A proper break —
for everyone.
Yellowbird's Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) gives NDIS participants a warm, supported place to stay — while giving carers the genuine rest they need and deserve. Two unique venues across NSW's Mid North Coast and Karuah Valley.
- Accommodation availability
- Green Acres Cabin in Stroud offers 1:1 support. Little Tern in Crescent Head offers 1:1, or 1:2 for guests who already know each other and choose to stay together. Dates and suitability are confirmed individually. Wellness in the Wild is coming soon, not currently bookable.
- Booking conditions
- Stays are 1–14 consecutive nights. Dates are flexible by agreement, usually Friday afternoon to Sunday; midweek dates can be requested. An enquiry or estimate does not confirm a booking.
- NDIS funding limits
- STA is generally limited to 28 days annually unless additional funding is evidenced. Funding depends on your plan and circumstances, not simply on a venue being available. We confirm support arrangements and costs before you book.
At a glance
Short Term Accommodation
Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) provides eligible NDIS participants with a warm, supported place to stay while away from home. STA can support accommodation, personal care, and help to take part in everyday activities and community life. Both of our venues — Little Tern and Green Acres — offer supported STA stays.
Up to 14 days at a time
Use your STA funding in one block, or spread it across the year — for example, a weekend each month.
Generally 28 days a year
Generally up to 28 days a year, unless additional NDIS funding is evidenced. Your plan and NDIS rules decide eligibility — we don't track an automatic entitlement.
What STA covers
Accommodation, personal care, and support to take part in the community — the everyday supports your informal carers usually provide.
STA isn't for holidays or the cost of activities themselves. For full details, including the new STA line items and amounts, see the updated STA guidelines on the NDIS website.
Two venues. Two very different experiences.
A beach house on the NSW coast or a cabin on a farm in the Karuah Valley — choose the setting that suits the person.
Little Tern Beach House — Crescent Head, NSW
Little Tern
A beautiful 1950s beach house on the NSW Mid North Coast
Little Tern — Crescent Head, NSW
Originally an iconic 1950s beach shack, Little Tern has been thoughtfully transformed into a comfortable, stylish respite house. Featuring beautiful hardwood polished floors and a warm vintage beach aesthetic — who says NDIS short term accommodation can't feel luxurious?
- Vintage 1950s beach character with modern comforts
- Queen bedroom with electric bed
- Beautiful hardwood polished floors
- Front entry has 10 stairs; rear entry has 2 steps (easier access, not step-free)
- Short walk to the beach at Crescent Head
- Nearby cafes, restaurants, and medical practice
- Surrounded by a warm, welcoming coastal community
- Delivered under NDIS Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) — from 1 July 2026
Support Ratios Available
1:1 Support ✓
One Yellowbird support worker for one participant — full dedicated attention.
1:2 Support ✓
Only for two guests who already know each other and want to stay together. Separate or shared room options.
Overnight staff stay onsite in the same home — sleepover, or active overnight with hourly or two-hourly checks by agreement.
Dates by agreement — usually Friday 2:00pm check-in, Sunday 2:00pm check-out · 1–14 nights, any weekday on request
No behaviours of concern. Participants must be ambulatory or low physical-needs.
Book Little Tern
Cabin entrance with screened deck access
Green Acres Cabin
A peaceful farm stay in the Karuah Valley, NSW Mid Coast
Green Acres Cabin — Stroud, NSW
Located on Green Acres farm in the Karuah Valley on the NSW Mid Coast, this studio cabin offers a genuine farm stay experience with a focus on building independence, capacity, and wellbeing. Surrounded by bush and rainforest walking trails, it's an immersive restorative retreat.
- Studio cabin on working farm — up to 2 guests (single beds)
- Bush and rainforest walking trails of varying difficulty
- Capacity building and independent living skills focus
- Immersive nature and farm stay experience
- Located in the Karuah Valley — peaceful and restorative
- Access to farm activities based on season and choice
- Delivered under NDIS Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) — from 1 July 2026
Support Ratios Available
1:1 Support ✓
One Yellowbird support worker for one participant — full dedicated attention.
1:2 Support ✗
Not available at this venue.
1:1 only. Overnight support stays separate to the cabin — sleepover, or active overnight with hourly or two-hourly checks by agreement. A Bluetooth carer alert sounds to overnight support when the guest asks for help; it is not a monitored medical device or a replacement for arranged supervision.
