When 14 year old Chris Hill returned home from a camel trek holiday provided by his family to put him on the straight and narrow, he knew exactly what he wanted for his 15th birthday. A camel, of course. “Old Tom” cost him $600 and more than 20 years later, the seasoned cameleer owns nearly 50 of the so-called ‘Ships of the Desert’. At 46, Old Tom is still a much loved resident at Chris’ Uluru camel farm, located in the heart of Outback Australia.
“There is just something special about them”, says Chris, co-owner of the Red Centre Uluru Camel Tours. “They’re gentle giants. One-tonne Labradors, each with their own personalities. I will die with my camels. They’re in my blood. I’ve met many women over the years who have asked me to make a choice between them and my camels, and I’ve always chosen the camels.”
The sight of Chris’ camels trekking across his beloved Red Centre desert country with Uluru and The Olgas as a back-drop, is one of the most instantly recognizable images of Australian tourism.
Uluru Camel Tours which runs trips throughout the day is located near Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, conveniently close to the Rock itself. Getting to the Red Centre is easy. Fly direct from most of the major capitals to either Ayers Rock or Alice Springs Airport with Quantas or Virgin Australia. Visit the official, Tourism NT website travelint.com for even more exciting holiday ideas.
