Avoca Cottage has been restored to show many original features and is now available for weekend breaks and mountain holidays. The house continues to be particularly family friendly. Its four bedrooms accommodate large or extended families with up to seven adults and additional beds/cot for kids.

A special feature is full gas central heating to keep the house warm throughout — and it can get cold in the mountains. But there’s also an open fireplace to get the right mood when the high-country mists roll in.

All modern facilities are included as listed below.

Local attractions include secluded bush walks in several directions that cover the cliff tops and passes downwards into the Kanimbla Valley. There is also Govetts Leap which is a wilderness lookout and base for bush walking that is world class.

The house garden features a variety of Rhododendrons and Azaleas, bulbs, Waratahs and fruit trees. It is spectacular throughout spring, pleasantly shaded in summer and a delight in autumn. Outdoor furniture is provided and an outdoor power point so sumptuous meals can be taken in the garden.

History

In the 1880s, Timothy 'Tin' Porter selected a section of land south of the railway line in Blackheath and built Avoca with his family in 1885-86. They moved from Petersham in Sydney to become the first settlers in the south of the town. They named the area 'Paradise'.

The house was built on a site sheltered from the westerly winds and todays visitors still benefit from his wisdom for when the bitter winds blow in the rest of the town, Avoca's large garden is the place to sit and enjoy the sight of the gales bending the tops of the trees.

Tim Porter's main claim to fame is his explorations and subsequent construction of a path from Blackheath down into the Kanimbla Valley now celebrated by the Porter's Pass walk which is as spectacular and beautiful as any in the Blue Mountains.

The story of the Porter Family and how they came to name the area 'Paradise' is detailed in framed extracts from the book "Historic Blackheath" in the dining room at Avoca.