 Late in 1839 Angus McMillan established a station further south near present-day Ensay, and also used Aboriginal guides on his explorations further south along the valley and into other parts of Gippsland soon thereafter.The early explorers of Australia noted that the routes along the river and valley were well used Aboriginal trails, although in places such as the section between Tambo Crossing and Bruthen, where the river is less accessible, the trails diverted through the mountains in a similar way to the current main road through this area.The lower reaches of the Tambo River around the estuary are popular for recreational boating, however the higher reaches are of limited use for this activity due to the terrain and the restricted river depth and width.