Red Centre Loop: Uluru, Kings Canyon and the MacDonnell Ranges - Apollo

Six nights and 1,658 kilometres in a loop from Alice Springs in a campervan, taking in Uluru, Kings Canyon and both arms of the MacDonnell Ranges.

Glen Helen comes first in the West MacDonnells, where gorges cut through the range at Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm and Ormiston and several hold permanent water, with the Finke River nearby, thought to be among the oldest watercourses on earth.

Erldunda and Kings Canyon follow, where the rim walk runs six kilometres round sandstone walls a hundred metres high and starts with a steep climb. Yulara comes next for Uluru and Kata Tjuta: the monolith stands 348 metres above the plain, and the domes of Kata Tjuta nearby are taller still, with the Valley of the Winds walk running between them. The route then returns through Erldunda to Alice Springs and the East MacDonnell Ranges.

The camper and the day-by-day plan come from Apollo, and the hire is priced live per vehicle rather than per person; campsites, fuel, ferries, park fees and activities are all extra, with a nil-excess insurance pack available at booking. Seven days for 1,658 kilometres is a fair pace and the route is designed for a two-wheel drive, which keeps it on sealed road the whole way. Winter is the season, since summer temperatures in the centre are punishing and the walks close in the heat of the day. The Uluru climb is closed and the base walk is the better way round it. The night skies out here are as dark as any on the continent, which is reason enough to stay up.