Hartley Vale

One of the prettiest districts near the Blue Mountains is Hartley. "Hartley Vale" (as such) is a narrow offshoot to the main "Hartley Valley". A particularly attractive route from Mt Victoria is the Darling Causeway and then Hartley Vale Road which winds its way down past steep cliffs and thick forests of mountain ash to where this picture was taken - just as one encounters open farmland.

Not far from here, the original Cox's Road descended from Mt York ridge, once the main route west to Bathurst. There are a number of mid nineteenth century buildings near here - old taverns and highway stations. About the most historic is Collits Inn (dating from 1823) which operates today as a B&B, restaurant and event venue.