Opening up the Australian Outback

Muslim cameleers arrived in Australia with the camels. They took part in expeditions, worked on the Great Northern Railway Line, and helped to open Australia's inland. The railway line from Port Augusta to Alice Springs soon became known as the Ghan Line.

Many Outback towns, like Marree, had their own "ghan towns" on the outskirts. From these ghan towns the cameleers operated as far as into the Northern Territory to bring supply to isolated stations, bush towns and telegraph stations. At the turn of the century camels were used all over the inland of Australia.

In the 1920s motor vehicles kicked the camels in Australia out of their jobs. Some animals were killed, but most were just abandoned. The camels survived in Australia's vast unsettled inland.

It is estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million camels roam freely in the Outback today. The biggest numbers in Western Australia, but also in the Northern Territory, and in South Australia.

Although camels were introduced to Australia, the feral camels don't have such an destroying impact to the environment like other feral animals in Australia. However, as the numbers of Australian camels increase some people also consider them as a pest.

Especially during draughts, camels "run over" small towns and Aboriginal communities in search for water. These conflicts increase as their numbers grow.

Camel trekking has become popular for tourists. Camel farms can be found throughout the Outback. They offer camel rides for an hour, and expeditions of a couple of days, or even weeks.

Uluru Camel Tours offer sunset, sunrise & an express tour for stunning views of the desert landscape.

Feel like the early explorers, and enjoy a camel tour. Yes, that's adventure travel!