Darwin Camel Rides - Our Story

How Darwin Camel Rides Came to Be: A Wild Ride with Sid the Camel

It all started with a camel named Sid. Yes, you read that right—Sid, as in the lovable, slightly clumsy sloth from Ice Age. But instead of a sloth, Sid is a camel. A very real camel, to be exact. Let me take you back to how this all began…

My name’s Nader, and I’m a 30-year-old guy with a supportive wife, two little children, and a deep passion for animals. I grew up in Egypt, where animals were always part of my world. My family was involved in the camel industry, so from a young age, I was surrounded by these fascinating creatures. Camels, horses, livestock—you name it, I loved it. That outdoors, farming lifestyle was in my blood, and I’ve never strayed far from it.

Fast forward to Australia. Now, if you know anything about camels here, you’ll know they’re considered pests. Yep. They roam wild, often causing havoc, and there's even a mass culling in place to control the population. But when I was working on a station one day back in 2021, I stumbled upon a baby camel who had just lost its mother. The poor little guy was either going to be put down or taken in—and naturally, I called my wife and said, “I’m bringing him home.”

To be honest, I didn’t even wait for her response. I knew I was bringing him home. She could say no, but that camel was coming with me. Fortunately, she agreed, and we raised Sid from just a couple of months old.

Sid was a pretty chill camel, but let me tell you, raising a camel is not like raising a dog. Or a cat. Or even a horse. He was like a giant toddler in a fur coat, and my two horses weren’t exactly thrilled about his presence. In fact, I’m pretty sure Sid thought he was a horse for a while. He’d follow them around, try to graze like them, and, well, pretend he was one of them. Talk about an identity crisis!

I became fascinated with Sid’s world. So, I decided to take a little journey around Australia to learn everything I could about camels—how to raise them, how to care for them, and what the camel industry was all about. What I didn’t expect was to discover a gap in Darwin’s tourism scene. There were no camel rides here. None. Zero. Zilch.

I had Sid, I had a passion for camels, and I saw an opportunity that seemed too good to ignore. So, with the support of my family—both in Egypt and here in Darwin—and a network of friends who generously shared their business advice, I set out on what would become the wildest adventure of my life.

Darwin Camel Rides was born. It wasn’t easy, though. Let’s just say that building a camel ride business in a tropical region, where camels aren’t exactly native, required a lot of grit, sweat, and probably a few choice words. But I wasn’t about to give up on Sid and my passion.

We’ve come a long way from the days of trying to convince Sid that he was a horse. Now, we get to share the magic of camel rides with tourists in one of the most beautiful places in Australia, all while providing a loving home to our camels. It’s a win-win.

So, if you’re ever in Darwin, come on down to the beach and take a ride with Sid and his buddies. They might look like oversized lawn ornaments, but I promise you—they’re full of personality, charm, and a little bit of camel drama. And while you're here, you're not just enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience—you're supporting a dream, a family, and a cause that is close to my heart.

Thanks to my family, friends, and the incredible network of people who helped me along the way, Darwin Camel Rides is here to stay. We didn’t expect this journey, but we sure as heck wouldn’t change a thing.

And remember—if you think Sid looks a little like Sid the Sloth from Ice Age... well, you're not the only one who thinks so.