Yep – that’s how I describe my spouse. In the final negotiations of which hemisphere we were going to live on, my darling husband offered a camel ride if I’d come to Alice Springs. How could a girl refuse that? I tried for a camel ride home from the airport upon arrival, but eventually caved and the deal was closed. He paid up this weekend!
The Frontier Camel Tours sunset ride on the Todd River was our
Saturday evening entertainment. I am more enthralled by these dromedaries then before. These amazing creatures are highly intelligent and quite friendly! I was wondering about the athletic feat required to get my bum into the saddle and was happy to learn that camels are trained to lie down allowing even the least athletic to easily climb aboard. After being introduced to our rides, a small train of seven camels headed out for an amble down the dry river bed. We eventually made a U-turn and returned by riding into the sunset.
Our camel’s name was Baz. He was quite friendly and liked to nuzzle and give camel kisses, which fortunately, were are drier than expected.
Although not indigenous to Australia, herds of wild camels thrive in the arid lands of this country. It’s estimated that 10,000 to 12,000 camels were imported into Australia between 1860 and 1907. These one humped wonders were used as freight haulers and outback transportation through the mid 1920’s. With the introduction of motor vehicles in the twenties, camels were released into the wild and formed free-ranging herds that continue to roam the semi-arid outback.
The Northern Territory police continued camel patrols until 1950. Camels can go hundreds of miles without water and consuming native vegetation. They rarely breakdown and can carry considerably more weight than horses. A large bull camel can carry up to 1,200 pounds; a small camel can carry six to eight hundred pounds. To read more about the Australian camel industry visit the Australian Camel Website.
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