The first week of May has been designated as Australian Alpaca Week for the Australian Alpaca Association and its members. To celebrate, two local alpaca breeders will open their doors to the public and invite anyone interested in alpacas to come and learn about these fascinating creatures and how they are managed on small acreage. Gunnamatta Stud (open May 5th and 6th) and Woolpaca Farm (open Sat May 5th only) are just a 10 minute drive from each other and close to the beautiful villages of Galston and Glenorie. Both studs are members of the NSW region of the Australian Alpaca Association and have bred show winning alpacas for some years. Show quality alpacas will be on display and available for sale as well as raw alpaca fibre suitable for spinning and also alpaca products such as beautiful balls of silky soft alpaca knitting yarn which has been processed here in Australia.
Alpacas are recognised as the all-round environmentally friendly livestock. With their soft-padded feet, they are very kind to our fragile Australian soils as well as being adaptable to most conditions. Alpacas are easy to manage and in addition to producing a soft-handling fleece in a range of colours, they are also extremely appealing animals to own. Most people who start out with a couple of alpacas, even as grass-eaters, are soon on the lookout for a few more to complement their herd. Alpaca wethers are also very popular with sheep farmers, who use the alpacas to chase foxes away from their lambs and birthing ewes.
Good quality alpaca fibre is in high demand overseas with demand outstripping supply. The fibre is also very popular with hand spinners. The great range of natural colours means that dying is unnecessary, leaving the fibre with its original silky handle.
For phone enquires please contact Kim Catt on 0402 317 622 or Sue Maynard on 02 9653 2277
