For the Bingara Fossickers Way Motel’s new owner, Annette Towers and her daughter, Tess, their move from Gravesend to Bingara is a logical one. “I had been looking around for a business, and really love Bingara,” Annette said. I have always enjoyed coming here with friends, having lunch in town and enjoying the river.”
Originally from the Sunshine Coast, Annette and her former husband had the Gravesend Hotel for eight years, before moving away to Hervey Bay. But Tessie missed the country and her friends, so she and Annette moved back to Gravesend, and for a time, Annette leased the hotel kitchen. She built a house in the village about four years ago, and has been working in Moree.
It wasn’t only Tess who missed the country. “Coastal people are very different from country people, I missed the country manner, at the coast, no one has time,” Annette said.
First on Annette’s to-do list is to re-open the kitchen and provide meals, in-house to start with, and eventually open a restaurant.
Her main priority is to provide good service to guests. If they need a packed lunch, early breakfast or late dinner, Annette is happy to oblige.
Also, high on the agenda is the rejuvenation of the garden to give the motel a welcoming appearance.
Nine of the 12 rooms at the Fossickers Way Motel have been renovated, with three rooms yet to be renovated.
Two rooms are pet-friendly, with tiles rather than carpeted floors. Annette said she would continue to offer pet friendly accommodation for travellers with pets.
Annette hopes that when her mother visits in the next few weeks, she will also fall in love with Bingara and stay and buy a house on a couple of acres near the town. Her brother will also visit at that time.
Tessie likes riding and owns a couple of horses. In the rare times when Annette is not working, she also enjoys riding, loves swimming, and of course, the river.
After almost 12 years in Bingara, Robyn and Matt McCabe are moving to the Grafton area where they own a property. Both intend getting part time jobs.
“First, we are taking a few weeks off,” Robyn said.
Robyn and Matt are leaving Bingara with mixed feelings. “It has been honour and privilege to get to know all the good people in town,” she said. “If anyone wants somewhere good to live, there is no place better than Bingara.” Robyn said the motel’s neighbours were ‘fantastic’.
Prior to buying the Fossickers Way Motel, Matt and Robyn’s introduction to the hospitality business through three years at Bonny Doon, Victoria. Matt said that after 15 years in the hospitality industry, it was time for a break, and a change of direction.
