We pulled into Curtin bush camp to have lunch. It is a large area with nothing. We did plan to stay the night but at about 3pm no one else had turned up so we decided to move on. We had heard there was a bush camp next to the Curtin Spring Tavern. It was only about 20 ks away. This is where we found everyone. The campground was larger than we expected and by the time we arrived it was half full. If you bush camp it is free, you only pay if you need power and water.

We walked around to look at the pet emu, and to have a look at the birds’ aviaries. There were Bourke’s Parrots, Cockatoo, Cockatiel, Ringneck (a parrots comely known as “A 28”) and Rosella as well as Regent and Princess Parrots. I was hopping to see them all in the wild.

Curtin Springs was started as a sheep station in 1930; by 1956 the station had 1500 head of cattle and was 500 square miles. The first tours to Ayers Rock started the next year and the year after the fist liquor license was obtained.   The tavern had to have beds for 3 people and a stable for horses. Now it is over one million acres and a part of the tourism industries offering a selection of accommodations and of coarse a pub. But wait there is more; the pub has a small gift shop. They sold many different items, like hand made paper ($15 for 2 sheets) as well as bags of red dirt and the outstanding item was a bag of poop. Yes folks you can buy a bag of poop for $5 (or 4 for $18) to take home with you. Just imagine the look on your mothers face when you get home from your holiday and pullout your present for her. “Here mum I thought of you when I was away and missing you so much I brought you a bag of poop.” I guess it beats a full nappy.

We started to see the rock about 50 ks away. The funny think is that there is a mountaintop you can see form Curtin Springs called Mt Conner that most people think is Ayes Rock. It is easy to tell the different because Ayes Rock is rounder on the top.