Travelling Outback Australia with camels and gypsy caravans

by Kevin
(Geelong)

In August 1972 I was living and working in Cairns North Queensland and I decided that I wanted to see Australia. I had had enough of working for a weekly wage and I had decided to travel and work along the way. Of course, back then there was plenty of work to earn a living whilst travelling, so I resigned from the railways and started planning.

The first thing I did was buy myself a pushbike and I built a trailer to attach to the bike (as the photo show). When that was all done I was off southward from Cairns (3rd August 1972).

Now I am 63. I have retired and would like to travel around Australia again, not by car, train or bus, no. Six of us are planning to travel by using camels and gypsy type of caravans. We have two so far, and are looking at two more here in South Australia. We are also checking out a camel farm here near where I live. This is going to be the best holiday we all will have.

I have planned this trek for a very long time. I just hope that now I can get it off the ground and get on with it.

What gave me the idea of using camels was a family I met in Adelaide in 1976. They had used camels to tow their broken down Volkswagen Combie Van from Darwin to Adelaide [Ed.: 3215 km!]

Much of the road between the two places was still unsealed. They could not purchase a new motor for the car in Darwin and the cheapest motor was in Adelaide. It would have cost them too much to have the motor sent to them in Darwin, so they chose camels.

Their story was never published except in newspapers along the way. (I have been trying to track down these papers, so far nothing.) Meeting the family and listening to their story has really inspired me to get out of the township I live in. I am sick of paying rent and other bills. I am now on a pension and get paid each and every fortnight so I don't think I will be needing money along the trek.

I haven't seen much of my own country as you have. Where you live, many Australians wouldn't even know where that is. They don't know what's just around the corner from where they live. Many people take holidays and end up at the same place year in and year out, and many holidays are by far too expensive.

Australia has so much to offer anyone who is willing enough to go out and live their dream of travelling, and there are so many different ways it can be done.

As for me, nothing is in detailed planning stages,yet. I only have the idea. No dates have been set as yet, but I will contact you when a date has been set.