Further information

Further Information

June 28 to July 3 2008

1 day air transfer from Sydney, 4 days by camel, 1 day return air transfer to Sydney.

The Ingredients Of The Journey

A constructive mental attitude is fundamental to the success of your journey and due to the very nature of the trek and the remote areas that you will visit, conditions may be outside that of your normal experience. After leaving the comforts of civilisation behind, you should be prepared to enjoy the desert on its own terms.

A Typical Day

Remembering that the success of the trek depends on the active participation of all trek members, we ask that you participate to the best of your ability without over doing it. Working together as a team, assisting the crew in the daily routine of running the trek, is an important factor in reaching our final destination and enjoying our time in the desert. Typical duties would include helping to saddle the camels, load and unload equipment, collecting firewood or assisting with shepherding the camels at the end of the day. We feel that the journey represents a balanced mix of healthy work, relaxation and personal discovery - "what we all put into it, we all get out of it".

Please note that this trek, along with all ADE journeys, is a walking trek and not a camel riding safari. We expect to walk a maximum of 10 kilometres in any one day, over a period of approximately 4 to 5 hours. This trek is not strenuous and we will have one (1) riding camel available that can be used on a rotational basis by the trekking group, as required. Please note that it is not possible to ride for the entire duration of the trek.

The day begins at first light when the crew untie the camels from their night trees and shepherd the camels (perhaps with your help!) whilst they feed. The campfire is brought back to life, the billy boiled and breakfast is served. After breakfast, we pack up camp and the camels are brought in ready to be loaded with saddles and equipment. Everyone helps in this precision exercise. We usually break camp between 8.00 & 9.30 a.m. and our pace of travel is based around that of the camels. They normally walk at about 4 kilometres per hour on flat country and 3 kilometres per hour over dunes. We are not in a rush and one of the first things that you will notice as you walk along is the sheer immensity of the desert silence. Become involved in the day and your senses will soon become attuned to the surrounding desert.

During the morning we stop every hour to adjust loads and have a break, before pulling up for lunch about midday for an hour or so. Lunch is laid out on the tables and this is a time to rest and relax a while.

The afternoon walk follows a similar pattern to that of the morning. Camp is usually struck sometime between 3 and 4.30 p.m. at a suitable place where there is feed for the camels - this is the most critical factor in selecting a campsite. Again, everyone helps to unsaddle the camels and collect firewood etc. The camp is run like a traditional 'stock camp', similar to those that you would find on any large Australian cattle station and is well equipped but not overloaded with the clutter that seems to accompany modern day camping. We carry the essentials - water, food, shelter & swags (bedrolls).

Whilst the camels are grazing, this is a time for you to collect your swag & personal gear and relax, read, or write up the diary. The crew will be preparing dinner and may need some help shepherding camels to make sure that they don't stray too far from camp. All meals are cooked on the campfire in camp-ovens or woks. Dinner is served soon after nightfall. At the end of the day, sitting around a campfire in the Australian Outback, surrounded by the desert night, is one of life's great pleasures. It's time to discuss the day's events or just sit back on your swag and absorb the brilliant glow of the stars and the thunderous silence that 170,000 square kilometres of desert produces. The camels inevitably become a talking point as our day completely revolves around their day and their ability to negotiate the dunes with their loads which may weigh as much as 300kg.

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grinding stone

During this trek we may find aboriginal artefacts, similar to this grinding stone

Grinder

large flint

We will also collect plant specimens during the trek

Day-to-Day Itinerary

The actual day-to-day itinerary of any trek is, to a large degree, unplanned! That is the beauty of travelling with camels and exploring the desert. As the trek is self-sufficient and the camels can travel virtually anywhere, the only definite objective is our final destination. For instance, it is seldom known in the morning exactly where that nights camp will be, as the route taken, weather conditions, availability of camel feed and 'unexpected discoveries' all determine the position of camp. The one constant however, is the daily routine of loading and unloading the equipment onto and off the camels, as well as the general camp duties.

On day 1, you depart Sydney and fly to Birdsville, where you will have lunch upon arrival at the Birdsville Hotel. After lunch we drive out to the camel camp which will be located approximately 1.5 hours drive west of town, and you will meet your crew and the camels.

We will have food and other equipment to pack as we make preparations for the next days departure but you will have time to acclimatise to your new surroundings and organise your personal gear. That evening, your trek leader, Andrew Harper, will talk about the proposed trek route, the camels and other important safety points.

On day 2 it's all hands on deck. This first day is a 'learning day' as your crew will demonstrate how to assist in loading the camels and how the tonnes of saddles & equipment are carried. Hence, only a short distance is travelled before camp is struck in the afternoon. During the next three days as you become more familiar with the daily activities, the loading/unloading time decreases and the trek settles into a comfortable routine.

Days 3 and 4 consist of the same daily routine. Our resident archaeologist/botanist/historian will conduct talks in the afternoon after we make camp, talking about the country that we are walking in.

On day 5 we will walk in the morning and after lunch transfer to 4WD's for the return trip to Birdsville. That evening you will stay either at the Birdsville Hotel or in cabins at the nearby Caravan Park. A group dinner that evening will be at the Birdsville Hotel.

In the morning of day 6 we visit the magnificent Birdsville Working Museum before lunching at the Hotel. The return flight departs after lunch and you should arrive in Sydney in late afternoon/early evening.

* The tour cost does not include any alcohol or souvenirs purchased at the Birdsville Hotel or snacks etc purchased at any re-fuelling stops en-route to Birdsville or Sydney.

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Cooking on the fire

All meals are cooked in campovens and woks

General Notes

The team. The trek party comprises 10 trekkers, 6 cameleers, 3 or more Simpson Desert experts and 17 or 18 camels. Most of your fellow trekkers would have had no previous camel trekking experience. The average age of our participants is 55 years.

Our leaders. Our leaders are experienced cameleers, each with a love and respect for the camels and the desert and are happy to share their knowledge with you. All are trained in First Aid, as is at least one other crew member.

Camping Equipment. Australian Desert Expeditions provides all the camping equipment. You do not need to bring tents or swags. In the event of rain, we have freestanding tent flys. Yes, it can rain in the desert during winter! We carry kitchen tables and a kitchen tent for when it rains. Your swag doubles as a comfortable ‘chair’ at night around the campfire in the evenings, however we also carry small plastic fold-up stools.

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We supply a swag, blue groundsheet and black trek bag. We will send you a comprehensive pre-departure Trek Information Guide that will list all the items that we recommend you bring for the trek