Black Diamond Motel

For such a low price, this is a charming motel with really nice staff. There’s food within about a 100m walk, and you can see the family who run it put a lot of work into the place.

The motel restaurant is the best in town, which makes this a handy one-stop option on busy work or travel days. The rooms are spacious, clean, and the nicest I’ve seen in Blackwater. Parking feels oddly tight, especially with so many large utes around, and the train can be noisy depending on where your room is. In my room, the fake bird calls from the neighbouring McDonald's were also quite audible all night. That was a little annoying, though it’s not the motel’s fault.

There’s no food service or room service here, but McDonald's, Coolabah Cafe, and Red Rooster are all within a 100m walk.

The bed was comfortable and the sheets were clean, but the room itself didn’t feel clean. Dust covered the window sills and pretty much everything else, and there was dirt all through the shower.