17 Day Kalamurina Ecological
Survey Trek
August 11 to August 27 2009
2 days road transfer from Adelaide, 13 days on camel trek, 2 day return road
transfer to Adelaide
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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 the ecological study.
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 small 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 9.00 & 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 trek 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 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 trek 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 trek settles into a
comfortable routine.
Days 4 to 12 consist of the same daily routine.
There will be no strict water rationing during the trek and at some stage there will
be a rest day(s) or half-day(s), as determined by your trek leader and accompanying
ecologists, and the wishes of the group. We may camp in the same location for two nights,
allowing for a more detailed search of an area and a better chance of a successful
marsupial observation.
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 road 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 your expected arrival time in Adelaide.
 
An OKA 4WD used on our transfer runs
Brushing
down the camels before loading
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The team. The trekking
party comprises 10 to 12 trekkers, 4 cameleers and up to 20 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 our 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. |
