It’s not every day you get awarded life membership to your local alpaca farm, but cheeky local character Max Glenn has managed to achieve just that.
Kooralbyn resident Mr Glenn, 92, has an outing to Mountview Alpaca Farm at Canungra every Wednesday and has won the hearts of staff and creatures alike.
His delight was clear when he got a surprise visit from his favourite alpaca, Elvis, flanked by Noodle the alpaca and Steve Pack and Jordana Boike from Mountview Alpaca Farm.
Mr Pack said Mr Glenn had become like part of the furniture at the farm.
He presented Mr Glenn with a certificate of appreciation, a keyring and a life membership card entitling him to complimentary alpaca feeding.
The certificate said, ‘In recognition of commitment to supporting Mountview Alpaca Farm more than any other customer and becoming Elvis’ favourite visitor of all time’.
Mr Glenn said Elvis always made a beeline for him.
“He’s so friendly and wants to put his personality forward – he’s got a good personality – and recognises me instantly every Wednesday when I come up,” he said.
“He gets a feed out of my hand, that’s why he recognises me – simple, isn’t it?”
His daughter Karen Cook said her father’s alpaca outings were a highlight of his week.
“Dad loves animals and likes alpacas, not that he’d had a lot to do with them before, and it’s worked out well for everybody,” she said.
“It’s not too far for him to travel, it’s a beautiful property and always a nice day.”
Mr Glenn lives with Mrs Cook and her husband Geoff and their menagerie of animals at their Kooralbyn property.
In his younger days, he was a stockman and then station overseer out from Yunta in South Australia and did a bit of shearing before settling in Port Lincoln and getting work on the waterside as a wharfie, or ‘stevedore’.
He trained racehorses for about 50 years, was a country race caller in South Australia and can still put on his race calling voice at the drop of a hat.
Mr Glenn, who has been visiting Mountview Alpaca Farm for about four years, said the life membership meant a lot to him.
“It’s wonderful because you never know how long it’ll last, I might be gone by Christmas, but I’m still here now,” he said.
“Instead of sitting back going to ‘bye-bye’ you’ve got to keep active, otherwise you’ll just be a zombie.”
