WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS

Journeys with Pack Donkeys

Explore the Back O'Cairns

TREKKING WITH PACK DONKEYS

Trained pack donkeys carry your food and home comforts across the roughest terrain. Led by an experienced interpretative guide.​

Use of donkeys enables us to explore remote and rugged areas of Lower Cape York and the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland in more comfort than with conventional bushwalking and to experience places that are not accessible by wheeled vehicles.​

Wilderness Expeditions offer a range of short, medium and extended walks, treks and expeditions. Our treks and expeditions are off the beaten track, so we enjoy our own space.​

Treks may be overnight or extended to as long as 28 days. Longer treks and expeditions are planned to be challenging and require a higher level of physical fitness.

Shorter treks require little preparation and are suitable for adults of all ages and children as young as 9 years.

Short & Extended Camping Treks

Our pack donkey treks provides opportunities to explore Cairn’s Outback.

 

The donkey pack team carry all your gear, tents, camp furniture including tables, chairs and camp stretcher beds, good food and even a little wine to enjoy with dinner. 

​

Apprehensive about walking with a donkey? No problems.The donkeys are experienced  and trained. All treks are led by an experienced packer and donkey driver.

​

Explore remote and rugged terrain that cannot be accessed by motor vehicles. Relax and enjoy camping in luxury.

​

Treks and walks can be as short as overnight or extend to 3,6, 7 or as long as 28 days.

​

Our Region

Wilderness Expeditions' treks are located near Herberton. Once a wealthy tin mining centre, and the first town established in the Atherton Tablelands Region. Now a sleepy heritage village it sits on the edge of the Great Dividing Range abreast the aptly named Wild River. 

​

The Herberton Range forms a boundary between the Atherton Tableland's concentrated agriculture and the endless hills and valleys of the interior with rugged rivers, tall forests and savannah grasslands.

​

It is really the Tasmania of the Tropics with a “hill station climate” much cooler and less humid than the coast and seal for adventure activities such as bushwalking.

​

The region abounds with ghost towns, rugged ranges, mighty rivers and sparse population. This region is ripe for re-discovery and adventure.

​

At the height of the mining boom in the early 1900’s over two thousand mules and horses worked as pack teams transporting goods, food, ore, mining machinery, silver and tin ingots between mines and treatment plants, the interior with coastal ports at Redbank, Cairns, Port Douglas and Mourylan.

​

Steep mountain ranges and rivers were obstacles for wheeled vehicles but not the pack teams.

​

These pack tracks form the foundations of our adventures and treks, laced with insights of fauna, flora, history and geology, these treks are true micro-adventures.

Meet Our Donkeys

Wilderness Expeditions cares for 26 donkeys (and a Molly Mule) including the pack team, our breeding Jack, brood jennies, some rescued and retired donkeys.

​

Donkeys are extremely loyal and endearing animals that adapt to trekking by their heritage of over 5000 years of service to man in this role.

​

Many of our pack team were captured as feral donkeys on Banka Banka Station.

 

The dray teams were turned out when replaced by motor trucks and utilities in the 1950’s and 1960’s and the populations expanded into herds of feral donkeys that are now regarded as pests. 

​

​

Make a new friend with a hard working donkey companion.

"NOT WHAT WE HAVE BUT WHAT WE ENJOY, CONSTITUTES OUR ABUNDANCE"

Epicurus

CONTACT

LOT 3765 Rocca Rd, Kalunga QLD 4887, Australia

Telephone:Australia 61 (0) 476 546 914

© Wilderness Expeditions.  2020