| How many times have you heard a disgruntled | | | | Camel Trains that were operated by Afghan |
| punter refer to his losing bet as anything but | | | | Cameleers. It was these brave and hardy souls |
| being a horse? They get called a lot of names, | | | | who went from South Australia, across the |
| including being a 'real Camel'. This one always | | | | desert into Darwin carrying supplies. |
| makes me smile because I know where the real | | | | These Camel Trains operated until the 1940's and |
| Camels race in Australia. | | | | were essential in the carrying of equipment and |
| Every July during the 'dry' season at Alice Springs | | | | supplies to the railway workers and the overland |
| they run the annual Camels Cup. This race day is | | | | Telegraph line when it was put through from |
| sponsored by the Central Australian Lions Clubs | | | | South to North of Australia. This overland |
| and is supported by other local community | | | | telegraph line saved many lives; and back in those |
| organisations with all the proceeds being | | | | days it wasn't used to broadcast the outcome of |
| distributed to local charities. It is a day that every | | | | horse or Camel race except for the results of |
| one should attend at least once in their lifetime | | | | the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's famous |
| simply because it is a highly hilarious and unique | | | | annual horse race run the first Tuesday in |
| experience. | | | | November each year. |
| If you understand much about Camels, you will | | | | It was when the Camel Trains were replaced by |
| know them to be temperamental, unpredictable, | | | | road and rail transport that the camels were |
| nasty mannered and a few other epitaphs. So | | | | turned loose into the desert. Now they have |
| each year each race will be different. Perhaps this | | | | increased dramatically in numbers and have |
| is why a losing punter on a horse race will often | | | | become a troublesome feral animal that is |
| refer to his bad bet as "a bit of a Camel", which | | | | currently undergoing culling operations. The lucky |
| really is a serious insult. | | | | ones are now being exported in large numbers to |
| Many people are unaware of just how many | | | | Saudi Arabia because our feral camels are still |
| Camels there are in Australia. The Camel is not a | | | | 'pure breeds' and haven't had their blood lines |
| native animal to this country but they are very | | | | diluted. The even luckier Camels get to race in the |
| much part of Australia's history and without them, | | | | Camel Cup in Alice Springs each July. |
| it would have taken much longer to open up | | | | So if you are a horse racing gambler who |
| Northern Australia. Early in the 1900's when inland | | | | occasionally calls a lost bet 'a bit of a camel' why |
| Australia was being settled, there was no railway | | | | not reverse the result and call your camel "a real |
| or roads, and the only way to service the | | | | horse"? |
| Stations and fledgling communities was to use the | | | | |