Boats in the Desert

Nowhere else in the world, except outback Australia, would these boat journeys be possible, and no one else in Australia except Rex Ellis would operate them. When it comes to outback travel, this safari guide makes an art form out of making the seemingly impossible, possible. Not content with running exciting four-wheel safaris to every corner of the outback, and criss-crossing the deserts with his camel expeditions, his desert boat safaris often defy description. The experiences are value added by his extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, and the country itself, that he loves so deeply. In the record inland floods of 1974, he operated the first boats down the kilometres wide Diamantina River (Warburton channel) to Lake Eyre, and completed the only crossing ever of the lake, travelling the full length from north to south. Most of it at night! Since then he has taken adventurous parties down the Warburton 14 times to the lake, and four times down Cooper Creek from the Birdsville Track to Lake Eyre. He has run most of the other inland rivers, and crossed the world’s longest salt lake (Lake Torrens) when it filled in 1990. These are his favourite safaris, even though his boats can be dry for years. Exciting wildlife, amazing scenery, great camaraderie and some of the best campsites in the world. Next time you hear of a flooding inland river, you can bet this wiry little bushman will be on it - or travelling towards it in his trusty Oka 4WD. Boats in the Desert is written with great humour and insight. It describes some of the world’s most unusual wilderness adventures, giving the reader a glimpse of an outback that few will ever see.