Who'd have thought there are actually an estimated 1 million wild camels in Australia? That's 1 for every 20 people! Backpacker-turned-camel handler, Sarah Morris, tells us about her 200km journey by camel through Australia's outback.

When I arrived at Perth International Airport in May 2006, I had visions of myself snorkelling on Ningaloo Reed and maybe mustering the odd sheep or two, but I never imagined I would end up riding a camel 200km through the outback as part of my job on an Aboriginal community in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.

I was working through WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) to help out with looking after the family's two camels, doing the odd bit of gardening and general maintenance around the community. When the family arranged to get four new camels, there was only one way to go and collect them from the nearest town 200km away - by riding them back. Four of us went down to bring them back; myself and two other 'wwoofers' (two guys from Germany and Korea) and the boss.

The whole journey took 4 nights and 3 days. On the first night, we camped off the beach whilst we waited for the camels to arrive and we set off early the next morning. We had a car for support with swags (Australian camping mats that you sleep inside), a small tent, and enough food and water for animal and Man (and woman). That meant that anyone who needed a rest from the relentless thirty-something degree heat could look after the car for an hour or two while the other three rode or walked alongside the camels (to avoid a sore backside) and on the final evening, we made up some headway by riding the camels in the coolness of the moonlight. At night, we tied the camels to trees where they could munch on some bush tucker and sit down whilst we slept on the soft, red dirt close to the road. An incredible journey for me, but for the Aboriginal people that I was living alongside and working with, long journeys through the harsh, dry bushland are all part of daily life.

Australian Camel Facts:

1) Australia has the largest population of Dromedary (one-humped) camels in the world: estimated to be between 700,000 and 1 million (up to 1 camel for every 20 people).
2) They were introduced in 1837 by Afghan railway builders to transport goods across the desert.
3) Their high adaptability to harsh and dry conditions led to them also being used by explorers, outback police and postmen.
4) The Ghan trainline which runs between Adelaide and Darwin is named after these early camels and their cameleers.
5) Alice Springs hosts the annual 'Camel Cup' races in July each year.