Petah, Camel Tour Guide, Silverton Wilyakali / Barkindji Country

Petah first came to Broken Hill in the 90s to work here in the police force. A few years later she left to travel for other work and returned in 2014. She bought the farm in Silverton while working as a cop and caring for animals in her spare time. After trauma from her work in the police force started to affect her, she felt it was best to leave her job. Locals in Silverton suggested to her she should buy some camels and run camel tours; it had been an activity Silverton had been famous for, but had died when the family running the tours retired. She and her ex purchased two camels from the former camel tour family; Chocolate and Spencer, and taught themselves how to train them and operate a camel tour business.

Since then she’s collected many more camels, along with dingoes, emus, alpacas, goats, sheep, chooks, ducks, peacocks and pigs, and has become known as the place to take any strays or injured animals. At the start of 2023 her then-husband took off; he told her he was going to Uluru and was unsure when he was coming back. He never did come back. So Petah had to learn how to run the farm on her own, with occasional help from backpackers. She said it’s been difficult, but she enjoys her life in Silverton on the camel farm and can’t imagine living anywhere else. She’s currently operating camel tours, farm tours, hosts travellers at her airbnb and campsite, and plans next to build a dam and camp kitchen. She’s hoping to hire a permanent camel tour guide, if anyone is looking to escape to the outback.