News from Down under.

Regular readers will remember that we went on a family holiday to Australia last October and came home having bought a brown herdsire. Yeah I know, how does that happen?

We really hadn't intended on looking at alpacas let alone buying one! However, we stayed for a few days with Bob and Diane Hey in Tasmania and fell in love with a young brown male that they had, Van Diemen Qjori. A deal was struck and the process of getting him here began.

First of all Qjori had to be transported to mainland Australia and onwards to EP Cambridge, just north of Adelaide, where Matt and Kathy Lloyd had generously allowed our boy to join a shipment of their alpacas about to enter quarantine.

After a month or so in quarantine at EPC, Qjori was flown to New Zealand to a quarantine station at Valley of Peace Alpaca Stud just outside Christchurch where he began a further 6 months quarantine.
There he has been looked after by Greg and Rachael Graham. On arrival he was shorn of every ounce of fibre, top knot, legs, everything gone. All part of the procedure that would get him ready for his subsequent transfer to the UK (via Luxembourg I believe!?)

I received an e-mail this morning from Greg letting us know that all was going well and that Qjori would be leaving for the UK on the 23rd of August. A little bit later than we had hoped but what can you do? We will live with that. Greg also sent some pictures of our boy which I had asked him to take. He looks a little different than when we last saw him in full fleece in Tasmania but the quality is still there to see. We just can't wait to get him here!

First of all a picture of him in Burnie, Tasmania, standing in front of his ribbons, fully fleeced, looking magnificent!

Next shot he is pictured at EP Cambridge just prior to entering his first stage of quarantine.

Finally three pictures of him taken this week in New Zealand. He looks as if he has grown a bit.

He still looks a very handsome boy, Greg commented on how very calm and gentle natured he is.

And finally a fleece shot, there's not a huge amount there yet but I think you will agree it looks pretty good.

As far as everything else goes, we are still waiting for our second cria, we are now into unchartered territory here in Patouland. Dee is now at 355 days, Lily and Bannock are at 348. There is lots of tail lifting but to be honest none of them look particularly keen to give birth!