_edited.png)
Tambo - Queensland
Tambo is a lovely little town 862 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, known for its beautiful teddy bears and exciting chicken races.
It was settled in 1863 and is the oldest town in Western Queensland. Tambo has several cafes, two hotels, a supermarket, two art galleries, a butcher shop and a fuel station.
On our recent visit to Tambo, we started the day at Tambo Teddies, then wandered around the Town before exploring the Historic Precinct. From the Tambo Dam, we followed the Coolibah walk along the Barcoo River to the Qantas Crash Site and finished the night at Ben’s Chicken races.
Locals came up with the idea of Tambo Teddies in 1992 when the area was in the middle of a drought and wool prices had crashed. They thought making and selling gorgeous lambswool teddy bears would create employment for the locals and encourage tourists to stop in town.
These days, Tambo is the outback Teddy Capital of Australia, and these lovely, unique teddies take pride of place in homes all over the World.
We wander around Tambo and see some interesting sculptures and historical exhibits. We see Flo the Fire Engine, the Wild and Wooly Truck, and we meet Frank & Maggie at the Post Office.
The Visitor Centre is located in the heritage-listed Historic Courthouse, which was built in 1888 and is one of the oldest buildings in town.
The Tambo Heritage Precinct comprises the town’s original Post Office and Telegraph office. They now house some great interactive displays about the town’s past, including a Morse Code display and information about Qantas’s plane crash.
The Coolibah Walk starts at the Tambo Dam and wanders along the banks of the Barcoo River; you can then detour to see the Qantas crash site.
The first Qantas plane crash occurred on the 24th of March in 1927, when the mail plane was on its regular route between Charleville and Mt Isa. The pilot and two passengers perished in the crash, and a small memorial has been set up at the site.
The Royal Carrangarra Hotel is the oldest licensed hotel in Western Queensland, and every night at 5.00 pm from May to October, you can enjoy Ben’s Chicken Races.
The colourful chickens are auctioned off to the highest bidders. Then, they chase the remote-controlled car full of chicken snacks around the track several times until there is a winner. All money raised goes to local outback charities.
There is a courtesy Chicken Bus to and from the Stubby Bend Campground and the Caravan Park, so you can enjoy the race, dinner and a few drinks.
For more information:
Comments