Dragon fire, the burning flames Engulf the endless red dust roads Flashing white hot at first It licks the rain-starved desert grass With silver rim light, then golden glaze Ignites the smouldering, sun-baked earth And turns the sky to molten waves That rise and fall in ochre shades Now blush, now spice, now violet haze … Continue reading Kimberley Sunset

We loved Kings Canyon and hope to visit again one day. It’s stunningly beautiful and only a four-hour drive west of Uluru (all on bitumen roads) and yet most people don’t go there. The back road up to Alice Springs is more challenging but exquisite, looping through Aboriginal lands, deep gorges and wild outback country. … Continue reading Kings Canyon to Alice Springs, close up and from afar

After leaving The Uluru and Kings Canyon region, our plan was to head as directly as possible to the Kimberley region of Western Australia, famed for its beautiful gorges, clear blue streams and azure seas and skies. It was another 3,000 odd km driving, but we were old hands at this – a couple of … Continue reading Alice Through the Dog Door

When visitors think of Australia, as well as kangaroos, boomerangs and the population’s inordinate fondness for terrible beer, they will undoubtedly also visualize the red desert of the centre, and the world famous landmark of Uluru, the red rock formerly known as ‘Ayers’. Indeed, any organized tour of the country is guaranteed to take in … Continue reading Red Rocks and Red Dust

A lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder. “Do you think that’s it?” she asked. “That’s all we’re getting?” We were standing on a wooden viewing platform, watching a weak sun disappear behind a thick bank of cloud. In front of us, Uluru (Ayers Rock), had briefly flashed to life in the early morning … Continue reading No sunrise, no worries

 Paul Keating, former Australian PM, he who was famous outside Australia mostly for 2 things; a breach of royal protocol when he put his arm round the Queen in 1992, and for trying and failing to turn Australia into a Republic – presumably so he wouldn’t be given an opportunity to give Her Majesty a … Continue reading “If you don’t live in Sydney, you’re just camping out”

And we've got a lot of preparation to do . . .