Vegan · Gisborne · Joined in October 2022
Your hostess Lynne McAlister delights in sharing her home and will go out of her way to ensure a memorable stay. Lynne has been a local in the region for 20 years and will endeavour to ensure you see all that the Macedon Ranges has to offer. Lynne is the founder of Galahad's Sanctuary (https://www.galahads-sanctuary.com/) and has a genuine love and respect for all animals. Galahad’s Sanctuary was started 6 years ago. All profits from your stay will go to the animals feed, vet or enrichment bills. Her generosity of spirit and selfless dedication to her animals is heartwarming to witness. Lynne was inspired by her beloved Irish Wolfhound, Galahad. She learnt first-hand the difference animals make in the lives of people when doing pet therapy at the Royal Children’s Hospital and seeing the impact her beloved Galahad had on the children and nurses he visited. His pure love and that of many animals since, have inspired her quest to seek a harmonious and sustainable way to tread lightly on our planet and ecosystem using a plant based diet.
"Be kind to every kind" Through Galahad's Animal Sanctuary we aim to spread a message of hope and compassion. We rescue and rehabilitate farm animals from various circumstances within the food system. We have also rescued camels and horses, including a wild brumby. Both camels and brumbies are the unloved Australian Icons that deserve their place in our heritage and country. We have also rescued dogs, our most beloved companion animals. These animal ambassadors spread the message that they deserve our compassion and respect. "Sit with animals quietly and they will show you their hearts. Sit with them kindly and they will help you locate yours." Our purpose is to: Provide care for homeless, abused, injured or abandoned animals and provide them a forever home. The animals at the sanctuary are not pets, Lynne and her volunteers are their caretakers responsible for their ongoing physical and emotional care and protection. Many of the animals that arrive have been traumatised, Lynne provides the love and patience necessary for rehabilitation so they can feel healed, happy and learn to trust humans again. Connect people with animals and nature. Provide people the opportunity to relax and engage with animals while staying at the B&B or through events and tours. Animals are wonderful teachers, they are straight forward and accept us the way we are. Around animals we can relax and be ourselves. Animals provide unconditional love, genuineness, pure joy — they accept the things they cannot change and are amazingly resilient. Animals do not dwell on the past or worry about the future. They teach us to live in the moment. Our bond with animals allows us to experience the world from different perspectives. By seeing the world through an animal’s eyes, we also practice mindfulness and ground ourselves, which brings peace to our often frazzled souls. At the same time, this mindfulness helps us practice patience and compassionate leadership. Both qualities are big assets for our personal and professional development. Promote awareness to the link between animal agriculture, the sixth mass extinction and climate change. Avoiding meat and dairy will significantly reduce our footprint on the Earth! Making the change to a more sustainable plant-based food system will not only improve our health, it will also spare billions of farmed animals from the horrors of factory farms and slaughterhouses, and help save our precious wildlife. Our impact now is game-changing on this planet, we are all responsible. It's true, eating beef is bad for cows and koalas! Humans are driving the sixth mass extinction. Data in a study was collated to provide people a perspective on the very dominant role that humanity now plays on Earth, of all mammals on this planet, 60 percent are livestock (mainly cattle and pigs), 36 percent are human, and just 4 percent are wild animals. When it comes to birds, 70 percent are farmed poultry, with just 30 percent being wild. Plants make up 82 percent of living matter. The study goes further in showing how disproportionate the impact of humans is on the planet: there are 7.6 billion people on Earth – which makes up just 0.01 percent of all living beings. Yet humanity has caused the loss of 83 percent of all wild mammals since the dawn of civilization. It is not irreversible yet, but we need to become the caretakers of our planet.
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened"
LynnWe felt so rested during our stay. Lynne was so lovely showing us around the property and giving us tips on what to do in the area. My furry little one felt right at home. It is a beautiful sanctuary. So serene and we are surrounded by greens and animals. The town is just 5 mins drive away to get takeaways. While we were there it was pouring a lot even that was cozy being surrounded by nature. It’s a good spot away from the city.
NhuThe airbnb had everything we needed with some extra touches upon arrival - we were greeted with vegan bread, spread, drinks, pasta ingredients. Lynne was an amazing host showing us around and she was super responsive with anything we needed. It was lovely to be shown around the sanctuary and meet all the farm animals. The place is extremely peaceful, and our dogs loved the fence in yard to run around as they watch the farm animals living their best life. Highly recommend this sanctuary stay!
Asha NikhathMy husband, our dog, and I had a wonderful 2-day stay at Galahad’s Animal Sanctuary. The fully secured backyard let our pup play completely carefree. Lynne was exceptionally sweet and took the time to personally introduce us to each of her animals. The scenery throughout the property is spectacular, with the breathtaking sunset being the absolute highlight of our trip. Highly recommended to all pet parents!
