17 Day Simpson Desert Palaeontology Expedition

July 29 to August 14 2009

2 days road transfer from Adelaide, 13 days on camel trek, 2 day return road transfer to Adelaide

or option

2 days road transfer from Adelaide, 13 days on camel trek, 1 day return air transfer to Adelaide
(the aircraft leaves in the afternoon of the last trekking day) - total 15 days

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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

The following is based around the 'normal' structure of one of our treks. For this trek however, the morning and afternoon routines will be tailored to suit the requirements of a palaeontological study. For example, there will be more time in the mornings to scout about before we break camp.

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".

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. As you become involved in the day, 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).

Swag, blue tarp and black kitbag supplied by ADE

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 thousands of 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 250kg.

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Day-to-Day Itinerary

The actual day-to-day itinerary of any expedition is, to a large degree, unplanned! That is the beauty of travelling with camels and exploring the desert. As the expedition is self-sufficient and the camels can travel virtually anywhere, the only definite objective is to retrieve the fossil and arrive at 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 Adelaide and begin the drive in an OKA 4WD vehicle via the Birdsville Track to the camel camp. This transfer is a great journey by itself and you will be travelling through an iconic part of the Outback, with short stops in Marree and Mungerannie. You will bush camp that night. On day 2 you arrive at the camel camp and will meet your crew and the camels. We will have food and other equipment to pack as we make preparations for departure. Your help with this important task is welcome. You will have time to acclimatise to your new surroundings and organise your personal gear. That evening, your leader will talk about the expedition route, the camels and other important safety points.

On day 3 we begin walking. This first day is a 'learning day' as your crew will demonstrate how to handle 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. As the days pass and you become more familiar with the daily activities, the loading/unloading time decreases and the expedition settles into a comfortable routine.

Days 4 to 12 consist of the same daily routine.  Naturally, from about day 6 to day 10 we will be camped in the same area whilst we conduct the fossil dig. There will be no strict water rationing during the expedition but there will be little or no opportunity for complete body washing and you should be prepared for this.

On day 15, the camel string should be nearing its rendezvous point with the vehicles and we will make camp earlier on that day to allow for unpacking of supplies and equipment.

Day 16 is the first transfer day back to Adelaide via the Birdsville Track. You will bush camp that night. Day 17 continues the transfer and weather/road conditions permitting, you should arrive in Adelaide in late afternoon/early evening.

*Please note: IMPORTANT!! The Birdsville Track is closed during prolonged wet weather. We strongly advise that you should build in a 'buffer zone' due to any delays caused by wet weather. Schedule your outgoing flights at least 24 hours after our expected arrival time in Adelaide.

                    An OKA 4WD used on our transfer runs                                        Brushing down the camels before loading

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General Notes

The team. The expedition party comprises 10 trekkers, 4 cameleers, 3 scientists and up to 18 camels. Your fellow trekkers will come from many countries. Most of our clients are from Australia and New Zealand however you can expect people from the UK, North America and Europe to be in your group. Most would have had no previous camel trekking experience, whilst others have been enjoying commercial OCC treks for many 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. ADE 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.