So i been doing a bit of research and the rats out there are native Rattus villosissimus 'long haired rats' or 'plague rats', this only happens once every 30 or 40 years and the last time was in the 70's where the plague lasted 3 years!
In the Simpson they prefer the side of dunes to live on, hence my mate who was camped on the side of a dune near eyre ck got inundated with them. They are usually quite rare and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see nature in all its glory
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here's an interesting article: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/threatened-native-rats-appear-in-nt.htm
They also breed from Jan to late July, and mature at 70 days. So anyone going in Aug-Sep is gonna cop 'em big time. They also don't seem to like light very much and on nights of a full moon will stay in their burrows. I am gonna break out the mutha led lights from hell, and be lit up like a prawn trawler.