Dates by agreement — usually Friday 2:00pm check-in, Sunday 2:00pm check-out · 1–14 nights, any weekday on request
Not wheelchair accessible. Participants must be ambulatory. Focus on capacity building and independence.
Book Green Acres CabinWellness in the Wild
A new NDIS Supported Short Term Accommodation experience on beautiful Green Acres Farm, nestled along the Karuah River — designed to bring together connection, quiet, and country living.
Riverside Sites
Two elevated riverside camping sites, safely positioned above flood zones and surrounded by bushland tranquility. Accessed by vehicle — our farm Terios or we'll chauffeur you.
Seasonal — dry weather only
Dam-Side Retreat
Our most accessible option. Located in the front paddock on flat, open ground overlooking a newly redesigned dam. A pontoon is coming for gentle fishing; the dam will be stocked with silver perch once seasonal rains arrive.
Accessible year-round
Your Accommodation
A retro Millard caravan and campervan available from 2025, with a rustic cabin planned from late 2026 into 2027. Separate sleeping spaces for participant and support worker across all sites.
Participant + support worker spaces
Bush Amenities
- Composting toilet
- Outdoor shower
- Gas BBQ + fire pit
- Camp chairs supplied
- Life vests provided
Farm-to-Plate
- Seasonal produce grown onsite
- Grass-fed beef donated by Yellowbird
- Fresh farm eggs
- Bush-cooking staples via food bank partners
- No extra food charges
Available for Yellowbird-staff-supported stays only
Support Options
- Option 1 — Yellowbird staff supported: 1 support worker, up to 2 participants
- Option 2 — Bring your own support worker: Yellowbird's support, overnight and accommodation components quoted at 40%
- Separate sleeping spaces for participant and worker always provided
Comfort & Safety
- Mobile coverage available
- Emergency contact provided
- Farm Terios transport included
- Chauffeur to riverside sites
- Consent + waiver forms included
Availability
- Dates by agreement — usually Friday afternoon to Sunday
- Any weekday on request
- Riverside sites — seasonal, dry weather only
- Dam-side site — available more flexibly year-round
Register Your Interest
Be the first to book a Wellness in the Wild stay.
Wellness in the Wild is launching soon. Contact us now to register your interest, ask questions, or learn more about this unique NDIS STA experience.
Types of Stays
We cater for every situation
Planned Respite
Regular, scheduled breaks for carers and participants. Book in advance for your preferred dates at either venue.
Emergency / Crisis Placement
When you need somewhere safe quickly. Call us directly for emergency placement — we'll do our best to accommodate.
Call 0433 030 949Carer Wellbeing Break
Your loved one is fully supported by our team so you can genuinely rest, recharge, and take care of yourself.
Capacity Building Stay
Particularly at Green Acres, STA stays can be structured around building independent living skills and life experience.
What to Expect
Every accommodation stay, done right
Home-like Environments
Comfortable, characterful properties — not clinical facilities. Designed to feel welcoming.
Skilled Support Staff
Experienced, caring support workers on-site throughout your stay.
NDIS STA Funded
We accept NDIS Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) funding under your Core Supports budget.
Flexible Stays
1 to 14 nights per stay, dates by agreement — usually Friday afternoon to Sunday. Emergency placements — call us directly.
Personalised Plans
Every stay includes a personalised support plan built around your needs and preferences.
Two Unique Venues
Coast or country — Little Tern (Crescent Head) or Green Acres Cabin (Stroud, Karuah Valley).
Is STA related to your disability support needs?
The NDIS can only fund short term accommodation if it relates to your disability support needs. To decide this, both of the points below need to apply to you — plus at least one of the additional factors.
Both of these need to apply
Your everyday informal support arrangement
You live with, or get daily drop-in support from, your primary informal supports.
You get disability-related support from your primary informal supports for more than 6 hours a day, on a long-term basis.
High intensity supports
For example complex bowel care, enteral feeding and management, severe dysphagia management, tracheostomy management, urinary catheter management, ventilator management, subcutaneous injections or complex wound management.
Intensive or complex positive behaviour support
You need intensive or complex positive behaviour support as part of your plan.
Specialist behavioural intervention support
You need specialist behavioural intervention support.
Limited in-home supports nearby
You live in an area where alternate in-home supports aren't widely available and accessible.
