The nation's most attractive alpacas were in Bendigo at the weekend for the The Australian Alpaca Assocation National Show and Sale.
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Alpaca breeders from Perth to Rockhampton converged at the showgrounds to compare their animals for fleece, bone structure and colour.
International buyers from the Netherlands, United Kingdom and New Zealand visited the event to bring home Australian-bred alpacas. A spokesperson for the event said there was "great momentum" in the Australian alapaca industry, with new trade opportunities opening up in Korea and Turkey.
Alpaca fleece can be made into clothing, scarves, bedding, carpets, doonas or used as stuffing.
Australian Alpaca Association president Michelle Malt said male alpacas were more valuable than females because they could produce a lot more progeny.
She said the standard of animals was so high at the show, that judges were "splitting hairs".
Ms Malt said "conformation" was key in alpaca breeding - strong bones, strong back legs for mating and dense, well-crimped fleece.
Some judges at the show were as young as 16.
"The future of the industry is really with our young people," Ms Malt said.
