My family and I are no strangers to the Blue Mountains. Our children love the wide-open spaces, the bush walks, the weekend markets and the general ‘laid back’ feeling of the area.
But, in all the years we’ve been travelling to the blue mountains, the most beautiful place we have ever stayed at is Wentworth Cottage (circa 1885); one of the oldest homes in the area. Beautifully renovated to make you feel like you are living in another era, it also manages to feature the essentials of the modern world, while still living up to its promise to transport you to another time and place.
This the first time Wentworth Cottage has been offered as a place to stay, since undergoing recent renovations.
The moment you open the door on the wrap-around veranda, you’re transported back to a time when life was simpler and people really took pride in making their homes warm, comfortable and filled with objects for visitors to admire.
The six-bedroom home is perfect for families, or for anyone who simply needs a beautiful place to stay – for me, as a writer, what could be better than a Victorian-era cottage to get the creative juices flowing?
Wentworth Cottage was built in 1885 after the original owner, Jeremiah Cronin, acquired the land a year earlier. A stonemason, Cronin’s work is evident in the beautiful stonework within and around the house. Interestingly, Cronin was also instrumental in assisting his friend Peter Mulheran create some of the spectacular cliff walks around Wentworth Falls. The cottage was used as a guest house from at least 1900, when Cronin applied for a publican’s licence.
These days, the kitchen is vintage style (including retro ‘flying ducks’ on the wall) yet it manages to cleverly incorporate modern accessories. An antique ornamental oven sits alongside a modern oven; a microwave and dishwasher tastefully blend into the vintage decorations. We loved the attention to detail – there’s a wonderful book collection in the library and a sitting room with a great mixture of antique and modern books. The six bedrooms are so stunning – you’ll have to flip a coin to see who gets to sleep in one of the two magnificent four-poster beds! One beautiful bedroom opens onto a private library/sitting area, so beautifully furnished, and with vintage prints framed on the walls.
The master bedroom looks onto the picturesque garden and features a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite with a washing machine and dryer. There’s another bedroom that looks out onto the front garden and fountain; it doubles as a sitting room and features two single beds, plus a treasure chest filled with vintage hats – perfect for kids playing dress-ups!
The real ‘wow-factor’ is the sitting area in the centre of the cottage with a glass ceiling. The room is so beautiful, with vintage lamps, a gramophone, smaller dining area off the kitchen plus an adjacent TV room with a piano/pianola/pump organ. There’s a huge selection of DVDs, board games, an Xbox game console and games and free Wifi. The front dining room, is fine dining at its best and, like the rest of the cottage, it’s filled with antiques and exquisite art work.
The cottage is located just a short walk from the waterfalls at the Falls Lookout and the popular Charles Darwin walk. It’s also close to the Wentworth Falls shops which include a fabulous second hand book store, several cafes and restaurants, antique shops, boutiques, gift and grocery stores. Yet, when you’re staying in a home as opulent and luxurious as Wentworth Cottage, it was difficult to drag ourselves away from the historic cottage. We’d happily lock ourselves away for the duration of the trip!
Things to do in the Blue Mountains with kids:
- Visit the Leura lolly shop. It has a huge range of American & British sweets!
- Photograph the legendary ‘three sisters.’
- Visit the antique market in Blackheath. We also loved the antique ‘museum’ at Hazelbrook.
- Indulge in lunch or high tea at the Hydro Majestic.
- Bush walk around Wentworth Falls and Govett’s Leap in Blackheath
- Afternoon tea at the Katoomba Gingerbread Café
- The museum near the Mount Victoria train station is wonderful for kids.
- The toy museum at Leura (worth the price of admission for the barbie doll display!)
- Pack a picnic basket and head to Leura Cascades.
- Visit the Scenic Railway/Skyway.
Find more informations about accomodation and activities on Blue Mountains website.
The Carousel would like to thank Libby-Jane Charleston for her article. She was a guest of http://www.bluemountainscottages.com.au/
