“We want to be the first place people think of staying when coming to the Shepparton region,” Dale said.
“Not to be an afterthought, but a first-thought.”
The couple actually considered buying the motel seven years ago, before ultimately deciding to sell their home and travel Australia.
They ended up in Darwin for four years, but after Dale’s father took ill, they returned to Tatura.
By pure chance, Dale caught wind that the motel was back up for sale again.
“So I popped in and had a chat, and one thing led to another,” he said.
After taking over in March 2022 from Kaan and Linda Gungor, the Simpsons have poured blood, sweat and tears into refurbishing the place, bringing modern convenience and hospitality while maintaining the site’s retro appeal.
“We've done a lot in the last three months — a lot,” Dale said.
“The place was built in 1976, and a lot is still the same from 1976.”
Over the next 12 months the motel rooms will be renovated and refurbished.
“Re-carpeting, repainting, re-tiling and new beds will happen in the next financial year. All new TVs have already gone in,” Dale said.
The Simpsons have also opened up the old bistro, converting it into a common space where guests can relax outside of their rooms.
Dale said many local business and community groups had already used the new space, with quite a few Rotarians reminiscing on eating in the bistro back in the 1970s.
The new owners are also looking to build an outdoor area, including a gazebo that matches the theme of the motel, where guests can enjoy the warmer weather.
“Have a beer, the kids can run around on the grass and kick the footy,” Dale said.
He’s also planning to install a Coonara heater in the planned gazebo so the outdoor social area can be used during the colder months.
“So they can sit around the fire and start mingling with each other.”
The former motel owners, Kaan and Linda Gungor, are still business owners in the Tatura community, and are now the owners and operators of Tatura Cabin and Caravan Park.
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