UPON reaching Tambo, get set for the slower rhythm of this small outback town. Begin your visit at the volunteer-run visitor information centre, housed in the old post office built in 1885, and receive all your information from knowledgeable locals.
To truly enjoy the sights around town, slow down to walking pace so you can take the heritage walk. Tambo is proud of being the oldest town in the Central West and has kept its history alive with the heritage precinct neatly and lovingly restored.
Among the buildings on the walk, you can visit the old Post and Telegraph building ... built in 1876 and still going strong. It now houses a museum centre that is run by the information centre volunteers.
Tambo FoodWorks
Matilda Highway, Tambo Qld 4478
Phone (07) 4654 6288 Fax (07) 4654 6119
Groceries, fruit and vegetables, newsagency lines, souvenirs, gifts
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The library is housed in the Old Court House and still has the judge’s bench and the prisoner dock intact. Mail a postcard from the “new” post office which was built in 1904 and has been restored to reflect its original look.
If the sights of nature are more your style, take the self-guided Coolibah Walk along the banks of the Barcoo River. In the early mornings, you will often come across a kangaroo or an echidna heading home after a night of foraging. Birdlife includes masked lapwing, double-barred finch, yellow-throated miner, butcherbird and black-faced cuckoo shrike.
Included in this tour is a visit to the site of the 1927 QANTAS crash, which had three fatalities.
Tambo Lake was once the town’s water supply, it is now a recreational area and a great place to relax and enjoy a picnic. There are free barbecue facilities, an abundance of gardens to explore and a wide variety of birdlife. Look for the hoary-headed grebe, dusky moorhen, white-faced heron, black swan, maned duck, grey teal, great egret, darter and Australasian grebe.
For those who are more adventurous, head out to Salvator Rosa section of the Carnarvon National Park. A 4WD vehicle is necessary within the park. Springfed Nogao River and Louisa Creek wind their way through a picturesque broad valley beneath craggy sandstone outcrops. The crystal clear springs are a special feature of the landscape, and Louisa Creek is the setting for a peaceful campsite.
At the western edge of central Queensland’s sandstone belt, Salvator Rosa contains deeply eroded and spectacular rock formations such as Spyglass Peak and the Sentinel, which dominate the skyline. It is an incomparable experience to watch the sun rise over the park’s bluffs and spires. Listen to the chorus of a wide variety of birds. You might see pheasants, sacred kingfishers, plum-headed finches plus a variety of kangaroos. The best time to visit is between April and September as the summers can be extremely hot. This park has few facilities, so take plenty of food and ensure you have enough fuel and water.
Tambo Mill Motel and Caravan Park
Arthur Street, Tambo Queensland 4478
Phone (07) 4621 7000 Fax (07) 4654 6497
Spacious family units, queen beds, pool, undercover parking, BYO restaurant, tour bookings
Email: tambomil@bigpond.net.au
Website: www.seethrough.com.au/aaat/tours/Online/A49070
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Back in Tambo again, book into your accommodation at the Tambo Mill Motel and Van Park. Bob and Muriel Patterson’s motel has recently joined the Golden Chain Group so there’s a toll free number for reservations and you can even get life membership in the group’s Gold Link Travel Club, giving you a discount on any future accommodation charges. A loyalty program offers the chance to win a fortnight’s accommodation - with considerable spending money thrown in – for people who have stayed five nights in Golden Chain accommodation.
The motel itself has spacious air-conditioned units, wireless internet, restaurant, pool and an extra that people really appreciate, filtered water. In the central west where the artesian water has a strong smell, it’s a boon to have odour-free drinking water!
Wander over to the windmill after which the motel is named. The mill honours Jack Willshire, who worked on the windmills in the district for 40 years and was beloved in the district for his sportsmanship, sincerity and passion for the bush and the town.
Make a booking for a Tambo Tour. The tours leave from the motel and offer the chance to see gorges, cliffs and learn about the local rural industries first hand on a working cattle station.
Get to know the people who live here. Take advantage of a program which is known as Meet, Greet and Compete with a Local! Have a game of bowls. Regular games are played on Saturday afternoons from 4.00pm. For further information, contact Lesley on (07) 4654 6426. Is a game of golf more your style? Golf is played Wednesday afternoons and most Sundays. More information can be obtained from Bill on (07) 4654 6106. Even if you don’t have your clubs or bowls with you, there’s no excuse! Equipment is available for borrowing. This is a superb way to get to know the townspeople. Or for a really laidback time, have a cappuccino or something stronger at one of the hotels, or relax over a meal or snack on the verandah of the cafe.
If you’re towing a van, book in to the Tambo Caravan Park, where Bill and Daphne Cartwright will make you welcome. For supplies, you can’t go past the Tambo FoodWorks which has supermarket lines, newsagency items and even souvenirs and tourist information.
