Published articles
Here is a selection of articles we have written for our local Bay of Plenty newspaper.
The full articles are in PDF format and are very small files. If you want to read any of them in full, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and view them. Should you not have Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it (free) here.
Alpaca now part of the fashion vernacular - designs to be showcased in Sydney
(March 2008) Alpaca fleece, once regarded more valuable than gold, is fast becoming a favourite amongst designers for its superior qualities. Australia, which produces some of the highest quality alpaca fleece in the world, will this month demonstrate its achievements in fashionable style. In celebration of the Australian alpaca industry's 20th anniversary this year, the latest in alpaca fashions will be showcased during the World Alpaca Conference Gala Dinner on March 29th in Sydney. Read the full article . . .
From Humble Beginnings
On a recent trip to Chile I was reminded very much of our humble beginnings into alpacas, as we stopped at a check point and an alpaca came up and stuck its head through the window. It looked exactly like our Roany [her real name F47] I am sure it was related. We still have 3 old girls, Roany, Frosty and Barrel, all named when we first set eyes on them. They live in retirement in the paddock with the best view of Lake Rotorua on the farm, above our house, and survey all comings and goings in the yards. Read the full article . . .
Alpacas - from a Hobby to a Business
Brooke and Sue Richards first got interested in Alpacas when reading about the first importation from Chili in the late 1980's. NZ's trade agreement with Chile had allowed the New Zealand to be the first to import alpacas. These animals sounded perfect for the small farm, being realatively trouble free. No fly strike, no foot rot, no dagging, no crutching. Need no special fencing and run about 5 to the acre. Read the full article . . .
Alpacas on Show
I remember the first Alpaca show I went to. We had been pressured into entering out alpacas to make up numbers and had no idea what we were in for. An alpaca show involves several different classes by breed, colour, and age. The alpacas are led around a ring where they are considered for conformation and size, then they must stand still while the judge examines their fleece. Read the full article . . .
A Peruvian Alpaca Journey
In 2001 while backpacking around South America I had the luck to be invited along on an alpaca buying tour in the Peruvian Altiplano. Back in New Zealand my parents had been farming alpacas for a few years and I had recently decided to invest. We had just purchased some coloured suri stock imported from Australia. Read the full article . . .
Alpacas on Tour
It's a 6 am start even though we are only doing the BOP run today. We have to make our lunch and load up the boys and be on the road by 7 to make our first stop for the day on time. The boys are stud male alpacas and the run is mobile mating. Read the full article . . .
Alpacas Popular livestock choice for a small block
In South America alpacas are mainly farmed in large herds but in New Zealand alpacas are fast becoming the animal of choice for the small block owner. Alpaca numbers in New Zealand are estimated to be around 4,000 with an average herd size of 6. With a stocking rate of 5 to the acre you don't need a high country sheep farm to be right up there in alpacas. Read the full article . . .
Feature for The Weekend Sun, January 2003
When Sue Richards first saw suri alpacas, she was captivated by the shimmering silken fleece. It wasn't long after, with some research all at Surico Alpaca Estate were convinced suri alpacas were the way forward. In South America, the home of alpacas, textile processors claim no other natural fibre in the world has the same lustre as suri with its incredibly soft drape. They regard suri as the most luxurious natural fibre in the world.
Read the full article . . .
