On a hot summer day, it's not unusual to see alpacas at Madison's Mountain Retreat heading off across the paddock to the dam for a dip.
And it's these kinds of things that made Debbie Redelman fall in love with them all those years ago.
Debbie and her husband Geoff run their alpaca stud at the retreat, Kurrajong Heights, and for Debbie, it has been a lifelong dream come true.
Debbie's family bred Brahmans, and she says she always wanted to have her own animals in the future.
"I just loved animals and always wanted to have them. It was one of my dreams," she said.
After hunting around for land to buy for a long time, one day they stayed at Madison's Mountain Retreat.
"We just loved it. It had a lovely climate and atmosphere, and it was so peaceful," she said.
So when, after several visits, the owners mentioned they were selling it, Debbie jumped at the chance.
They bought it in 2005, and Debbie immediately chose animals for the retreat.
"It was a no-brainer - we would have goats," she said.
She started doing her research, and headed to the Sydney Royal Show. And it was here everything changed.
"Someone said that alpacas went really well with goats, so we headed over to the alpaca pavilion. And when I saw them I thought, 'these are the animals for me'," she said.
"They looked so beautiful, and they were so calm and peaceful. They came towards you, and they had so little noise."
They looked so beautiful, and they were so calm and peaceful. They came towards you, and they had so little noise.
- Debbie Redelman, Madison's Mountain Retreat
With her mind made up, Debbie started doing her research, and in August, they bought their first two alpacas - a male named Milo and a wether, and later bought 15 white females.
Down on the farm
Today the retreat runs 64 alpacas, as well as two goats, cared for by manager Anne Fuller, while Debbie and Geoff visit at least once a month.
"Anne is amazing, she is just a blessing," Debbie said. "I can tell the faces of our alpacas, but Anne knows them by their bottoms, their sides, in the rain, after they're shorn. She just knows them so well. And she always has a big smile on her face."
And Debbie takes her stud breeding very seriously, individually pairing each female for a spring or autumn unpacking.
Alpacas have mating induced ovulation, and have an 11-and-a-half to 12 month gestation.
Shearing takes place at the end of November, and volunteers come and help them lie the alpacas down to be shorn. Their wool is sent to a processor in Mongolia and made into yarn, and then it is sent back home to Australia to be made into scarves and jumpers.
"We really need some grass roots processors in Australia," she said.
Debbie also takes their stud alpacas and wool to shows.
The alpacas' paddocks are rotated every three months to control parasites, and they are also drenched and have their feet clipped. Debbie also uses organic fertiliser on the farm.
The alpacas are fed twice a day on pellets, a grain mix, chaff and lucerne, as well as minerals.
On the fire front
Anne has had to handle some tough times at Madison's Mountain Retreat, including quiet times during the COVID-19 lockdown.
But the worst was when bushfires tore through the area last summer.
They knew the fire was coming, and they had the alpacas in a safe paddock, as well as the 16 goats they had at the time and the male alpacas on the tennis court, which had been wetted down.
But Debbie said the fire came from the south, and thankfully the wind made the fire jump where the female alpacas were. All of their stock were safe.
Their electric fences got fried by the fires, and they decided to sell their goats.
All of their paddocks were affected by the fires, as well as two of the train carriages where guests stayed and a common room area.
But their eight cabins were barely affected, and while the carriages are being repaired, the retreat has set up glamping tents for their guests.
Sharing the love
For Debbie, sharing alpacas with people is very important.
She said many of their guests were families from the city, especially during school holidays, and in some cases this was their first experience with farm animals.
"Alpacas are a great start because they are so calm," she said.
She said it was also a great chance for kids to run about, and enjoy being on a farm, as well as swimming in the 18-metre pool.
But she said they also got plenty of couples coming for a romantic weekend away, who were also keen to spend time feeding the alpacas.
Debbie said one of the best parts of breeding alpacas was enjoying their different personalities.
"There will be ones, like Milo, who you can hug in the paddock. They're all very special. They have amazing characters," she said.
- Visit madisonsretreat.com.au