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Home / The Country

What's On: Whangarei farm open to public for National Alpaca Day

By Mikaela Collins
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
4 May, 2018 02:00 AM3 mins to read

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Lady Frances Fraser and her baby Ian Murray, both suri alpacas, will be at National Alpaca Day this weekend. Photo/Supplied

Lady Frances Fraser and her baby Ian Murray, both suri alpacas, will be at National Alpaca Day this weekend. Photo/Supplied

Gay and Mike Mollerfell in love with alpacas 18 years ago.

The Mangapai couple started off with four and they now have 30, although the herd has been as large as 70.

"We'd fallen in love with them as animals but didn't think you could farm them in Northland because of the climate," Gay said.

"We found that yes, you could have alpacas in Northland. It had been my dream for a long time so when my father died I used the inheritance to start our herd and it all went on from there."

This weekend the pair from Lallybroch Alpacas are teaming up with Cushla de Clare from Matakana Alpacas to share the animals with punters for National Alpaca Day.

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Gay said de Clare's Whatitiri farm will be open to the public with alpacas of different colours and ages, and a chance to learn more about the animals.

The Mollers would be taking about six alpacas to join de Clare's herd of about 30.

The are bringing Dame Aliset, Lady Frances Fraser, Annalise de Marillac, Finbar Scanlon, Horatio Wilkinson and Ian Murray.

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If those names sound familiar it's because the alpacas are named after characters in The Outlander novels.

"Those novels, we got hooked on reading them ... When people come here they go 'oh, Outlander'," Gay said.

There will be huacaya and suri alpacas at the event.

The huacayas have a "boofy fleece" which appears more like a sheep fleece, while the suri has a silky fleece which grows in dreadlocks.

Alpaca fleece can be used for anything you would use wool for - you can felt it, spin it, knit it, weave, and you can even use it for doll hair.

"The suri particularly makes beautiful silky locks for dolls. I started just to use the locks and would just make heads, I got so hooked I started to make whole dolls."

The Mollers have held National Alpaca Day at their Mangapai farm in the past and had about 140 people visit one year.

Gay said people love alpacas and often start with a couple one minute and the next they are looking for a bigger block of land.

"They're very intelligent and pleasant to work with and they have real personalities. We've been breeding for years and we get family traits coming down."

If you want to get up and close with alpacas you can visit 41 Woodward Rd, Whatitiri from 10am to 3pm on Sunday.

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