Attractions in Country Tiaro

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Tiaro is a small country town on the Bruce Highway, approximately 30 kilometres south of Maryborough , Queensland. The name "Tiaro" is believed to have aboriginal origins translated as a withered or dead tree. The name is phonetically pronounced as Tie-row, although many other pronunciations are given.

The town's existence began in 1842 when a John Eales established a 20,000 sheep station and although this was not a successful venture, the settlement of Tiaro remained and was surveyed in 1864. It was not until 1867 that Tiaro became recognised as a stop-over on the two-day trip from Gympie to Maryborough with the transporting of gold from the mines in Gympie to the Maryborough Police Station.



The township and surrounding areas are recognised today as a rural area with industries such as sugar cane, dairy and beef cattle, orchards, vineyards and small crops. Mayne Street, which the Bruce Highway goes through, is a bustling area especially on weekends when tourists, grey-nomads and travellers pass through heading north or south.



Through this constant traffic, Tiaro has come alive with curio shops, eateries, a butcher shop that has a great reputation, a craft cottage, a motel and the Royal Hotel, which serves ice-cold beverages and hearty meals. For other lighter meals, you can drop into the Bush & Bay Café offering burgers, sandwiches, coffee, seafood, hot chips, breakfast etc. There are tables and chairs at the side of the café if you wish to stop and eat your meal before continuing your journey.



The Tiaro Craft Cottage is run by volunteers and sells homemade local craft items including cakes and sweets. Several books are for sale on the ancestors and history of the local area including Maryborough, which is an asset for anyone doing a family tree. You can also pick up local advertising brochures of interesting places to visit on the Fraser Coast. No photographs are allowed inside the Craft Cottage as each crafter has his or her own unique items for sale. If you are looking for something or have purchased there before and would like another craft item, you can ring the centre on 07 4129 2626.



The Hippy Garage is located on the higher side of Mayne Street and is a business with many interesting purchases. Selling clothing, gifts, baskets, garden ornaments, comic figurines, homewares and now coffees and teas, this is a stop for every passer-by. There is a lot of stock in this older-style wooden building, so a quick stop is just not possible and if like me, you will probably want to buy lots and lots of quality items. After talking to the owner, I will have plenty of chances to pop into the shop of my way north as the business is prospering well with customer patronage.



The Hippy Garage is open daily from 8.00am to 4.00pm and you cannot miss it with colourful clothes and cotton spreads displayed vibrantly in the front yard. For more information, the Hippy Garage can be contacted on 0412 130 666.



Opening for only six months of each year is the Tiaro Christmas Cottage. This cottage is another historic country house, which has been converted into an amazing, beautiful and classy shop full to the brim of Christmas gifts, ornaments and trees. The owners reside in Hervey Bay but had the vision of opening a Christmas Wonderland right on the road that each traveller uses.



What a great idea as the most recent time I travelled that way, I noticed people are heading to the Cottage or coming out with festive purchases in their hands. Off-street parking right next door makes walking back to the car with your purchases an easy exercise. The Tiaro Christmas Cottage closes on 23rd December each year and re-opens with bright new stock in June of the following year. For more information, you can call 07 4129 9834.



Another favourite stop in Tiaro is Retro Espresso Coffee . Noted for its unique recycled oil drum furniture of tables and chairs for patrons use located under the awning of the 1880s former Bootmakers Shop, along with the alluring aroma of the Retro Espresso #96 Blend flowing out through the door, this is a well-patronised stop in Tiaro on any given day.



Retro Espresso Coffee is open seven days a week from 5.30am through to 5.00pm, so starting the day without coffee is never an option here. There is also a small range of continental treats to nibble en route. Keeping with the "retro" theme, a range of Fashion Jewellery to Metal Yesteryear Signs and groovy Dreamfarm Kitchen Accessories are available for purchase. Why not ring ahead to 07 4193 9304 for your coffee order when on the road?

On the corner of Mayne and Grenfell Streets, you will find the Grenfell Street Eco Organic Garden Nursery selling a good range of fruit trees both dwarf and standard, palms, exotic rainforest and Australian native plants and some garden statues. If you are looking for a specific plant, orders can be taken if is not stocked at the time of your visit. For more information, please call 07 4193 9160. The nursery is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm. On the day I visited, it was lovely to see a large blue-tongued lizard had a home there too.



On your next trip north or south, take the time to stop in Tiaro, walk around the streets to learn a little history of the town or grab a bite to eat and/or coffee to drink. Community tables and chairs are located for your use in the playground area behind the Tiaro Craft Cottage. Public toilets are also located in the playground area. Tiaro is part of the Fraser Coast Council , which encompasses Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Woocoo.

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