And although Alice the camel won't be there, Sarah, Cappuccino and Tasha will be in attendance for more than a fortnight.

Children line up excitedly to ride the camels, and Ned, 7, tells his sister Ruby, 10, that he thinks their cousin nearly got "ated" last year.

The siblings are curious about what the camels' humps are for – they don't know that camels store fat there for when there's no food.

"I think the humps are for Christmas," Ned said.

"I'm not too sure, I probably knew it but forgot it," Ruby said.

"They smell, but I think they're nice," she said.

For those a little more apprehensive of the two humped desert horses, the owner's daughter, Amanda Hodge, said the camels have a lovely nature.

"They're a bit mischievous though, these ones," she said.

"We've got to entertain them – sometimes when they're bored, they'll undo knots with their lips."

But she said no one visiting Canberra should be afraid of camels on the loose in the city centre, as the trio are very experienced.

Adults aren't immune to catching the Christmas spirit floating around Civic this year.

Some Canberrans are even queuing for the attractions on their lunch breaks, like Mel Emerton.

"You're allowed to be a big kid on Christmas," she said.

"It's nice that Canberra does things for adults – other cities only cater for kids."

Indeed, adults can jump on Flip Out, Australia's largest trampoline.

They can hop on the merry-go-round, which is part of the largest LED light display in the world.

And they can ride the camels too, and be led around one of Canberra's many Christmas trees.

Face painting, free film screenings, festivals and markets will also be on offer.

The camel rides run in the city centre from 1 to 7pm, every day until Christmas.