Swags, Campfires & Camels

A distant rooster disturbs me from slumber.

It takes a few seconds for me to remember where I am.

My body is toasty warm, but my face feels an icy breeze through a gap in the swag. A flapping noise outside won’t allow me to go back to sleep, so I decide to open my eyes, and I realise through that same gap in the swag that the sun is well and truly up. And so is everyone in our group. I am not usually the last out of bed on adventures, but the cosiness of a warm sleeping bag in a comfy swag with a super thick mattress and I really had no hope of fighting off good sleep.

A camel farts loudly, a donkey chimes in with a good old ee-aw-baw. Seven of us are starting our day on the property of Natalie and Ryan from Flinders and Beyond Camel Treks, along with the animals that call this place home. Today will be our first day of walking.

Day 1 – Camel trek

I felt anxious and excited about doing my first Camel Trek. There is something so different and unique about walking alongside these giants, and my only knowledge to date came from reading Tracks by Robyn Davidson. Although these wildlings are trained and accustomed to walking in a camel train, it’s wise to be prepared for anything! Camels cannot be rushed, and with us learning to pack their load correctly for the first time, we could expect today to be slow.

It would be hours before we started walking but I still had to somehow extricate myself from this layered burrito of a bed and get dressed. We had lots to do!

Breakfast and the boiling billy greets me with welcome steam. Coffee and a catch-up with my fellow walkers allows me to hear that most slept well and needed a hot drink to warm up. It was a chilly start.

Arriving the day before allowed us to have the swag demo, a delicious BBQ dinner and a bit of a chat about what lies ahead for us today. We had driven just over five hours, but despite plenty of comfort stops and lunch, our early start out of Adelaide had us all keen to hit the swags early.

It was fascinating watching the camels be led out of their enclosure, sat down with a “hoosh”, and how patiently they waited while being loaded.  Some noisily, some in silence. After a few hours of learning eleven camel names, how to fold blankets, load them and do a mean slip knot, we were as ready as the camels to hit the road.  All our water, cooler boxes, food, swags, duffle bags, folding tables – everything we would need for five days was loaded on nine camels – two came as spares, but being herd animals, they would feel left out if they stayed home.  So, they came too.

We crossed the road and fairly quickly, the property we started on was out of view.  We meandered over small rises, through gates, dry creek beds and across stunning Adnyamathanha Country.  The Adnyamathanha People are the Traditional Owners of the lands in this part of the Flinders Ranges and nearby Wilpena Pound (Ikara – meaning meeting place) forms part of the Dreamtime Stories of creation of these landscapes.

The first creek bed we entered was a rainbow of stones and pebbles of all colours. I stopped to admire them and wonder about their age. This land is so ancient and as our guide, Ryan, gave us a geology lesson over lunch, it became increasingly unfathomable how ‘old’ this land truly is!

The walk and talk continued as we happily chatted with each other and steadily covered a distance at around 3km per hour. Stopping as needed for the camels to pee and feed on whatever they could get their mouths on. While they wouldn’t need a drink of water for the next five days, they peed as though they had hydrated, especially for the trek. As camels can’t walk and pee simultaneously, they need regular stops to relieve themselves, just like us.

We made camp mid-afternoon and selected patches of earth to lay our beds for the night.

Setting up our swags all within eye sight of each other, the wind kicked in cooling us quickly after warming up on our walk. It would be another chilly night.

Dinner around the campfire was a pleasant surprise, and after sunset, we hovered around the warmth, seeing coals grow and glow as the evening deepened into night.

Ryan, along with his assistant, Jenni, cooked up a freshly prepared meal on the hot coals of the campfire – a delicious stir-fry dinner that catered for both the carnivores and vegetarians among us. ‘Hikers midnight’ was on us before we knew it, and we scrambled into our swags by 8.30pm.

Day 2 – A movie star!

Wondering if the camels stayed near us overnight, we woke well after sunrise. Being herd folk, the group of eleven had remained close to camp. Five were usually tethered while the others were free to roam and feed, and they would rotate who would be tethered for the trip as needed. Usually, the fattest ones were tied, allowing the thinner ones more opportunity to graze overnight.

It was nice to hear they had all stayed close – we were warned it could be a ’round up’ morning had they roamed farther afield, which would delay us moving on for the day. When we got to camp each day, the camels would have “free time” to feed and wander before they returned by evening.  Sometimes this would be round up time too if they had wandered far.

After yesterday’s initial introductions, today I was getting a little better at remembering names as they lined up for saddling and loading.

Cracker (our lead camel) was followed by Bubbles, Thomas, Mitta, Alf, Rollie, Taipan, Mona, Narli, Victor and then Henry at the rear. All different sizes and shades of beige. Rollie was beautiful and dark while Bubbles and Henry were practically blondes.  Each with their own personality and each very  much a valued part of the family.  Ryan, gently speaking to each camel as it was led and “hooshed” into position showed a bond that would take years of trust and working together.

But these camels are huge and still wild animals.  They can be wilful, naughty, sneaky and aggressive. Alf, in particular though, loved a scratch and schmooze but was also easily distracted and stubborn. Cracker liked to find unsupervised mandarins and others (who will remain unnamed) had a history of eating the rubbish bag, breaking into the food stores at night and stealing snacks from guests’ bags. However, it was Mona who initially stole the show when we found out she is in fact a movie star! Mona played Zeleika in the movie adaptation of the very book that introduced me to trekking with camels, ‘Tracks’. We all thought Mona’s lips were too good to be true. She had the pout down pat. She was quite the lady.

Our walk today was another beautiful day in creek beds and tall gorges. Colours that continually changed and rock that went in all directions and patterns. Highlights included seeing an echidna, parrots, a micro bat and the views as we walked southeast on the Third Plain. Freshly chopped salad lunch was enjoyed in a creek bed complete with hot water for a cuppa and fruit cake. Sitting back in my little camp chair with that hot drink, I felt like the Queen of Sheba.

In that moment, I experienced an enormous wave of gratitude for the simplicity of it all while simultaneously being so comfortable, thanks to the camels.

We walked up a small hill after lunch that had early-stage bush tomatoes and over ripe bush bananas. More delicacies! We crossed a few more small creeks before making camp for the night.

Adopting our new routine, we collected firewood and chose spots for our swags. The camels wandered around us feeding and keeping an eye on things. We listened to the birds, journalled, stretched, climbed any nearby hills for sunset moments, made hot drinks and helped with whatever needed doing at camp.

After another incredible dinner, this time a selection of curries, we enjoyed a night sky show where Ryan shared constellations and a lesson in space. A falling star rounded off another wholesome day. According to Ryan, you can see so many falling stars on these treks that you can run out of things to wish for!

Day 3 – A chance to head inward

Waking to see Ryan on the hill doing a camel head count was a little concerning on our third day. Ten had been accounted for but 1 was definitely MIA.  Bubbles. My fast becoming favourite as he is quite handsome but also a bit of a wanderer.  Jenni headed off to the creek and beyond to try locate him. We couldn’t start saddling up until we knew where he was. Once Bubbles returned, our pack-up was fast!  Half an hour faster even than the day before. Slowly but surely, we had fallen into a routine and with all hands on deck, the work got done faster.

As we walked today, we unintentionally drifted into pairs, then solo as we spaced out in the creek beds. Passing through more gorges with layers upon layers creating a geological masterpiece. Travelling this path along creek beds and gorges is a journey back through time. It was a chance to head inward. We had been without any phone coverage for 48 hours, and it actually felt amazing. With fewer distractions, we became even more present and connected to the places we walked and the people we shared with. We reflected and drifted back into conversations about how we felt. We were all sleeping so well and not missing our connection to the digital world. Technology is so prevalent that it’s become very difficult to escape, and even on holiday, there is almost always a Wi-Fi connection. It was so refreshing not to be informed of things by someone who may have had coverage on a hill (only to tell us awful news anyway). It was not possible for that on this trip. We were simply too remote and it felt so good.

