Located only 25 minutes outside of Broken Hill in the historic township of Silverton, Silverton Outback Camels is an animals lover’s dream.
Petah and Duncan have created a sprawling outback menagerie. Camels, sheep, goats, emu, donkeys, red deer, alpacas, ostriches, pigs, peacocks, geese, chooks, ducks, guinea fowl and more are all set in the picturesque landscape of the Australian desert.
Options and packages are available that range from simply a farm visit to overnight lodging. We opted for the popular sunset camel tour. The tour is a one-and-a-half-hour camelback ride through incredible golden hour lit ruins, desert landscape and the sleepy town of Silverton.
On arrival we were greeted by not only our knowledgeable and friendly hosts, Petah and Duncan, but also by Toto, a pet emu. It’s clear Toto thinks he’s a camel, as we watched him squat down next to his humped friends waiting for a saddle.
While everybody was posing, pointing at and taking photos of sun-soaked camels, I was gushing over Toto the quirky emu.
I have childhood memories of camel rides and the thought of a camel standing with me clinging to its saddle brought back some sort of nostalgic terror, but this was a surprisingly swift and smooth performance. A top manoeuvre by my new best friend, Harold.
Harold happened to be the biggest of all the camels but was also the sweetest in a clumsy and loveable way.
As we made our way outside of the property through a tree-lined creek bed, the sun was just beginning to set and created some of the most magical lighting you can find in Australia.
I’m not sure words can convey just how stunning the sunsets in Silverton can be, but it’s something everyone should experience if you are visiting the region.
Duncan led the way and was full of knowledgeable facts and entertaining stories about camels, Silverton, and outback life in general. Petah and her pet dingo joined us, taking photos to provide, free of charge, at the end of the tour.
It was a peaceful, entertaining, and scenic evening with laughs and literal bumps along the way.
Petah and Duncan have a lot of love and passion for their camels, and everything is well cared for, which is must in any business involving animals. They have hand trained each camel and recently welcomed the birth of two calves to their expanding camel family–Nullah and Sultan.
Silverton Outback Camels is the perfect way to explore Silverton and learn about its rich heritage while relaxing and absorbing the view, all by one of my favourite modes of transport, camelback.
For more information visit Silverton Outback Camels website here: