It is heating up

Picking up our take-away dinner... our gas tank was leaking gas so even with our best intentions we just could not risk a gas explosion in the jeeps kitchenette... you never know... it might flip... we saw a local newspaper reporting about a blazing fire at the border of Alice Springs...

... it was the fire we passed and photographed in its infancy near the fire warning sign on our epic trip from Kings Canyon to Uluru the wrong way around!

Uluru

Next morning again a camper brekkie.

Then back to Uluru... for a more thorough investigation of this desert brick...

... we came really close...

... even touched it...

... but did not climb it...

... the aboriginals kept track of all people killed during climbs... and made sure everyone knew... their way of scaring people off and stop the climbs...

... after not climbing the sucker we headed to the Olgas... a mere 20km away from Uluru...

... and frankly... I found them more impressive...

The Irish look just as much out of place on a football pitch...

... as they do in the red centre.

We were even in time to watch the sun set for a second time on our friendly rock... Uluru...

Yes! Yes! Yes!

After a draining drive we finally arrived at Yulara, the campsite near Uluru. We quickly checked in, and turned around to drive to Uluru because we were just in time to view the sunset!

The site was loaded with photographers... but not everyone will be pleased with their pictures...

... I guess.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Eeehh... no.

After several hours of continuous driving... almost every sense of distance gone... we spotted what looked like... yes... finally... there it was... Uluru...

... but... the road kept on winding and 15 minutes later... it had gone out of sight... did we miss a turn? So we had a closer look on the road map... and that was pretty clear about the matter : "Often mistaken for Uluru, Mt Conner is a large mesa rising 343m above the surrounding terrain. Get the hell out of there and continue on the road towards Uluru."

A burning sensation

After Dinky we raced on on Stuarts Highway. We just had to be aware of the occasional road train...

... you do not want to be splattered by 150 tons of live pig.

And we had to drive through some smoke hazard of the fire that was raging 100 kilometers (or so) west of us nearby Luritja road... yep... THE road...

And... what if it would continue to head towards this highway... we had to cross it again in two days on our way back to Alice Springs to get to our plane to Cairns. They would not close down this highway.... or would they??? We opted to ignore that option.

I would not call it singing

Even in dire need for speed, you have to slow down for lunch sometime... and in the outback those choices are easy to make... if you are lucky... then only once a 150 to 200 km you will stumble upon a shabby roadhouse that might serve you some kangaroo or emu... we hit a place like that at Stuart Wells, Jims Place.

After we tucked the jeep away at the red dusted parking lot, right behind the emus, we headed for the dusty and rusty door...

... but just about the moment we wanted to turn the door handle... a scary howling sound penetrated the hot dry air and hammered our ears... we stopped... turned around... looked around the side of the building... tried to look through the greasy smudged windows... but we weren't able to determine the origin of that horrendous noise... hunger took over and we daringly opened the door and stepped in...  people were gathered together in a circle around a piano... Uncle Jesse was holding a leash and on the end of it... standing on a piano... howling the most horrendous howl any human has ever heard... an ugly hairy dingo... Dinky... the singing dingo...

... the whole circle was silenced by astonishment and adoration... however... it was sad to see not everyone gave the canine the respect it was due...

Not only can you be a witness to several performances a day... the Dinky merchandise had also taken off..

And while not everyone agrees on whether Dinky has been inbred or not...

... there is not much debate about this one...

It's also possible to dry my hands above the bush fires

Everything went pretty smooth. Except for a road that was not sealed while it said so on the map (we slightly deviated from the road we took when we went into the other direction, so that took us by surprise), and we had to conquer some more fires at the edge of Alice Springs. Of course... no fire truck insight, again. They did try to warn us...

... but I am not sure the Aussies really no how to work their warning signs.

We had a short break at Alice Springs. Fill the jeep up with fuel, and they would not have been real Aussies if they weren't ripping us of again...

... the 1 dropped of the sign, the diesel was in fact the most expensive fuel available... even more expensive then gasoline... luckily our tanks weren't all that empty and we only had to pump 115 liters... it could have been worse...

