for an Easter celebration, where you’ll be surrounded by all the real-life animals of the occasion. If braaing is not your thing, there are plenty of picnic spots, where you can relax next to the lake, while your children release their pent-up energy running around and playing on the jungle gyms. Otherwise, you can get some snacks at the tuck shop, which also provides feed for the animals.

*This destination is intended for families of all ages. However, it is important to note that the animals here should not be chased, pushed, hit or taunted. This is for your own safety. Please respect the park and animals and don’t litter, as this is a choking hazard to the animals. Animals should NOT be fed bread or any other processed food.*

Find more information about Bokkie Park here.

Have you been to Bokkie Park before? Let us know about your experience in the comments section below!