Today I visited Bluebank Blueberry & Emu Farm for the second time ever, though it felt almost like a first visit, because my actual first visit was well over ten years ago and I can barely remember it. Located in Akatarawa, the farm is quite close to Staglands. It is open only seasonally; when there is no blueberry crop, then the entire farm is closed to the public.
The farm no longer breeds Emu commercially and now keeps only a small number; I counted five Emu in total (two paddocks with two Emu in each, and a single Emu in a third paddock). Other than the Emu, the farm keeps just a modest collection of domestics; namely domestic greylag geese, alpacas, sheep, and neat; hives for honey bees were also present next to the blueberry crop.
The best animal enclosure was for two of the Emu; one side of this paddock was bordered with blackberry shrubs and other greenery, which would provide good cover and possibly some extra food for the Emu. The other enclosures were not as eye-catching but all of them were large enough for their inhabitants and had trees for shade. The only thing that I saw at the farm that I think could be improved was that the geese, of which there were two, had only a plastic clam shell pool for swimming and bathing in. I was glad to have been able to visit this farm again.
List of captive animals seen at Bluebank Blueberry & Emu Farm on the 22nd of February 2025:
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae)
Domestic Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Alpaca (Lama pacos)
Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)
Neat (Bos taurus)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
The farm no longer breeds Emu commercially and now keeps only a small number; I counted five Emu in total (two paddocks with two Emu in each, and a single Emu in a third paddock). Other than the Emu, the farm keeps just a modest collection of domestics; namely domestic greylag geese, alpacas, sheep, and neat; hives for honey bees were also present next to the blueberry crop.
The best animal enclosure was for two of the Emu; one side of this paddock was bordered with blackberry shrubs and other greenery, which would provide good cover and possibly some extra food for the Emu. The other enclosures were not as eye-catching but all of them were large enough for their inhabitants and had trees for shade. The only thing that I saw at the farm that I think could be improved was that the geese, of which there were two, had only a plastic clam shell pool for swimming and bathing in. I was glad to have been able to visit this farm again.
List of captive animals seen at Bluebank Blueberry & Emu Farm on the 22nd of February 2025:
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae)
Domestic Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Alpaca (Lama pacos)
Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)
Neat (Bos taurus)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)