When Nick and Tara Lancashire purchased Highgrove Farm in 2021 they planned on running a regular beef cattle operation, but with the inclusion of two rare breeds, the couple have well and truly found their niche.
In addition to their commercial herd, the Lancashire's have been building both their Icelandic horse and Highland cattle breeding programs since taking over the Mount Mee property, finding that the two breeds make the perfect pair.
During the COVID pandemic, there was a significant population shift that saw many city dwellers purchase smaller lifestyle blocks in rural areas, something which has only added to the rising popularity of the Highland breed.
With their fluffy coats and long horns, the cattle have a certain cuteness that makes them incredibly appealing as paddock stock, something which Mr Lancashire said has been a major factor in their high demand and pricetag.
"When we started with the Highlands we weren't aware of the demand, they were just a breed that we loved, so it was quite interesting to see how that's risen from when we first looked at them to now," Mr Lancashire said.
"It will be interesting to see if the prices stay up for the Highlands, but I have a feeling that they will.
"They're just crazy popular, it's hard to see that dramatically changing.
"We've had a lot of people that want to buy cattle from us already and there's waitlists for breeding stock."
The couple said they are looking forward to building their Highland breeding program, having recently purchased six heifers and a bull who will be arriving at Highgrove next month.
Mr Lancashire said that, due to their thick fur, the Highland's were very susceptible to ticks, which were often rife in the Brisbane hinterland country, but he hoped to breed a resistance into his stock.
"There were people that were bringing them up from down south, but having issues with them due to ticks, so we bought ours locally, and their offspring are going to be even more resistant," he said.
"They'll be the second generation bred in tick country so it's a really good bloodline for us to start from."
In addition to their charming appearance, Ms Lancashire said it was the temperament of the Highlands that made them the family's breed of choice, with the couple's four-year-old daughter Ella also being a big fan.
"We've got beef cattle but we wanted to start the Highland program because we actually wanted a breed that could potentially be used for paddock stock," Ms Lancashire said.
"They're a really cool little breed and just something a bit more bespoke.
"They're very calm, and if you handle them from when they're young and you spend a little bit of time with them, they're a really nice addition.
"We also thought that the Highlands would pair well with the Icelandic's, and they suit the weather that we have here, which was another consideration."
Ms Lancashire was first introduced to Icelandic horses growing up in Germany, where she fell in love with the hardy, reliable and good-natured breed.
The couple purchased their first riding geldings around eight years ago, but decided to start their breeding program when they moved to Highgrove farm.
They currently have two mares in foal, with a further two mares being joined to a stallion in New South Wales, as well as an exciting addition on the way from a world-renowned stud in Denmark.
"When we found this property, we decided that we wanted to get into the breeding and have now really invested in them," Ms Lancashire said.
"Our new mare that is coming from Denmark, what we're doing with her is a little bit tricky, they're actually going to use a different mares embryo to bring her over pregnant through AI.
"The reason we're doing that is because the bloodlines in Australia are still quite limited, just because of the really high import cost of horses, so to it will be great to bring another horses bloodline into the country.
"We'll use the offspring as much as we can for internal breeding because they'll be the highest quality."
Icelandic horses are rated on a worldwide scale and the Lancashire's new mare will be the highest rated female in the Southern Hemisphere when she touches down in Australia.
There are currently only 280 Icelandic horses in Australia, placing them on the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia's endangered list.
"It's a fairly small community but it's growing pretty quickly," Ms Lancashire said.
"It's still quite difficult to find an Icelandic horse and there's wait lists for them."
With their short, stocky frame, fluffy coats and long manes, Icelandic horses are unique in appearance, but Ms Lancashire said, like the Highlands, their biggest asset was their temperament.
"I suppose the biggest appeal to them is their nature," she said.
"Iceland has no natural predators, so these Icelandic horses don't really have much of a flight response and they are really cool cucumbers to be honest."
Due to their unique five-gaited ability, the horses are ridden in various competitions and shows around the world.
Mr Lancashire said that when they first purchased Highgrove farm, there were no internal fences or roads, as well as an abundance of weeds as tall as himself, but the couple have completely transformed the property in just over a year.
The Lancashires opened an Air BnB cottage on their property six months ago, which they said has also benefited from the addition of the Highlands.
"So the farm and breeding cattle was the focus, and then the cottage came about afterwards, but it turns out that the horses and the cattle are a great attraction," Mr Lancashire said.
"It wasn't necessarily the plan from the beginning, but it's come to work really well the three of them together, the cottage and the two breeds.
"I think we just had a few pieces of the puzzle going and then realised, oh wow, this all works really well together."
Mr Lancashire said the farmstay was a great opportunity for the family to share their love of both the rare breeds with others, which they also do on both their Instagram and Facebook accounts.