And then it was off to the Red Centre, to begin our camping expedition across Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon. Our guide was Ross, who was a father figure to me. Sometimes, before I go to bed, I picture his face heavily ridged like the rusty sandstone monolith of Uluru, and his smile brings me comfort. Ross, come back to me.

The rest of the group was made up of a couple of couples on their honeymoon, a host of older Germans, and even the family of a school friend. We spent our days eating the find food that our outback chef Adam would cook up, and in between waking up at 5.30am and watching the fire reflect off our glasses at 10pm, a lot of walking was done.

As we watched where we placed our feet, the only other thing to do was marvel at the landscape that had been coated with a broad red brush, which shone flaming against an almost navy blue sky. The sense of wonder was compounded by the rich Indigenous history as old as the rocks which had burrowed itself into every dune and nook and waterhole. Ross shared with us their stories infused with unbounded creativity, and I was very amazed that they were able to weave such plotlines from just these random outcrops of rock and the limitless barrenness that stretched in all directions.

Out of our destinations, my favourite would have to be the Rim Walk over Kings Canyon. The cliff walk gave stunning views of the lush valley below, and we made an excursion to the Garden of Eden: a verdant paradise nestled snugly in the crescent of the canyon. As we hit the bitumen each time, the way the sun made the whole landscape breathe its dry, red breath left a very spiritual impression on me. The saddest thing is hearing Ross tell us to take as many photos as we can, since for many of us, it would be the first and last time we would ever be visiting these places. Like coming from a father, the truth is always hard to hear. On our last night in Watarrka National Park, we slept in swags and watched as the sparks from the fire leapt up to the plenitude of stars. The wind carried the howls of dingoes faraway into the distance and the sky slowly shifted above our lying figures.

At the end of the trip, we spent a night in the desert town of Alice Springs, and now we find ourselves in Darwin for the next stage of our camping adventure in the Northern Territory. Stay tuned!