WILDERNESS CALLING

Linking Tambo to Springsure through rugged sandstone ranges, remote bushland and rich pastoral country, the Wilderness Way is a scenic self-drive adventure that mixes history, geology and outback charm.

- WORDS AND PHOTOS KEV SMITH

Tambo in central Queensland is one of those towns many travellers breeze through without a second thought.

Tambo is the oldest town in Central Western Queensland, settled in 1863 as an important stopover for drovers seeking new pastoral country. Before explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell passed through in 1846, following local river systems, the Dharawala people roamed the area.

Originally called Carrangarra, the town's name was changed to Tambo in 1868.

The pub – still bearing the original name – was first built in 1865, has burned down three times, and once served as the post office.

For the next 50 years, Tambo thrived as a service hub for the surrounding region. Today, it still has a strong pastoral industry alongside a growing tourism trade.

Tambo sits on the Barcoo River, 860km northwest of Brisbane in central Queensland, and it's well worth a few hours to explore. You can wander its historic buildings, stroll the Coolibah Walk, check out the transport museum or drop into Tambo Teddies.

The Tambo Visitor Information Centre has a brochure outlining 17 heritage sites, each with its own story.

On the edge of town, the dam - built in 1880 as Tambo's water supply until bores tapped the Great Artesian Basin in 1895 now teems with native birds, fish and insects.