Bruno the guard alpaca protects his flock of sheep fiercely.
In my wildest dreams I never expected a fiery redhead to come between newborn lambs and me. I pictured cuddling their soft pillow-like bodies in my arms while feeding them milk from a bottle. But Bruno is having none of that.
Bruno,a mature reddish coloured male alpaca,was introduced to Wallinga Farm to protect the sheep from predators,namely foxes. And Bruno takes his shepherding role seriously. Extremely seriously.
Even Wallinga farmer Mick Azar cannot get too close to the flock when the ewes are lambing. During our tour of the farm on Mudgee's outskirts Mick,his wife Alina and their two youngest kids Cooper and Ruby have to stand up to Bruno who throws his weight around like a nightclub bouncer. Despite his doleful puppy dog eyes and long flirtatious lashes,it's clear Bruno would fight to the death to defend his flock.
Mick Azar cannot get too close to the flock when the ewes are lambing.
"Alpacas will chase down the fox and kick or stomp on them,"Mick tells us.
Mick says that Bruno has a particular thing about red heads (even though he's clearly one himself). Maybe it's because red hair reminds him of foxes,or perhaps he can see the colour red the clearest. Whatever the reason,I'd suggest donning a cap if your hair leans towards flame coloured.
We learn about the fascinating relationship between alpacas and sheep,manage to (secretly) snuggle a lamb and meet the resident chickens on a two-hour tour of the farm which opened to guests last year.
Visitors stay in a two-bedroom cottage set in a secluded location with bucolic vistas,private deck and firepit.
The Azar family made a tree-change from Wollongong on the NSW South Coast to Mudgee in 2017. Raising their three children on the farm has given the family space to roam,raise animals and live a lifestyle simply not possible in the big smoke. The family of five and Zoe the kelpie now share their carefree rural life with friends and lucky visitors including us. While most visitors to Mudgee come for the incredible wineries,the Azar family saw a gap in the market and opened the farm stay to give visitors the chance to experience farm life too.