Free camp at Curtin Springs Wayside Inn – a definite stop in the Red Centre in Northern Territory!
One of our fam has headed out on a four hour tour to Mt Conner. We’re stowed up at the ‘bough shed’, the historic original homestead for the Severin family in 1956. Three years they lived here! Desert Oak, chicken wire and spinifex grass make up the structure.
Read up on it: they say they were the first evaporative air conditioners – just put a sprinkler on the roof. A common shelter back then, is now a brilliant – and unique – beer garden. Complete with Harney Place sign “BEERANDBULLSHITCORNER”.
The only station in central Australia that breed Murray Greys, one of the reasons why is they “would rather F#*K than fight and we need bellies full of arms and legs (pregnant cows)”.
The station is 100km long, 40 km wide and over one million acres! Originally Mt Conner Station in the 1930s, it was renamed after the Prime Minister, in 1940.
Now, you can try their homegrown beef and homemade meals, take guided walks around the base of Mt Conner or through salt lakes. Tonight I can choose from station made sausages, beef schnitzel, lasagne or cheeseburger, all served with chips and salad, and you must order before 6.30.
If you want lunch get there and order before 2pm! We just missed out, but are looking forward to dinner.
Showers cost $5, toilets are free. There are a small number of powered sites, but unpowered and you can camp for free! As always, if any business offers free camping, be a customer. This is why we are relaxing (well I’m actually working – researching this lovely character filled station stay so you can hear all about it) in the bough shed.
So now, all we really have to do is hang up the washing, choose what we’ll have for dinner and soak up the history and location. Oh, and avoid the dust blowing and flies! For some reason, the flies aren’t annoying us under the bow shed. I hope I haven’t spoken too soon.
Seriously, the last time we were out this way, we stopped, but drove onto Yulara and Uluru. I feel we missed out. I’d love to do the tour, too – but after the last few days in the car, the last thing I feel up for is four hours in a bus. But I reckon it would be excellent!
Dinner was good, but the steak my brother-in-law consumed as part of the tour is next level! Oh, and we highly recommend the brekky, don’t try to eat it all yourself!
One more tip: stop at the Mt Conner lookout, east of the station. Walk up the dunes across the road to find salt lakes. You’re welcome.
So, go ahead. Put this place on your list. Find Curtin Springs Wayside Inn in your CAMPS guides and App!
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