Stop...Camel Time!

One of the classic Broome experiences is to ride camels on Cable Beach.  This is a huge beach on the Indian Ocean and several companies offer late afternoon camel rides.  We went with Broome Camel Safaris.

Camels were introduced into Australia in the mid-19th century to help open up the arid interior.  In the early 20th century, the combustible engine made camels obsolete and many were released or escaped.  Since then, these feral camels have thrived in Australia and as many as one million camels are estimated to be roaming the interior.  In some areas, they have become a nuisance and pest.

Australia is now the only country in the world with wild dromedaries.  As such, a business has sprung up exporting camel meat and live camels for racing to the Middle East.

"Isaac"

Camels are feisty animals (even domesticated for riding) and we were cautioned several times not to spook them.  We opted for the pre-sunset ride and enjoyed 30 minutes of beach scenery from a saddle on Isaac's hump.  We even managed to stay camel spit-free!