Carer wellbeing or capacity at risk
Your primary informal supports' wellbeing and capacity to continue their caring role is at risk — for example if they're ageing or affected by illness themselves.
Additional caring responsibilities
Your primary informal supports have additional caring responsibilities — for example young children or other family members with disability support needs.
Does STA help you pursue your goals?
STA needs to support you to work towards your goals
Maintaining your living and support arrangements — which also gives you and your primary informal supports mutually rewarding time apart.
Continuing to access your usual work or community activities while you're staying in STA.
Being supported to try a new activity or meet new people, outside your usual informal support arrangements.
Not sure whether STA is right for your situation? We can help you work through these criteria and how they fit with your plan before you book.
The new STA pricing rules
The NDIA has uncoupled the old single 24-hour STA rate. Instead of one bundled daily price, your stay is now billed as separate line items across two parts — support and accommodation — so what you're charged reflects the support you actually receive.
Support
Billed by the support you actually use
Daytime support
Charged as time-of-day line items — the rate reflects when the support is delivered.
Overnight — your choice
Worker sleeps on-site, available if needed. Best for occasional overnight needs.
Worker stays awake for continuous support. For regular overnight assistance.
Accommodation
Two separate line items
Participant accommodation
The cost of your room and stay at the venue — billed as its own line item.
Support worker accommodation
When a worker stays overnight to support you, their accommodation is a separate, additional line item.
What Supported Short Term Accommodation may include
STA can be delivered a few different ways. Depending on your goals and situation, your funded stay may include:
Standard accommodation
A clean, comfortable place with basic amenities — a bed, a bathroom, and the accessibility features you need. For example a hotel, motel, short stay rental, cabin, cottage, hostel or respite accommodation. No extra inclusions.
Your own home or a homestay
Staying in your own home, or in a homestay where you stay in a private home and get support from the person who lives there. Here we fund the supports you need — not the accommodation. Homestay can't be funded if it's with friends or family, as those are informal supports.
Everyday activity supports
Support to do everyday activities — getting ready for the day, cooking, eating and drinking, cleaning and chores. These are the supports your primary informal supports would normally give you.
STA can help sustain your usual arrangement with your informal supports and work towards your goals — it's just one way you and your primary informal supports can have mutually rewarding time apart. Your plan can also include supports to build your independence, do things in the community, or try new things without using short term accommodation.
Where you can stay
A range of stationary accommodation settings
You can choose to use your STA funding across a range of stationary accommodation settings — pick what suits you:
Because STA is for stationary stays, you can't use it to go on a cruise or a tour.
What STA doesn't cover
Under the NDIS rules, STA funding pays for your accommodation and disability support — not the everyday costs everyone pays. These sit outside your STA funding:
Holidays & travel
STA isn't for holidays. Cruises, holiday packages, airfares, and interstate or overseas travel can't be funded.
Meals & groceries
You buy or bring your own food. Meals, groceries and meal kits are everyday living costs, not NDIS supports.
Activities
Tickets, entry fees and membership costs are yours to pay. We can still fund the support you need to take part.
Transport
Transport to your stay isn't included if you can travel independently. Separate transport funding may still apply.
Not sure how the new line items apply to your plan? We'll walk you through the daytime and overnight options and give you a clear estimate before you book.
Spend your funding in line with your plan
You can use STA at the support ratio that suits you (for example 1:1 or 1:2, where it's appropriate and available at your chosen venue) — that choice is yours. But the ratio and the level of support you book directly affect how quickly your funding is used. Choosing more support than you need means your funding is spent faster than expected.
Whatever ratio you pick, factor it into your overall budget so your funding lasts the full length of your plan. Not sure how a ratio plays out over the year? We'll help you map it against your budget before you book.
Meals are no longer part of STA funding
Under the NDIS rules, food and groceries are day-to-day living costs for all Australians — not NDIS supports. You need to buy or provide your own meals while you're staying in short term accommodation, and you can't use your NDIS funding for this.
What the rule means
- You buy or bring your own meals — the NDIS won't fund this.
- This includes restaurant meals, meal delivery, meal kits, and food or ingredients from a supermarket or similar.
- If your plan already funds help to prepare or eat food because of your disability support needs, you can still use that funding while in STA.
Sahil has funding in his plan for short term accommodation. He doesn't usually need help to prepare or eat meals. His STA provider offers him 3 meals a day for $35 per day — Sahil uses his own money to pay for this.
