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Top things to see and do around the Capertee Valley

Capertee Valley, pronounced kay-per-tee, is one of the best-kept secrets of New South Wales. Not only is it home to the second widest canyon in the world, exceeding the Grand Canyon, but it is an essential habitat for endangered birds, a cool climate for producing fine wines, and its impressive scenery has inspired Australia's finest poets.

Capertee Valley is less than 3 hours drive from Sydney, making it the perfect destination for a short escape.

>> If you want to explore the Capertee Valley on a stylish bike holiday, view the Capertee Valley in Comfort self-guided cycling tour.

Here are 5 amazing things to see and do around the Capertee Valley.

1. Gardens of Stone National Park

This national park is named after the beautiful stone pagodas that tower over the native eucalypt trees below. The Gardens of Stone National Park is one of eight national parks that form the UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.

Incredible aerial views of Capertee Valley in the Gardens of Stone National Park

The icon of the national park is Pantoneys Crown, which is an enormous isolated sandstone mesa. It rises 300 metres above its surroundings to 1020 metres. While it's possible to summit Pantoneys Crown on a long hike, in our opinion it/s best viewed from afar.

Cyclist viewing the impressive rock formations of the Capertee Valley | <i>Ross Baker</i>

2. Discover the fine wines of the Central West

The Central West region is emerging as one of Australia's most popular destinations to visit vineyards. Two of the prominent wineries in the area are the Naked Lady Vineyard and the De Beaurepaire Vineyard, both of which have award winning wines.

Cyclists leaving the Naked Lady Vineyard in Rylstone | <i>Ross Baker</i>

3. Spot the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater bird

Capertee Valley has been designated as an Important Bird Area and as such you'll (hopefully) spot endangered birds. The Regent Honeyeater is listed as critically endangered with an estimated population of just 400 birds remaining in the wild. The Capertee Valley is the most important breeding area in Australia for the Regent Honeyeater. The species breeds between July and January in ox-Ironbark and other temperate woodlands and riparian gallery forests.

4 Explore the poetic beauty of the Capertee Valley

Henry Lawson was one of Australia's finest poets and writers during the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest short story writer". He was based in the Central West of NSW and the local scenery inspired many of his works. You can visit the Henry Lawson Memorial just outside of Mudgee in Eurunderee.

He wrote about the 'wild beauty' of Capertee Valley in the poem, 'Song of the Old Bullock Driver'.

Then slowly we crawled by the trees that kept tally
Of miles that were passed on the long journey down.
We saw the wild beauty of Capertee Valley,
As slowly we rounded the base of the Crown.
But, ah! the poor bullocks were cruelly goaded
While climbing the hills from the flats and the vales;
'Twas here that the teams were so often unloaded
That all knew the meaning of ‘counting your bales.'

Read the full version of Henry Lawson's poem, 'Song of the Old Bullock Driver'.

5. Ride through historic villages

The relatively gentle terrain and quiet roads around the Capertee Valley allow for cycling trips that are achievable and accessible. During a day of cycling you can reach small towns that contain a glimpse into Australia's colonial past. Visit Glen Davis, a former shale mining town full of history.

cyclist leaving Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley | <i>Ross Baker</i>

Shale Oil mine now abandoned in Glen Davis | <i>Ross Baker</i>

Cyclist at abandoned shop in Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley | <i>Ross Baker</i>

Or pedal to Kandos, the traditional home of the Dabee tribe, of the Wiradjuri people. Kandos was established in the early 1900s around the production of cement, and it's said to be the foundation of Sydney's building boom. The best place to admire the heritage is in the Kandos Museum, which is located inside an old church.