If there’s one thing most of us know Tamworth for, it’s the infamous 10-day-long musical extravaganza that is the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival. With visions of cowboy hats and acoustic guitars swirling around in your mind, you’d almost expect all the locals in Tamworth (aka Australia’s country music capital) to go by names like Tex, Buddy, Smoky, Shazza and Slim.
But when I was in Tamworth just two weeks prior to what locals refer to as “The Festival”, which goes on to consume the town in all its glory, I failed to find anyone called Slim, and I don’t think I saw any cowboys hats (well, maybe a couple, but they were hanging on stands in shops waiting to be purchased by tourists).
While the festival is a big deal for the Tamworth region (its population of 55,000 more than doubles for its duration), there are a further 50 weeks of the year to get through once it’s over. So what then?
Well, believe it or not, Tamworth does not resemble a ghost town the times either side of the festival. It’s quite the opposite.
Located about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, Tamworth is an easily-accessible city with more than 3000 accommodation beds, 30 restaurants, and camping facilities for more than 200 vehicles. The CBD is only a short 10-kilometre drive from Tamworth Airport, and most of the city’s conference facilities are within reach of the town centre’s main road, Peel Street.
You would be stretching the truth if you described Tamworth’s conference and event industry as bursting at the seams, but there’s no reason why this shouldn’t be the case. The city has the facilities to host a range of meetings and functions, from a modest 12 pax get-together to a 5000 pax concert.
Both its location and history gives Tamworth the edge on theming – it’s tailor-made for any country-style concepts. Many of its venues and attractions build on the country theme very successfully, in particular some of the city’s restaurants and pubs.
For starters, the Longyard Hotel with its log fire, barrel-style tables, vine-covered verandahs and long, wooden benches, is a great spot to enjoy a drink or a hearty meal. It has several function rooms, including the garden area where up to 200 can be seated.
Another country-themed dining venue is Smokey’s Bar and Grill, situated on the top floor of Wests’ Diggers in the CBD. Incorporating a bit of country and a bit of music, the restaurant is set next-door to Diggers’ newly-renovated conference facilities which can cater for up to 200 banquet-style.
And how’s this for country? The must-visit sSs BBQ Barn offers a great off-site dining experience as a restaurant and bar which has its own buffalo and cattle farm, plus its own vineyard and boutique micro brewery. The mouth-watering meals come in walloping servings, and you’re encouraged to throw the remains of your complimentary popcorn and peanuts all over the floor. And if you can personally eat and finish a meal consisting of an entree and a monster beef shank and dessert, sSs will give you your dessert free and recognise your achievement on the Big Shank honour roll… an incentive in itself!
Then there’s Oakhampton Homestead and Farmstay. Located 45 kilometres north of Tamworth in Manilla, this true country farm experience comes complete with an assortment of farm animals, a huge dam (great for water activities), big open spaces, a woolshed fit for a bush dance or banquet, and various styles of accommodation, including 44 beds in the original shearing quarters of the property and four bed and breakfast ensuites in the main homestead.
However, if country-themeing is not on your agenda, then don’t worry, Tamworth has plenty of other venues flexible enough to take on themes using concepts incorporating local produce, gold mining, the great outdoors, music and entertainment.
The biggest indoor venue in town is the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre (TREC). It’s a purpose-built centre with a clear floor space of 4800 square metres and a seating capacity of up to 5000 cocktail-style in the main auditorium. In addition to on-site parking for around 1000 cars, TREC also features a large foyer area and separate backstage which includes a green room and four dressing rooms.
While smaller in size, Wests holds its own as a leagues club with three flexible meeting rooms. The largest space can cater for up to 400 banquet-style, and the football oval adjacent to the venue can be utilised for large outdoor events.
Or there’s the newly-refurbished Tamworth Towers, a four-star hotel with three meeting rooms, including the Oxley room which holds 180 cocktail-style. It also features 108 guest rooms, swimming pool, and Venetian’s restaurant which can cater for 70 people.
If you’d really like to impress conference delegates, The Retreat at Froog-Moore Park is a real treat. It has a conference room which seats up to 26 delegates, a fully-decked out kitchen purpose-built for cooking demonstrations and classes for groups, a marine-themed hot tub, wine cellar, miles of outdoor decking, and 1.5 acres of garden. The retreat also has five themed guest rooms designed by the owners themselves, including the Moroccan Fantasy room and The Dungeon.
Or you could hold a cocktail function with a difference in the Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum, next-door to the recently-refurbished Quality Hotel Powerhouse. Guests can enjoy a drink and a stroll around the venue, admiring the amazing bikes on display.
One of the biggest selling points of Tamworth is its accessability. QantasLink operates regular services to the destination from Sydney in two-abreast-seater aircrafts of up to 72 people, and the flight takes less than one hour.
Top
|