Great Desert Walks 2026
Outback Camel Company founder Rex Ellis arrives at the Birdsville Hotel in 1976 after crossing the Simpson Desert,
thus completing Australia's first commercial camel expedition.
Celebrating a half-century of adventure, endurance, and connection to Country
Great Desert Walks is the banner under which the Outback Camel Company and Australian Desert Expeditions conduct their respective desert trekking operations.
And 2026 marks a milestone year for the Outback Camel Company: the 50th Anniversary of Australia’s original desert camel-trekking enterprise.
It all began in the late summer of 1976, when Rex Ellis started leading camel treks through the Flinders Ranges before attempting something truly audacious: a full crossing of the Simpson Desert that winter. No one had made such a journey since Cecil Madigan’s 1939 expedition.
Concluding outside the Birdsville Hotel, the 1976 crossing became Australia’s first commercial camel expedition, firmly establishing Rex as a pioneer of adventurous outback tourism.
Today, we continue Rex’s vision for “getting out there and having a go,” with our yearly trekking schedule now incorporating the Australian Desert Expeditions +science ecological and scientific surveys.
The guiding ethos of all our treks remains the same as it was on that first Simpson Desert expedition in 1976: simplicity, slowness, respect for Country, and a willingness to be changed by the power of the landscape and the remarkable personalities of the camels who walk beside you.
Rex Ellis (1942-2025)
Be ready for a true wilderness adventure - walking and living in the vast Simpson Desert on a journey like no other. If the phrase "off the beaten track" could ever be truly applied, this is it, as our treks begin where the tracks end. There are no roads, no paths - just the wide-open expanse of the desert. Each trek or expedition is an exploration of untamed landscapes, crossing rolling red dunes, following inland river and creek systems, or traversing the shimmering gibber flats and expansive claypans.
Since 1976, the Outback Camel Company has been walking the deserts of Australia, and we believe there’s no better way to explore these remote landscapes than with pack camels. Their gentle, steady presence enables us to tread lightly, leaving only the faintest trace of our passage across the land.
Our camel team offers a way to experience the desert that’s both timeless and transformative. Walking with these charismatic creatures connects you deeply to the rhythm of the landscape, offering a continuous, unbroken journey of discovery. This is what we call Desert Bushwalking - a chance to embrace the raw beauty of the Simpson Desert and reconnect with the spirit of this ancient land.
...Slow Travel...
Bookings Now Open! DesertSaver Prices until Dec 23!