Breathe. To delight in an uncomplicated and unrestricted breath.

We lead such busy busy lives.  Even those who might have retired still find themselves in roles of care and duty, whether to family or to organisations they give time and energy towards.  Our first thought each day was, “all I have to do is walk”.  No phone calls, no Wi-Fi, no electricity, not even any running water. No one needed anything from us except the camels, of course.  The self-sufficiency of limited resources and valuing each drop of the water we consumed added a new element of appreciation to this trek.

Had I bathed?

No.

Did I care?

Not really. I used a few baby wipes but it hadn’t been a hot sweaty hike, so I didn’t feel unclean or unwashed. As far as we were all concerned, the camels had more smells to worry about than us.

Having the opportunity to exist so simply and yet comfortably felt like such an indulgence.

Besides a bit of wood collection, chopping veggies, and rolling out the swag, it was a trek where it felt a lot was being done for us, and we were very aware of this. We wanted to contribute, too; there were always things to be done if you looked.

The walking, though, is a recharge.

It’s steady, relaxed and mostly flat with the odd hill thrown in, but nothing too technical for the camels. Once you find rhythm you just stop when the camels stop, eat when you are offered. Packing large quantities of snacks is not necessary, as there is plenty of food plus fresh fruit between meals on offer.

The wind is strong and icy. We arrive at a campsite in an open plain and it will be a challenge to stay warm. Despite another delicious dinner of deconstructed cottage pie, we all want to run to bed at 7.30pm to escape being blown away. We manage to withstand the chill a further half hour, and by 8pm we turn in for the night and retreat to the warmth of our swags.

Day 4 – Dinner was dinner

We woke to the same strong, gusty winds, and despite covering 10km, it was a tetchy day for the camels (the same as children really). The day felt timeless with long, loud chats punctuated only by rest breaks, toilet stops and lunch. I had no clue what the time was all day, and I had also forgotten what day of the week it was. The fresh air and perhaps the lack of decision-making or knowing what’s coming next – it didn’t matter. What were we having for dinner? According to Ryan, dinner was dinner, and we soon realised that even knowing the menu ahead of being served was unnecessary. This whole experience was an opportunity to surrender and accept.

I had never felt so present with the moment. This was big for me, and I felt a need to reflect on this for the rest of the day and also at the campfire that night with my fellow walkers. All of whom felt similar.

I would recommend this trek as an annual prescription of time in nature. Working with animals, being off-grid with great people and at one with everything is an incredible mix that offers so much. I had not expected to feel like this, but I knew in my heart this would not be the last time I trekked with camels.

On our final full day of walking, we took turns leading the camels. When it came to my turn, I felt so small.  In fact, everything I had ever worried about felt small in that moment too.

Day 5 – Returning to life

Waking on our final morning, we walked a short distance back to the property where it had all started five days earlier. A sense of longing for maybe one more day of walking rippled through the group. We felt we had finally found a rhythm, and it would soon be over.

It was still a filthy windy day, and I’d filled up on so many baked spuds the night before that I couldn’t face breakfast. Our final climb up Thomas Hill marks the finale of this trip. I finally de-layered out of my rain paints and Goretex jacket that had, until that point, kept me warm. We watched as the camels were led into the yard below, where they would be unloaded, and our contact with civilisation and the outside world was restored. Reluctantly, we returned to life as we knew it. Phones were gradually switched back on and photos exchanged. Moments in time captured, now turning into great memories shared with incredible people.

Walking with camels was so much more experiential than I had expected. It was a wonderful window into the world of cameleers and how people travelled huge distances across Australia with these remarkable animals. I had learned so much about camels, but I still had much more to learn. Looks like I might just need to return again next year…….

But for now, it was time for the most rewarding part of the trip – a hot shower!