Kobler undertakes two mobile alpaca shearing tours through Victoria each year, supporting everyone from owners with a small number of much-loved pets to established breeders and larger commercial herds.
Our spring tour generally runs from mid to late September as we travel home from the annual Queensland shearing tour. We return to Victoria during mid to late January, usually around the time of the Tour Down Under.
Together, the two tours allow us to provide professional alpaca shearing across a broad area of regional Victoria while working each property into an efficient travelling route.
Spring alpaca shearing tour – September
Our September Victorian shearing tour begins after completing our Queensland and New South Wales work. We generally enter eastern Victoria during the middle of September and continue west across the state until the end of the month.
Although the exact route varies each year according to bookings, the spring tour usually includes the following regions.
Gippsland
The September tour generally begins in Gippsland, including:
- Traralgon
- Morwell
- Moe
- Warragul
- Drouin
- surrounding Latrobe Valley and West Gippsland districts
We may also visit properties throughout South Gippsland and the rural areas surrounding the Princes Highway where they can be incorporated into the travelling route.
Yarra Ranges and Dandenong Ranges
From Gippsland, we generally continue towards the eastern outskirts of Melbourne, including:
- Macclesfield
- Yellingbo
- Wandin
- Seville
- Emerald
- Cockatoo
- Gembrook
- surrounding Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges districts
This part of Victoria includes a large and diverse alpaca community, ranging from small lifestyle properties to long-established breeding operations.
Central Victoria and the Golden Triangle
The tour then moves through Central Victoria and the Victorian Goldfields, including:
- Bendigo
- Castlemaine
- Harcourt
- Maldon
- Maryborough
- Ballarat
- Daylesford
- Creswick
- Clunes
- surrounding Central Goldfields and Golden Triangle districts
Clunes is generally the eastern extent of some sections of our western Victorian route, although the exact areas covered depend on the distribution of bookings each year.
Western District and the Wimmera
The final portion of the September tour generally continues west through the farming districts of western Victoria, including:
- Ararat
- Stawell
- Horsham
- the Grampians
- surrounding Western District and Wimmera areas
From there, we return to South Australia after completing the scheduled Victorian farms.
Summer alpaca shearing tour – January
Kobler returns to Victoria for a second shearing tour during mid to late January. This tour is particularly useful for alpacas that were not ready during spring, shearing jobs that were continually rained out, later-booked properties and owners who prefer summer shearing.
The January route generally begins near Mount Gambier and moves through south-western and western Victoria before turning north towards the Riverland.
Glenelg and south-west Victoria
After leaving Mount Gambier, the tour generally crosses into Victoria and covers areas including:
- Dartmoor
- Casterton
- Heywood
- Portland
- Hamilton
- surrounding Glenelg and Southern Grampians districts
Depending on bookings, we may also travel through the broader south-west Victorian farming region towards Port Fairy and Warrnambool.
Western District and Central Highlands
The route may then continue through western and central Victoria, including:
- Hamilton
- Coleraine
- Dunkeld
- Ararat
- Ballarat
- Beaufort
- Skipton
- Clunes
- surrounding Western District and Central Highlands areas
The precise route changes from year to year so that properties can be grouped sensibly while avoiding unnecessary travel.
Wimmera, Mallee and the South Australian border districts
The January tour then turns north and west through the inland agricultural districts, which may include:
- Stawell
- Horsham
- Dimboola
- Nhill
- Warracknabeal
- Hopetoun
- Ouyen
- Mildura
- surrounding Wimmera and Mallee districts
Not every town is visited during every tour. Properties are included according to booking numbers, timing and whether they can be incorporated safely and practically into the overall route. We will always work with you to try and ensure we can get your alpacas sheared.
Professional mobile alpaca shearing
Kobler provides experienced, welfare-focused table shearing for alpacas throughout regional Victoria. Our mobile service is suitable for:
- pet owners with only a few alpacas;
- lifestyle properties and small farms;
- established alpaca breeders;
- larger breeding and commercial herds.
The service includes an experienced shearer and rousie, allowing animals to be handled efficiently while fleece is collected and the work area is kept organised. Toenail trimming is included, with selected animal health treatments available by prior arrangement.
We also shear llamas and may shear very small numbers of sheep when they form part of an alpaca booking, subject to prior discussion.
Planning the Victorian shearing route
Both Victorian tours operate as carefully planned travelling routes. Booking locations, herd sizes, travel distances and accommodation all influence the order in which properties are visited.
We generally make one pass through each region and cannot return after that section of the route has been completed. Owners are contacted in advance with their proposed shearing date and receive updated arrival information closer to the day.
Keeping alpacas dry and having animals penned before our arrival are especially important. Good preparation allows us to keep the route running smoothly and provide a reliable service to every owner scheduled that day.
Supporting Victorian alpaca owners
Victoria has one of Australia’s strongest and most diverse alpaca communities. We value the opportunity to work with owners across the state, whether we are shearing two family pets, visiting a developing herd or working alongside an established breeder.
By undertaking both spring and summer tours, we aim to provide a dependable shearing option across regional Victoria and to support the health, welfare and ongoing success of Victorian alpacas and their owners.