They're known as the ships of the desert, but the sands of Tuncurry's Nine Mile Beach were as good a place as any to catch a ride on a camel over the weekend.
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The unique experience was made possible by Muswellbrook-based business, Hunter Valley Camels, which offered half-hour rides on the beach from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12.
Their first time offering the service in Tuncurry, owner Michelle Phillips said she was more than happy with the response they got.
"We probably did close to 100 people," Ms Phillips said.
"Ninety-nine per cent of them said it was great to see the camels on the beach and that they needed more things up here for kids."
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Using just three camels from a 60-plus herd, Ms Phillips said they were likely to bring up more animals next time to handle the demand.
"We're definitely planning on becoming a regular feature on the beach at Nine Mile - it's a great location," she said.
"We're looking to get a 12-month licence for that beach."
In business for six years now, Ms Phillips said the majority of her camels were rescue animals that had been saved from the abattoir.
Aside from offering camel rides, the business also operates a camel dairy which sells camel milk and soaps.
Passionate about the animals, Ms Phillips said the camel rides provided a great opportunity to educate the public.
"We're just trying to get rid of that stigma about camels being cranky, dirty, spitting, cantankerous creatures - they're not," she said.
Hunter Valley Camels plans to return to Nine Mile Beach next school holidays.
To find out when they'll be back, follow their Facebook page here.
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