Make yourself at home.
As the first Wayside Inn in Central Australia and the first tourist stop created outside Alice Springs,
Curtin Springs offers a perfect base from which to visit the Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon areas.
01 / A family-owned oasis
Stay a while.
Peel back the layers.
Wayside Inns are a name given to remote businesses, in the northern part of Australia, that have long histories and have developed to provide a full range of services to visitors.
Although most wayside inns were originally owner /operators, there are very few left that are not part of a larger corporate structure and they are owned by people who don’t actually live here.
Curtin Springs Wayside Inn is still owned by the original Severin family, who were instrumental in the development of tourism in Central Australia and we live here.
Although Agri-Tourism is a new buzz word, it is actually the oldest form of tourism in the world. Any first adventurers going into new regions, relied on those that already lived there to provide them with services. The people who already lived there were farmers. These farmers invited visitors into their homes and provided the travelling necessities these travellers needed.
We invite you to stay a while longer and ‘peel back the layers’ by including our experiences, tours and hospitality in your travel plans.
Enjoy our authentic homestyle meals, our lovely gardens and take an opportunity to unwind in what visitors often refer to as an oasis.
The aviaries
I need to hear something that is not a crow or a galah.
Dawn Severin, during the nine-year drought after 1956
02 / The Bough Shed
Meals under the
original homestead.
The historic Bough Shed offers the perfect place for a cold beer, hot cuppa or a meal.
The Bough Shed is the original homestead of the Severin family and they lived under here for three years, after their arrival in 1956.
Take the time to look through our family history and general information about what it takes to live in such a remote place, raise a family and run a business here.
Our restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with meals served under the historic Bough Shed, the original homestead. Meals vary around the age-old favourite of a good steak and great homestyle meals.
The store is open every day of the year. Opening varies seasonally, generally 7am in the busy season and 9am in the quiet season. Closing time depends on the time of the year, how many visitors we have and what our staff numbers are. We sell petrol, diesel, soft drinks, ice creams, food, souvenirs, tea and coffee as well as alcohol both to drink in or takeaway.
03 / What else is here
Everything you need
on the road.
Accommodation.
There are 27 accommodation rooms ranging from our budget rooms with shared bathroom facilities up to the family rooms with disabled bathrooms.
Campground.
We have a small number of powered sites and unlimited unpowered sites. There is no charge for unpowered sites. We have never turned visitors away from the campground. A space can always be found.
Curtin Springs Paper.
1 hour tours of the production area of Curtin Springs Paper run daily at 4pm. A minimum of 2 full paying adults. Bookings preferred. Tour participants have exclusive access to the full range of Curtin Springs Paper products and The Gallery.
Discover Curtin Springs Paper →
Tour groups.
We provide a range of services for tour groups from full dinner/bed/breakfast options to providing meals on their way through. We pride ourselves in helping tours to keep to their schedules.
The aviaries.
We have a wide range of native birds and parrots in our large aviaries. The birds are our legacy to Dawn (Peter’s wife, Ash’s Mum). After arriving in 1956, there was a 9 year drought. Dawn was known to have said during that time, “I need to hear something that is not a crow or a galah”. Peter acquired some parrots for her and the collection has grown ever since. They are highly prized members of our family.
Services at the homestead.
| Facility | Available for guest use |
|---|---|
| Store/bar | Yes, open every day. Opening times vary seasonally, generally 7am in the busy season (winter) and 9am in the quiet season (summer). Closing time depends on the season. |
| Licensed restaurant | Yes, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. |
| Light meals | Yes, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. |
| Fuel | ULP and diesel are available. |
| EFTPOS/credit card facilities | Yes. |
| Public phone | Yes, public phones available using coin or phone card. |
| Mobile phone coverage | We now have both Telstra and Optus mobile phone coverage. |
| Internet access | With the mobile phone coverage, you can access the internet on your own devices. |
| Pool/spa | No. |
| Laundry facilities | A coin-operated washing machine and drier are available. |
| Camp kitchen | No camp kitchen, but a BBQ area is available. |
| Disabled facilities | The family rooms have full disabled bathrooms; disabled access to the rooms is available through temporary ramps at present. |
| Sewage dump point | No, the nearest black water dump site is at Ayers Rock Resort. |
| Smoke-free facilities | All the accommodation rooms, the store/bar and the historical Bough Shed dining area are all smoke free. |
| Airport | The nearest commercial airport is Ayers Rock Resort. We do have an airstrip for small private planes. Please contact us for landing arrangements. |
04 / Around the homestead
An oasis on
the Lasseter Highway.
Gardens, meals and the view from above.
Photographs from the Curtin Springs archive. Select an image to enlarge and browse; no autoplay.
05 / Plan your stay
Book a room
or just pull in.
It’s always wise to book ahead, so book your accommodation online, or call the team about your plans, what you need for for your tour group, or using our campground or the airstrip.