Dating from the 1860s, with modern additions, this charming cottage sits on a very fertile one-third acre between paddocks to the south and Mt Noorat to the north.

The original cottage has three to four bedrooms and a comfortable sleepout with its own loo. Neat and tidy indoor bathroom has shower and loo. Separate laundry; septic tank, town water and bottled gas.

A modern extension includes the large, light and airy lounge-dining room with a cove ceiling and a north-facing deck reached through French doors. Partially tiled and carpeted. The modern galley kitchen is neat and well-finished.

Two of the four bedrooms have been panelled and recently painted. However, a keen handyman will find the original kauri pine-lined walls and cove ceilings behind, awaiting a loving restoration.

One bedroom has been fitted with double wardrobes and single cupboards with adaptable shelving and hanging rails, to provide a dressing room and linen storage area. The fittings are modular so could be moved to other rooms to provide a third bedroom in the original cottage.

The fully-fenced garden is heavenly – crammed with fruit trees, old-fashioned plants, plenty of trees, the remains of a vegetable garden and chook sheds, plus a generous, grassed dog yard with large kennel. There are also lemon, peach and plum trees and 500 gallon rainwater tank.

The rest of the very productive and substantially organic garden boasts a further 10 varieties of apples (including an antique Cox’s Orange Pippin), lemons, orange and cumquat, further plums, pear and cherry trees, and an ancient mulberry. There’s also a fabulous raspberry patch yielding two delicious crops each year.

The owner has invested time and effort in developing the garden and had planned to relocate the garage and potting shed, but has – regretfully – to sell and leave due to professional commitments. Nevertheless, this is a very neat and welcoming home that a new owner could move into immediately and enjoy.

Noorat sits just north of the Prince’s Highway, halfway between Warrnambool and Colac, in the heart of dairy country. The village boasts two schools – primary and early secondary – a store, post office, pub, shooting range and excellent sporting facilities. Just 2km away is the Glenormiston College, with SW TAFE and a new Leadership College campus, and Deakin University Warrnambool is approx 40 mins by car.

Six kms south and on the Prince’s Highway, Terang provides all local shopping, medical, religious, library and further educational, social and leisure facilities, as well as a railway station with regular trains to Melbourne and Warrnambool plus local bus services. Other nearby towns include Mortlake and Camperdown.

Noorat is approx 25 minutes from Port Campbell and the glorious beaches of the SW coast, whale country and the ‘shipwreck’ trail, and at the heart of the World Heritage-listed Ecopark, taking in the dramatic ‘Lakes & Craters’ area.