- Max Bergmann, a camel farmer from Perth WA, won’t let his eyesight stop him from running a farm
- After starting his career over a decade ago he now cares for 120 camels
- He can even tell from a distance which camel is approaching, based on hearing the different sounds they make
Here Max tells his story in his own words.
Pulling on my Akubra hat, I made my way over to the paddock with my right hand girl, my guide dog Fawn.
I’d been diagnosed with Stargardt disease – a genetic degeneration illness that results in slow central vision loss – at just eight years old.
The diagnosis came after my primary school teachers noticed me struggling to see the white board in the classroom.
‘Max’s blind spot will spread to different parts of his eye in time.’
Mum took me to an ophthalmologist who discovered I had a blind spot in the centre of my vision, which they explained would grow bigger as I got older.
‘Max’s blind spot will spread to different parts of his eye in time,’ the specialist confirmed to Mum and my dad, Volker, after a series of tests.
My parents were distraught, but I refused to let my condition hold me back.
If anything, it spurred me on to push harder and prove that I could do anything someone with perfect vision could – and that’s what I did!
A keen runner, I didn’t want to give up my hobby.
So my brother, Hannes, then nine, became my guide.
As my condition progressed, Hannes would alert me to any obstacles ahead as they appeared.
In 2004 I was declared legally blind aged 18.
That same year, I competed as a solo long-distance runner in the Paralympics in Athens, Greece.
‘Why don’t you start a camel farm?’
By the time the Beijing Paralympics rolled around four years later, I had just eight per cent vision remaining.
I competed in the 5000m event and placed fifth!
Afterwards, I went on to study for my PHD in agriculture, majoring in crop production and plant physiology, and I worked on my friend Christian’s farm.
That’s where I met a beautiful woman named Ronja, then 22.
Ronja was a friend of Christian’s sister and already knew about my vision impairment.
Falling in love, we relocated to Morangup, WA, in 2011, where Ronja landed a job in town at a forensic science lab.
When we married in June 2012, my vision was down to three per cent.
But as Ronja floated down the aisle in her gorgeous white gown, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Ronja quickly became my eyes when mine failed, along with my first guide dog, Forest, who I was matched with that same year.
‘That’s a great idea.’
One morning the following year we were watching a documentary about camels.
I was shocked to learn that Australia has the largest wild camel population in the world.
The mammals were first introduced in 1840 to help transport goods across the hot dry outback.
But when they were eventually replaced by trucks and trains, the gentle giants were no longer useful to humans so many ended up living wild in the bush.
As herds continued to multiply over the decades, it was estimated their numbers could double every eight to ten years.
It was heartbreaking to learn that thousands were being culled every year.
It gave Ronja an idea.
‘Why don’t you start a camel farm?’ she suggested.
Her idea was that we could give the animals a safe place to live out the rest of their lives, in exchange for fresh milk.
‘That’s a great idea,’ I agreed.
Registering our business, DromeDairy, in March 2015, I had my work cut out for me.
I travelled to a camel farm in Melbourne for a three-day course where I learned the basics.
Back in WA, my dad was visiting from Germany, along with Hannes, who was living in Australia at the time.
They helped me get to work building temporary fencing in the yard out of scrap metal and mesh panels that we sourced from local scrapyards.
Then we set about getting our first herd of eight camels.
Unlike cows, camels need to be completely relaxed and bonded with their young in order to let down their milk, so instead of disposing of our calves like traditional dairies do, we keep our mums and babies together.
And while their milk is sweeter than cows’, it has a slightly salty taste.
In addition to supplying it to local cafes, we went on to create a range of skincare products.
Then, in February 2016, we came up with our best creation yet – our daughter Maya.
Our precious son Tim followed a year later in September.
I was overjoyed that I got to see them arrive into the world before my eyesight completely deteriorated.
And as our herd of camels expanded, it was a joy to see our kids grow right alongside with them.
Eleven years on, we now have 120 camels, and Maya, now nine, and Tim, seven, love helping Ronja and me out on the farm.
The kids even worked with me to design Australia’s first mobile milking system, building the first model from Lego!
Instead of herding the camels to the dairy, we bring the dairy to them on the back of a trailer.
It’s been a life changer.
Now that I have just two per cent vision left, I rely on my peripheral vision.
But I haven’t let my impairment stop me.
Instead, my hearing and memory make up for what my eyes lack.
And I have the help of my new guide dog Fawn after we sadly lost Forest to old age.
And I can even tell from a distance which camel is approaching, based on hearing the different sounds they make.
Intelligent and affectionate, the camels have become my best friends.
I am so grateful for the love of my family.
And I’m proof that no matter what cards you’re dealt in life, there’s always a way forward.
