Best bbq in the world number 1

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Much colder morning this morning but didn't have to set out quite so early. Drove back to Uluru (it's much bigger close up - small, far away, small, far away) and parked at the beginning of the Mala walk. This is where people do the climb from - couldn't believe how many people were still doing it even though there was a big sign at the bottom from the aborigine people saying 'please don't climb' because it's sacred to them. I could see the temptation though - it's so steep it would be quite an achievement - even if it has got a handrail now! I wonder if the Mala (hare wallaby) men are allowed to use it at their creation ceremony...
We were good little boys and girls and did the base walk - 10k around the edge which the LP said took 3-4 hours but we did it in 2.5 - go us. It was really cool - there were two gorges with water holes at the corner and water fall styles tiered drops which are presumably quite impressive when it rains. There were also lots of holes which it said were created by moles (think that one might be a creation story too) and huge wibbly dark strips which were meant to be created by a watersnake (ditto). There were hgue gashes in the rock which looked like a mouth with teeth as well - you can see why this is a sacred place - especially when there's nothing else for miles around.
Well - that's a bit of a lie - there's also the Olgas which are close but which we didn't have time to got to but which are a series of dome shaped rocks - but apart from that there really is nothing right to the horizon.
200k east, 200k north and 200k west we got to Kings creek station near King's canyon, (they had a camel and a kangaroo farm!) Tempted to stay at the campsite but we thought we'd 'go bush' for a night and headed over to a rest stop called Stoke's Creek which was in the guide to campsites we got with the van. Despite the book's claim that there was a fire pit and water here - they lied - Stoke's Creek was literally just a creek. We drove on into the Watarrka national park to a rest stop at Kathleen springs which did have a bbq and water. This was completely deserted - very bush!
We created our first bbq! Felt all the better for how hard it was to get it going! Our roasting tin of coal with a cooling tray on top did us proud! 2 sausages later it was dark and we could hear the coyotes howling (well almost) so we retired to the van with a bottle of wine - that's the life! Of course due to the no camping sign, we didn't camp there...

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