And after the re-fuel, we had to let go of something ourselves of course...

... it seems that for the Aussies it doesn't matter if you burn to death in a bushfire... as long as your hands are dry, damnit!

Peace of mind

Seven AM, next morning, and we check for the last time with the reception about the Luritja Road. It seems the park rangers are clear : "The road is closed and stays closed." It even turns out, that the road is closed now directly at our campsite, so if you do not have a 4WD, you can't go anywhere now, not even towards the canyon. Luckily we have a heavy duty 4WD, and as long as we do not flip it, it's no worries mate!

At least... so we thought... but while racing the Mereenie loop, we passed through recently burned bush...

... and still burning bush!

Dangerous? Nah... and we were insured... burning the car... who cares... as long as we don't flip it!

So... they do close roads

After not having dinner... we heard some rumors about a road being closed due to bush fires... we could not believe this since we haven't spotted any Aussie fire extinguisher or park ranger yet near a plume of smoke... but after checking with the reception it was confirmed that they closed a road... to be more precise... they closed THE road, Luritja Road, at Kings Creek... the only way out heading away from the Roadies and the Kings Canyon Resort kitchen towards Uluru, our next stop, tomorrow... at least... that was the plan...

Kings Canyon to Uluru, about 350 kilomaters of highway... doable in half a day... but since that road is closed... there is no other way out then to go the way we came in... back over the Mereenie loop desert dirt road (200 km)... then continue back to Alice Springs (another 170 km) and then over Stuarts Highway and Lasseter Highway to Uluru (another 470 km)...

So we plan an early rise for the morning, still hoping that the road will have been opened up by then...

If you wanna loose some weight...

After finishing the trail today, we thought it to be justified to go out and have diner instead of prepare our own on the foldable camper kitchenette... so headed for the campsite restaurant...

... in hind site... it might have been better if we had made our own dinner (read : warmed up some canned sturdy outback soup)... because not only did we have to suffer this evenings entertainment... provided by the infamous Roadies...

... appreciated by many of the local Aussie SBS6 crowd... but not by all...

... and covering your ears was indeed the best remedy... but we also had to suffer the Kings Canyon Resort kitchen... or what comes out of it... we were under the impression that we ordered a sizable pizza surely enough for two... but after a pain full one hour wait, quietly taking in all that the Roadies had to offer... we finally did get something out of the kitchen... one bruschetta sized pizza...

The reward

Back at the campsite... right after we installed our samsonites again... and after we nursed our wounds we suffered while we endured the wild Kings Canyon desert ...

... we headed for the pool...

... yep... a pool in the desert!

Kings Canyon

Right after breakfast, we had to break up and stuff everything into the camper jeep again... we wanted to do the Kings Canyon rim trail, and the canyon was over 10 KM away from the campsite, so we needed our camper jeep as our ride towards the canyon... packed with more then two liters of water each, and some snacks... we started the trail... the first part was the steepest... immediately straight up towards the rim... sun burning on our backs... we did wear our Flying Doctors hats... including the anti-fly nets... so we looked like dorks... but we did not have any flies setting up camp in our ears...

The trail was great...

"Look... I found a rock!"

Eating and drinking can be a challenge sometimes wearing these anti-fly nets :) ...

After over four hours and 6 kilometers... we headed down the rim back to the parking lot...

... all water gone... we had already finished lunch within an hour... not really survivalistic...

Outback wakeup

Six o'clock and we are awakened by screaming parrot-like birds circling our camper jeep...

... but we are campers now... so we take it with a smile... and after some eye rubbing... an outback brekkie...

We are campers... really!

Late afternoon... we arrived at the camp site near Kings Canyon. First step... unload the samsonites...

... after that... we went almost all the way... we already decided not to build up any of the tent parts... we did not want to face the daunting task of breaking them up and packing them into the car again... but we did install the table, chairs and kitchenette...

... we even used the kitchenette... after dinner... the stereo typical camp site shower and toilet visit...

... then build up the bed in the camper jeep.... and get some sleep...