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Teahouse, cabins and main residence on sale for first time in 18 years
March 8, 2023
By Peter Holmes
The Mountain Teahouse at the base of Mount Canobolas Gaanha-bula is up for sale as part of a larger property package that includes the Canobolas Mountain Cabins business and a main residence with more than 400 square metres of internal space.
Set on two hectares, 42 Mount Canobolas Road is ripe for its next phase.
Wife and husband team of Carol and Rob Thornton have owned the property for about 18 years.
The main house was built by Rob, a former painter turned minister. During the five-year construction period they lived in one of the log cabins already on the property.
Carol says it will be a mighty wrench when they finally have to leave.
“We will cry,” she said. “My husband built that house for me and we won’t live out our days here.”
Still, there is much to be grateful for.
Carol said she and Rob had thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with customers at the teahouse and guests at the cabins.
They’ve shared the land with echidnas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and myriad bird species, and Carol reckoned they’d only seen three snakes across the 18 years.
She put this down to the amount of activity on the site.
They ran the teahouse for six and a half years, for which Carol gave up her career as a school teacher of infants and primary aged children.
She had learned on the job during a few months of training with the lessees who were moving on.
“It was very successful, but after six and a half years we decided we wanted a life.”
Over the years they’ve had four tenants at the teahouse.
As with so many hospitality and accommodation operators, the Thorntons were pummelled during the worst of Covid.
At 77 (Rob) and 66 (Carol), it’s time to pass the baton on to the next generation.
The new owners will need “vision and determination”, said Carol.
“Someone who works hard and someone who enjoys people, and can see themselves putting their own stamp on the place. There is so much potential.”
The Thorntons hope to be able to buy a small plot of land on the edge of Orange. Joining them will be the family cat, chickens and two alpacas (Chorister and Mr Spats).
The view they’ll miss most is overlooking a dam on a neighbouring property.
The Thornton's land has two pole cabins, each with two bedrooms, and a log cabin that sleeps 13.
The property is for sale with Blowes Real Estate by expression of interest.
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