Rex Ellis was born in 1942, growing up in McLaren Vale, a small town in South Australia. From the age of seventeen he worked on stations in South and Western Australia as a jackaroo, overseer and contract fencer. He began his safari operation in 1965, opening up many regions to tourist safaris. These included the first commercial tourist crossing of the Simpson Desert [1971] and the only party to cross Lake Eyre by boat [1974].
He recalls trips to the Kimberley, Gulf Country, and Cape York in the late 1960s where it was rare to meet another non-local vehicle. Coinciding with the ‘4WD boom’ of the mid 1970s, he added camel trekking to his operations travelling to the remote desert regions. He still operates exciting safaris using 4WD vehicles, camels, and boats; his trips specialize in wildlife, birds being his specialty.
Rex Ellis live on the River Murray Camel Farm, on cliffs covered in old growth Mallee. The view from his elevated office is designed to give inspiration for future writing.
Books by Rex Ellis
