Longreach Motor Inn

We looked at all the accommodation options and decided on the Longreach Motor Inn, right across the road from the station and one block back from the main street. Original plan was staying Friday-Monday, 4 nights, so we wanted a pool.

The temperatures get very hot in the outback in Summer, so a pool was a big draw card. The staff were great to talk to, and with all the changes constantly happening, we did need to call a lot of times. Each time we needed to contact them we spoke to a different staff member and all had conflicting information. The room has a coffee maker, we were even told the type so we could buy coffee pods to take, the next person said it didn't. Web site says it did. Who knows? Then there was the booking, different each time we contacted them - 3 adults; 2 adults one child; 1 adult; 3 adults. We had to ring a number of times to get the booking corrected, and in the end we left it and thought we would sort it out when we get there. One person we spoke to said there was no coffee pod machines in any rooms and the room we had booked only sleeps two - website says 3, booked for 3, photos on Tripadvisor show 3 - so he booked us into an open planned family room at the same price as the executive queen, yet when the paperwork arrived it still said executive queen, for 2 adults and one child. We will see. 

Many passengers from the train were also staying at the hotel, and as the train arrived 50 mins early, reception was still open. All very well organised. We ended up in a ground floor unit - Executive Queen Room, with a coffee pod machine, kettle, toaster and microwave. A comfortable queen bed and a single bed.

There was even a comfy lounge chair to sit in to watch tv. It would have been good if there were powerpoints beside the bed to power our phones and devices. The room was clean and perfect for us.

The only negative was the two beetles and the rather large cockroach that came to visit. Beetles we understand as there is a garden area outside, but the big cockroach gave us a fright - all are dead now! There is a big gap under one of the doors.

We had breakfast the first morning at Harry's Restaurant. Named after bushranger Harry Redford, also known as Captain Starlight. I was surprised that there was no reference to Harry Redford at the restaurant - the only mention of the link was on there webpage. Harry Redford was born in 1842 in Mudgee N.S.W., the son of an Irish convict. In 1869 he set up business as a carrier of goods from Tambo to Bowen Downs, over 200kms in distance. With over 60,000 head of cattle spread over a large property Harry thought a few cattle going missing would not be missed. Harry and his partners stole a white bull worth more than 500 pounds and this led to his famous trial in February 1873 in Roma - where he was found not guilty. Harry was immortalised in the classic 'Robbery Under Arms' which is where the name Captain Starlight came from.

The staff were friendly and the food was was really good, even though my eggs benedict poached eggs were overdone, and the muffins were burnt.

Peter had fried eggs

and Jon had waffles.

There is also a cocktail bar, that we were going to go back to in the afternoon, but we went for a swim instead.

Reasonable prices to for breakfast, but dinner menu - which looked good - was way too expensive.

After a leisurely walk around town, we spent some time in the pool and we all got very sunburnt. This photo was taken 7pm at night, with the sun going down. Most of the day the pool is in full sun and there is no shade. The water was warm but refreshing from the heat.

 We enjoyed our short stay at this hotel. Expensive at $170 plus $15 for extra person a night, ($185) but that was the going rate for most hotels in Longreach, and there are many to choose from. Compared to our favourite motel in Brisbane City (@$110-$135) where rooms are smaller, or our favourite hotel on Fraser Island (@$135) where rooms are bigger, both of which sometimes include breakfast, we think it is expensive.