2008 ESD Treks

Is a camel trek for you?

We operate our treks in the cooler winter months (April to September) when the weather in Central Australia is superb for bushwalking and exploring the deserts. The average daily temperature is about 23 degrees Celsius, however at night it is not uncommon for the temperature to drop to zero or below.

Good physical fitness, a love of the outdoors and a constructive mental attitude are fundamental to the success of your trek. Due to the very nature of your journey and the remote areas that you may 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. Group sizes are usually between 10 to 13 trekkers plus 4 cameleers.

To help you decide if you are suited to a trek or expedition, we have graded our trips as follows:

Moderate – all Treks and Extended Treks (moderate plus) are represented here. You must be reasonably fit but also be prepared to actively participate in the day-to-day running of your trek. Our walking pace is approximately 3 to 5 kilometres per hour, depending on the terrain being covered.The average distance travelled per day is usually between 10 to 15 kilometres and may involve some spells of continuous, although moderate, dune climbing on firm sand. Occasionally, you will make camp at lunchtime, allowing the afternoon 'free' to explore or (if available) to relax by a waterhole. On other days you may cover a little more ground in search of a suitable campsite with enough feed for the camels. Water is available for drinking only but will not be strictly rationed. Travel will be cross-country, away from tracks and roads, unless specified in the trek notes and the itinerary of each trek is flexible allowing the leader to adjust the pace of the trek to the wishes and capabilities of the group.

Challenging – all expeditions fall into this category. These are genuine contemporary expeditions that travel in a traditional style just as the early explorers would have done, whilst encountering the rich desert diversity entwined with the rewarding experience of working with the camels. Due to their duration and terrain covered, these explorations are far more challenging than any trek. The expeditions may travel approximately 350 - 450 kilometres (unless otherwise noted) and have a definite objective, whether it be to cross an entire desert or to arrive at the designated base camp at journeys end. Full rest days during the expedition are not guaranteed and the average distance covered per day can be between 17 to 22 kilometres. Water rationing is strictly enforced and there are neither permanent camps nor any type of vehicle back-up. On such a journey it is essential that you are prepared, both mentally & physically, to fully participate as an expedition member. At journeys end you can expect to be tired but also fulfilled with a sense of great personal accomplishment.

Common characteristics of all treks & expeditions are:

Team participation & walking with a string of up to 18 camels

Sleeping in swags under the stars

Camping at non permanent camps (excluding the first & last nights)

Camp cooking in camp-ovens & woks on open fires

The subtle beauty of the desert landscape

Self sufficiency – there is no vehicle back-up - and the desert silence!

On all treks & expeditions, the camels carry all your personal gear, excluding your day pack.

Camel pads

Cameleer Cody Cunningham leads TC down a red dune

14 Day Eastern Simpson Desert / Eyre Creek Trek

This trek will travel country similar to that described above but will spend more time actually following the Northern reaches of Eyre Creek before it meets the Mulligan River. We hope that there will still be some waterholes that water from the 2007 floods. The area around Eyre Creek was an abundant source of food for the Wangkangurru people and we may find evidence of their occupation.

Departure Dates: June 11 to June 24 2008 - Completed

Grade: Moderate

Itinerary: 2-day road transfer from Adelaide via the Birdsville Track and Marree, 10 days on the camel trek, 2-day return transfer to Adelaide. Further information...

Pick up point: Adelaide

Set down point: Adelaide

Price (including road and air transfers): AUD$4940 Discount price for previous travellers AUD$4693

Eyre Creek Waterhole

An Eyre Creek waterhole

Map of the Simpson Desert showing Birdsville & Eyre Creek on the right

Gibber plains, Eastern Simpson Desert

The gibber plains on the fringe of the Simpson & Sturt Stony Deserts