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Capertee Valley
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Northern end of Capertee Valley (Photo - Bruce Upton)
The Capertee Valley is the widest enclosed valley in the world
featuring glorious exposed cliff escarpments, a volcanic plug
and buttes rising from lush rolling grazing land.
Capertee Valley, this glorious
place is within the traditional country of the Wiradjuri
people
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Pantonys Crown
(Photo - Bruce Upton) |
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Location |
Capertee is on the
Castlereagh Highway -41 kms north of Lithgow; 29 kms south of
Ilford; 81km south of Mudgee
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Climate |
Humidity is low and
the nights are cool.
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Attractions |
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A bird watchers paradise and
home to the endangered Regent Honeyeater. The valley has
been internationally registered as an Important Bird Area (IBA)
- there are 236 bird species
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Many rare plant varieties
and fauna. |
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The valley features as part
of the Tablelands Way, an experience trail from Goulburn to
the Hunter Valley. |
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Spectacular
scenery |
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The
introduction to the valley is from Pearsons Lookout on
the Castlereagh Highway approximately 5 kms south of the
village of Capertee, it is well worth stopping for a few
minutes for spectacular views into the Capertee Valley.
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The sandstone
escarpments light up in the afternoon light and the
atmosphere in the valley is always changing with the
passage of sunlight, cloud, fog, and rain. The large
butte sitting to the right is Pantoney's Crown. It is now a
Nature Reserve in Gardens of Stone National Park and is
part of the Wollemi National Park Blue Mountains World
Heritage Wilderness.
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Mt Marsden
(photo - Bruce Upton)
"Jurassic Park" high up on Mt Airly
(photo - Bruce Upton) |
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The Dunns/Capertee Valley
Discovery Trail, part of the Greater Blue Mountains Drive,
connects the village of Capertee on the Castlereagh Highway
with the towns of Kandos, Rylstone (84 kms) and Mudgee via
this beautiful valley. (See
below for trail details) |
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The valley can also be
entered from the North from Kandos and Rylstone in the
Cudgegong Valley at Mt. Marsden which is a point of the
Great Divide. |
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Accommo-dation |
Accommodation is
varied in the valley ranging from
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Stack Ridge & Lansallos B&B
(Photo - Bruce Upton) |
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fuel & food |
Capertee -
Capertee Road House-
fuel and café,
Kandos and Rylstone
- fuel, food - pubs, cafés, clubs
Café food is also
available at Running Stream. and Glen Davis ( weekends only )
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Activities |
Just some of
the activities in the valley are
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Bushwalking,
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camping,
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mountain climbing,
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four wheel drive
tours, |
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helicopter flights
over the valley |
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bird watching,
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star gazing,
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photography and
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painting
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visit Simmo's Museum
(Glen Davis) |
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Some vistors just
want to put their feet up and watch the scenery in this
unique and yet to be discovered valley. |
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Genowlan Area
(Photo - Bruce Upton) |
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Events |
Capertee Challenge 2009 26 - 27 September
This is a mountain bike event
where you challenge yourself, the elements and the clock over
two circuits of 52 kilometres each.
The Capertee Challenge is run by the Paraplegic
Benefit Fund of Australia and the Capertee & District Progress
Assn.
Venue:
Mount Airly
Capertee Valley, NSW
Duration:
2 days
Distance:
102 km (63.3828 miles) |
The
Dunns/Capertee Valley Discovery Trail
(part of the
Greater Blue Mountains Drive)
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From Sydney,
turn off the Castlereagh Highway at Capertee village onto
the Dunns/Capertee Valley Discovery Trail which is part of
the Greater Blue Mountains Drive. |
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The road descends
into the Capertee Valley through rocky outcrops providing
panoramas of the cliffs and valley floor. |
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Here it skirts
the Gardens of Stone National park and Mt. Airly, a historic
shale oil mining area located at the base of spectacular
mountain escarpment and which operated in the early part of
the 20th century |
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Mt Airly area (Photo
- Bruce Upton) |
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The road turns
north towards Glen Alice at the intersection with the
Glen Davis Road, or you can penetrate even further into the
valley by going on into Glen Davis. |
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This now sleepy
village, named after the Davis Gelatine Company was
originally known as Green Gully. It was
developed as the site of a shale oil industry during WWII
which lasted 12 years before closing |
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.jpg)
Glen Davis
(Photo - Bruce Upton)
The
site of the refinery is on private land is only accessible by
guided tour starting at the gates at 2pm on a Sunday |
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Bakery - Airly
Village
(Photo - Bruce Upton)
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At the Coorongooba camping
and picnic area, the Capertee River, which drains the
valley, has cut a gorge from here through to the Colo River
that then joins the Hawkesbury River.
The rock walls towering
above the valley are spectacular, especially in late
afternoon light.
A walking guide to the town
and light food and drinks are available at Glen Davis
Community Hall. 3 km from Glen Davis is
Simmo's Museum
The walk to Newnes commences
at Glen Davis.
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(Photo
- Bruce Upton) |
The drive passes through
rolling pastoral and woodlands surrounded by the rugged escarpments
of the Capertee Valley and the Wollemi National Park
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Glen Davis
(Photo
- Bruce Upton) |
Glen
Davis (Photo - Bruce Upton) |
In the Northern end of the
valley, the Dunville Loop, leaves the Glen Alice Road and
returns to it via a 30 minute side trip that passes closer to
the escarpment walls and is particularly beautiful in late
afternoon light.
These Capertee businesses are partners in promoting the
Bylong Valley Way
Easy
Driving ..........on Your Inland Adventure Trail
From
the Bylong Valley Way to the
Golden Highway and on to the
New England Highway
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12/4/2009 -
30/6/2012 |
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