Camel's through Time

Camels were first bought to Australia in the 1840's.

Then in 1866 Thomas Elder established the first camel stud in Beltana, South Australia, with camels mainly from Karachi, India.

Later the large two-humped Bactrian camels and the one-humped Dromedary, powerful camels from India followed with the riding camels of Arabia.

Today the feral camels found in outback Australia,

are a mix of all these breeds. They are strong animals of good quality. 

Australia is now the only country in the world with feral dromedary camels.

In fact the only feral camel herds in the world are located here.

They number in the hundreds of thousands.

Last week our town celebrated a camel race and we decided to go and watch.

Camels do not follow rules. Some ran fast, some walked and some refused to move.

They all displayed their own personal temperament, without any bad manners of biting or spitting.

The Season of Christmas

We read about the birth of Christ in God's Word and of the wise men visiting from afar. 

We are not told how many wise men came, only that they brought three gifts with them. 

However, we can assume they made the journey on the most reliable mode of transport, the faithful camel.  

 Matthew 2:7-11

"Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

Note: here we are also told, they found Jesus, in the house.  So perhaps they actually found him older than....a babe in a stable.

God gave us many ways to travel.