
When thinking of boutique accomodation, not many would consider Amby as a standout tourist destination, but one couple have decided to put the sleepy south west town on the map.
Ellen Weare and Chris Hammond have recently opened the doors of their new accomodation, the Principal's House; a self-contained three bedroom house, which sleeps up to six people.
As the name suggests, the couple have renovated the 87 year-old building next to the Amby State School, where the principal and his family lived before the school closed in 1997.
Situated between Roma and Mitchell, Amby is a convenient place to stop for travellers heading west or those wanting to see local attractions around the Maranoa region, such as the iconic Muckadilla Pub or the Great Artesian Spa at Mitchell.
Ms Weare said she was drawn to the original beauty of the building and was excited to share that with future guests, as well as the peaceful, country atmosphere of the town.
"It's a beautiful house and we just wanted to share it with everybody rather than just let it sit here empty," she said.
"We just thought it'd be nice to share a little bit of Amby with everybody else because we love living out here ourselves.
"I know Amby seems like a bit of an obscure place to try to encourage people to visit but it's just so peaceful and quiet, and you can actually just switch off and forget about the rest of the world for a little while."
One of the most unique aspects of the Principal's House is the individual touches that Ms Weare includes for each guest during their stay, such as food hampers with locally made products, handmade soaps, and art supplies if guests are looking for a relaxing activity.
Breakfast hampers are provided for travellers who need to stop for a rest, as well as cake baking hampers for those looking for some afternoon tea in the comfort of their own accomodation.
"I've purchased a lot of handmade items from lots of people I know because I wanted to feature handmade and local things in the house. So the paintings on the walls, the tablecloth, the lamps, they're all handmade," Ms Weare said.
"I've got jams that are made out in Hughenden and honey from some producers out in Mitchell.
"There's so many talented people in these small towns and I've just tried to support all of them, which then in turn makes this a unique little place for people to stay, and I think it's just a nice little touch.
"I want people to look in every cupboard and find the little treasures that are hidden everywhere, so I just tried to come up with quirky and homely ideas for people to enjoy while they're here."
After opening on the 18th of March the Principal's House has already seen five groups of guests and the response from visitors has been nothing but positive, with travellers already booking stays up to October.
"There's been wonderful support from the locals as well," Ms Weare said.
"They're very proud that we've tried to do something here. A lot of people sort of gave up on Amby for a bit there because there's nothing out here, but that's what makes it so peaceful.
"You can sit and watch the sunset out to the horizon and just listen to the cockatoos every afternoon."
After a 20 year career in banking, Ms Weare said she had never done anything like this before, but despite the challenges, was delighted and proud of their finished product.
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