12:00a.m. 19th July 2008

Supervisory steward Terry Brooks loves working with the animals at Farm Fantastic. Photo: Vicki Wood/c12504a

Terry Brooks doesn’t just devote every waking moment to making sure the Farm Fantastic animals are well looked after – he even sleeps near them.

“My job is setting the arena up and working out who’s going on the sites,” said the event’s supervisory steward and man behind the scenes at the Metalcorp Steel Animal Arena.

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Terry’s day begins at 5am, when he organises all of the pens, tops up the water and makes sure the animals are comfortable and have enough sawdust.

“I’m also on call for any tractor work and someone might call on me to fix things ... I didn’t get off the tractor yesterday,” he said.

In between tending to the animals and visitors, Terry also sets up for the Grand Animal Parade and, after a long day, finally hits the sack at midnight – on the Farm Fantastic site.

“I sleep here all night when the others go home, and look after the animals.

“I walk around and make sure the animals don’t get cold.”

With so much to do over the three-day event, you would think Terry would be exhausted. But he has been too busy lapping up the buzzing Farm atmosphere.

“You live on a high. I didn’t believe it years ago. You crash for a day afterwards,” he said with a laugh.

With plenty of animals to cuddle in the animal arena – including llamas, goats, horses, camels, pigs, cows, miniature horses, miniature pigs and alpacas from Mt Mee, Moodlu, Maleny and other farms on the Coast – there will be something for everyone.

“We get everyone from older people through to younger people. Everyone likes animals for different reasons,” Terry said.

He has even brought his own third-generation Aussie miniature grey cattle from Burpengary to Caboolture, and said the key to handling animals was a lot of trust and a little coaxing.

“This morning a boy came up with a bucket of water and the camels left their trainer and followed him because he had water,” he said.

“The secret with animals is the feed.”

Visitors can catch the Grand Animal Parade on today and tomorrow at 1pm.

There will also be plenty going on across the five main stages and arenas from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Prizes up for grabs at the event include a 6m x 6m x 2.4m double garage valued at $6087, thanks to Tuff Span; six $500 vouchers from Caboolture and Bribie Discount Handyman Materials; four double passes to the Lemur Island Experience; 20 family passes to Brisbane’s Alma Park Zoo, and a portable satellite TV caravan system from Hindin Technologies.

To enter, write your details on the back of your Farm Fantastic entry ticket and pop it into one of the barrels around the grounds. Prizes will be drawn tomorrow at 2pm on the main stage.

FARM FANTASTIC

Where: Corner Pumicestone Road and Bruce Highway, Caboolture

When: Gates open from 8am-5pm today and 8am-4pm tomorrow

Cost: $12 for adults; children under 14 free

Getting there: Free car parking is available on site. There is a free Thrifty Shuttle Bus from Caboolture Railway Station every half hour to the Farm Fantastic site and free Caboolture Bus Lines service for visitors from Bribie, Beerwah and Landsborough.

Website: http://www.farmfantastic.com