‘The emus all have personalities!'

Nicole has so much fun with these fine feathered friends

- Dan Proudman

Nicole Harte has been hanging around mobs of emus for so long you can almost see it in her strut.

And now the young mum, 26, can see the same traits being instilled into her energetic 18-month-old daughter Thea.

“They are a lot like us. They have their own little personalities. Some love to drop their head on your shoulder and get a scratch. Others are a little more wary, especially during egg-laying season,’’ says Nicole.

It was 25 years ago that Nicole’s parents, Phil and Penny Henley, decided to buy their little property on the southern edge of the magnificent Warrumbungles, about 550km north-west of Sydney, and took the gamble on the bird on our nation’s coat of arms.

And it’s become a huge success story – growing faster than the famous flightless bird can run!

Nicole and her family are one of just a handful of emu farmers across Australia, breeding the birds for their meat and their highly sought-after oil. And, of course, their eggs.

ON THE EGG HUNT

The huge shells are a favourite among artists, with their seven layers of shell allowing experts to carve the most gorgeous works.