Enjoying the Camels of Australia

The camels in Australia are mostly dromedaries (those with one hump), imported mainly from India during the 19th century for use as transportation in the Outback. About ten thousand camels were imported between 1860 and 1907, primarily for transporting goods. But as vehicles made their appearance in the 20th century, many were released into the wild.

As of 2009, camels numbered about one million. In the entire world, Australia has the largest camel herd in the wild. There is controversy over whether they should be culled as they are having a negative effect on the environment. Camels, when they find a waterhole, can drink it dry. These waterholes are often what the Aboriginal people depend on for their survival. These camels destroy trees and eat grasses and other vegetation which means there are no kangaroos, emus, reptiles or small birds. When these animals disappear from the desert, survival for the Aboriginal people becomes even more difficult as these animals are their main diet. But in the days when they were required for transportation, they were ideal as they were able to go for long periods of time without water and they could carry weights almost equal to their own.

On our trip to the Outback, we took a sunrise camel ride to view Ayers Rock. Weighing up to 1,325 pounds and being six and a half feet at their shoulders, getting onto the saddle was quite an experience. Although the camel kneels on all fours on the ground, he is still high, especially if you're short as I am. Once you have reached the height of his back, you put your feet in the stirrups, hold on to the metal frame in front of you and lean w-a-y back. When the camel begins to stand, he will straighten his hind legs first and then his front which will abruptly throw you forward. But once he is standing up, your world will right itself again. While riding the camel, you are about two meters above the ground which initially is somewhat nerve-wracking but when you get used to the rocking gait, the ride is very restful as the camels move at a leisurely pace.

There were two trains of camels when we went and being on the second last camel of the second train, I had an excellent view. When I became comfortable with the rocking motion, I felt able to remove my hands from the metal frame in order to take pictures.

The sunrise view was breathtaking and at one point the camel train ahead of us was on a ridge silhouetted against the early morning sun as it slowly came up over the edge of the horizon. It was a beautiful sight.

Enjoying the beauty of the scene before us, we watched the sun creep over Ayers Rock, with the clouds in the sky reflecting the sunrise colours of peaches and pinks. Walking through the desert at that time of the morning when it was relatively cool, atop our camels, it is easy to see why those who live in the Outback love it so much. And those who care for the camels also love these huge, lumbering, gentle animals. (As an aside, we had heard before we went that camels were very smelly. Not only did they not smell but they were also really very friendly).

I would highly recommend when visiting the Outback of Australia, that you take a sunrise or sunset camel ride for an enjoyable camel experience. It was one of the highlights of my trip to the Outback.