The Old Avoca Homestead, built in 1909, has been recently restored. Access is via Craigieburn Road, which becomes McFarland Road at the last railway crossing by the Avoca Railway Station. The road crosses the railway line or runs alongside it at several places, extreme care is needed as many coal trains use this rail. Just before reaching Broken River, the road becomes a rough 4WD track. Avoca Homestead is finally reached by crossing Broken River.
Avoca Station was one of the most inaccessible stations in the Waimakariri Basin. The original run lay north of Broken River and was enlarged in 1904 by adding a block on the south bank taken from the Mt Torlesse run. In 1917, Avoca was incorporated into Flock Hill. The old Avoca was taken up by Charles Harper, son of the Bishop of Christchurch. He shore sheep on the property and brother George packed the wool out on bullocks, three sacks each, then sledged it over Porters Pass.
The former Avoca Station has since become part of the Conservation Estate. The homestead has a history of 10 owners in 150 years while managed as a sheep farm, likely due to its low profitability thanks to its remoteness. A significant portion history relates to the lease ownership of Jack Kidd between 1926 and 1948, who apparently stood out because he didn’t appear to try to make a profit so much as relax and drink too much and enjoy his surroundings, allegedly while his wife did disproportionate amounts of manual labour. Some cracking stories abount of Mrs Kidd lugging a wheelbarrow accross Broken River and a then couple of kms up the track to Avoca Station to collect the grocieries and supplies dropped off by train, while Mr Kidd lazed about.
These days Avoca is a wonderful spot for relaxing, camping, tramping, 4WDing hunting, fishing and of course Geocaching!