If he chooses not to buy those meals, he can bring his own prepared meals or cook in the accommodation's kitchen.
Wholesome meals, grown and shared
We've partnered with our food bank partners for staples and fresh produce that change from week to week. From these ingredients our team creates wholesome, home-cooked meals and snacks — enriched by grass-fed beef and organically grown produce from Yellowbird's Green Acres farm, all donated by Yellowbird.
It means the meals rule change doesn't have to mean extra worry or extra cost for the people who stay with us — at either of our venues.
Staying with us?
No extra cost
Meals are included at no additional cost — at both Little Tern and Green Acres.
Get hands-on if you'd like
At Green Acres you can join in and learn how to grow, maintain and harvest fresh produce, or help care for the cattle.
Activities aren't funded — but the support to join in is
You can't use your STA funding, or any NDIS funding, to pay for activities — for yourself, your support worker or your informal supports. Tickets, entry fees, equipment and membership fees are everyday living costs everyone is expected to pay. You can still use your NDIS funds for the support you need to take part.
What the rule means
- Costs for activities — tickets, entry fees, equipment, membership fees — are not NDIS supports.
- This applies to you, your support worker and your informal supports alike.
- You can still use your NDIS funds for the support you need to help you take part — just not to pay for the activity itself.
Some STA providers offer group activities — for example, a pottery workshop. If you'd like to take part, you pay for the workshop itself with your own money.
Your NDIS funding can still cover the support you need to join in and get the most out of it — it just can't pay the activity fee.
Plenty to do — and much of it is free
We keep the fun accessible. Many of our activities cost nothing at all, and where an activity does have a fee, we're always upfront about it.
Building a fire
Gather round, learn to lay and light a fire, and enjoy the warmth together.
Woodfire pizzas
Make your own woodfire pizzas from scratch and share them straight from the oven.
Pottery workshop
A hands-on pottery session, available at an additional cost paid from your own money.
Out on the farm — Green Acres
Free to join in
By the water — Little Tern
Free to join in
Activity fees (such as the pottery workshop) are paid from your own money, not your NDIS funding. Your NDIS funds can still cover the support you need to take part in any activity.
Transport to & from your STA
If you can ordinarily travel independently, getting to your stay is up to you — transport isn't part of your STA funding. But if you ordinarily cannot travel independently, separate transport funding can apply to help you travel to and from your STA.
If your plan already includes separate transport funding, you can keep using it to travel to and from your STA — and to and from any activities at your stay, where that isn't already included.
Transport is funded separately from your STA line items — so it never eats into your accommodation or support budget. Not sure what applies to you? We'll help you check before you book.
How Yellowbird can help
You can use your Core budget for the supports that help you travel to your stay. We can include core support pick-up and drop-off in addition to your STA hours, plus the kilometres travelled — so getting there is one less thing to organise.
When transport funding applies
Funded separately from STA
You ordinarily cannot travel independently — separate transport funding can apply for the trip to and from your stay.
You can travel independently — transport to your stay isn't funded and sits outside STA, like everyday travel costs.
Your plan already has separate transport funding — use it to travel to and from your stay, and to and from activities where that isn't already included.
You live in a remote area and travel a long distance to your stay — your Core budget can fund the supports to help you get there.
You live in a very remote area — the NDIS may include extra funding to help you get to your short term accommodation.
Yellowbird can arrange core support pick-up and drop-off in addition to your STA hours — funded from your Core budget, plus the kilometres travelled.
Understanding NDIS Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) Funding
Supported Short Term Accommodation (STA) is an NDIS funding category that may contribute to eligible supported stays away from home, subject to your plan and current NDIS requirements. It is designed for situations like planned respite, carer breaks, emergency placements, and capacity building stays.
STA funding sits within Core Supports budgets. If you're unsure whether your plan includes STA funding, reach out — we'll help you check.
Common questions
Short term accommodation FAQ
Who can use STA?
Does the NDIS cover the full cost of a stay?
How long can I stay?
Are the venues accessible?
Who provides support during the stay?
How do I book?
Can a carer or family member come too?
More about funding, referrals and service areas in our general FAQ.
Online Booking
Reserve your accommodation stay
Fill in the details below. After reviewing your request, our team will contact you to confirm availability. No payment required to enquire.
Need emergency respite?
For urgent respite needs, please call us directly. We'll do everything we can to help.
Call 0433 030 949