After leaving the Oodnadatta Track behind, fuelling up through Coober Pedy and continuing north, our next stop was Curtin Springs.
We stayed for two nights, giving us a chance to slow down after the dirt and corrugations of the previous few days.
Curtin Springs was also our final stop before Uluru.
But if you asked the kids what they remember most about our stay, there’s a fair chance Uluru wouldn’t even get a mention.
They’d tell you about Peek-a-Boo.
Pulling Into Curtin Springs
By this point we’d covered a lot of very different country.
The Flinders Ranges had given way to the open outback, we’d flown over Lake Eyre, driven the Oodnadatta Track and stayed at William Creek.
Now we were properly entering the Red Centre.
Curtin Springs made a great place to stop for a couple of nights before continuing towards Uluru.
And one of the best parts for us was that unpowered camping was free.
When you’re travelling Australia full-time, finding a good free camp that also gives you somewhere interesting to spend a couple of days is always welcome.
Then the Kids Found the Birds
It didn’t take Chad and Quin long to discover the birds around Curtin Springs.
And then they met one in particular.
A cockatoo called Peek-a-Boo.
Peek-a-Boo wasn’t exactly shy.
He could say his own name along with hello, hi and bye, and once the kids realised he’d talk back to them, that was pretty much it.
They were hooked.
Every visit became another conversation.
“Peek-a-Boo!”
“HELLO!”
And off they’d go again.
We’d travelled thousands of kilometres, driven through some incredible country and just flown over Lake Eyre…
…and a talking cockatoo was competing pretty strongly for highlight of the trip.
That’s travelling with kids for you.
Sometimes the Smaller Stops Are the Best Ones
Curtin Springs wasn’t somewhere we’d planned a huge itinerary around.
It was a place to stop, spend a couple of nights and break up the journey.
But that’s something we’re starting to really enjoy about travelling this way.
Not every stop has to be packed with attractions.
Sometimes it’s good to park the caravan, let the kids wander around and simply enjoy where you are.
And some of the memories that stick aren’t necessarily the expensive tours or famous landmarks.
They’re the random things that happen along the way.
Like finding a cockatoo in the middle of Australia that won’t stop talking to your kids.
A Chance to Reset
After the Oodnadatta Track, having two nights in the same place was welcome.
The dirt roads had given the Patrol and caravan a decent workout, and travelling through remote areas means you’re always paying attention to fuel, tyres, water and the condition of the vehicle.
Curtin Springs gave us a chance to slow everything down again.
No big travel day.
No need to race anywhere.
Just a couple of nights before the next part of the trip.
The Red Centre Was Starting to Feel Real
There’s something about this part of Australia that feels different.
The red dirt becomes deeper, the landscape opens up and every kilometre starts taking you towards places you’ve seen in photos your entire life.
We’d talked about Uluru plenty of times before leaving home.
Now it wasn’t some distant destination on the other side of Australia.
It was just down the road.
After years of talking about doing this lap, that was a pretty strange feeling.
Two Nights Well Spent
Curtin Springs ended up being exactly the sort of stop we enjoy.
Easy.
Relaxed.
Somewhere the kids could entertain themselves.
And somewhere we didn’t have to spend a fortune just to park the caravan for the night.
We came in expecting a convenient stop on the way to Uluru.
We left with the kids still talking about Peek-a-Boo.
Next Stop – Uluru
Then it was finally time.
We packed everything up, hitched the Great Escape back onto the Patrol and headed towards one of the places we’d been waiting to see since the lap began.
Uluru.
We’d seen thousands of photos of it.
Watched videos.
Read about it.
Seen it on maps as we planned our route across the country.
But none of us had stood there and seen it for ourselves.
— All 4 Good Wins
