We all need a Savior
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
None of us can earn our way to God by being good enough. We all need mercy.
🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of the Hartley Valley & Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Blue Mountains Lavender skips 2026/27 visits, but Hartley's 1837 courthouse village, Hassans Walls and Megalong Valley tea rooms are close by.
6 places · updated October 17, 2026
🌱 What’s happening now
Updated October 17
🪻 In season now
✏️ Report outdated info
Little Hartley lies in the farmland of the Hartley Valley, about 150 km west of Sydney, under the western escarpment of the Blue Mountains and the cliffs of Mount York. Lithgow and its old industrial valleys are 15 minutes west, and the clifftop lookouts of Blackheath and Katoomba sit just over the ridge to the east. Note the road situation before you plan: the Great Western Highway has been closed at Victoria Pass since March 2026, so trips from the valley up to the mountain towns currently detour via the Darling Causeway and Bells Line of Road, which adds at least 25 minutes each way.
Blue Mountains Lavender, on Coxs River Road in Little Hartley, grows and distills lavender for oils, teas and body care. The farm usually opens to visitors in summer (December to February in the Southern Hemisphere), but it has said it will not open for public visits in the 2026/27 season, largely because of the highway closure; pre-arranged group visits may still be possible, and its products sell online, through local stockists and at The Rocks Markets in Sydney. The valley's historic village, lookouts and country stays still make it a good base.
The lavender farms
- Blue Mountains LavenderLavender farm · Little Hartley
summer (December-January)
Not open to the public for the summer 2026/27 season because of the Mount Victoria Pass highway closure; pre-arranged group visits by enquiry.
Best time to visit
Lavender at Blue Mountains Lavender flowers in summer (December to February), but the farm is closed to public visits for the 2026/27 season. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the recommended times for the Glow Worm Tunnel track, which is crowded on summer weekends and holidays; yellow pagoda daisies flower in spring and summer. The Farm Gate Market runs at the Megalong Valley Tea Rooms on Saturdays, 9am–1pm, from November to June, and the Blue Mountains Writers' Festival holds events at the LOT 101 farm there on 30 October 2026. Jenolan Caves is closed for road repairs, with a planned reopening in early 2027. Fire bans in summer can close national park areas at short notice.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Hartley Historic Site🏛️ Historic site · Hartley · about 2 mi, 5 min drive
A 19th-century village around the 1837 Hartley Courthouse, with a gallery, an antiques shop in the old garage and a café in the former post office. Walk 30 minutes return to Kew-Y-Ahn lookout or take the 1 km Rowsons River Walk boardwalk along the River Lett.
Site open daily; visitor centre Thursday–Sunday 10am–1pm and 1:30–4pm
- Hassans Walls Lookout🌉 Landmark · Lithgow · about 9 mi, 20 min drive
At about 1,100 m, the highest lookout in the region, with a boardwalk to a 180-degree view over the Hartley Valley toward Mount York, Mount Wilson and Mount Blaxland. Bracey Lookout, 2 km away in the same reserve, looks down on Lithgow.
free
- Eskbank House & Museum🏛️ Museum · Lithgow · about 10 mi, 20 min drive
An 1840s house and gallery holding Lithgow's social and industrial history collection, with changing exhibitions.
Wednesday–Sunday 10am–4pm
- Lake Lyell🏞️ Park · near Lithgow · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
A recreation lake known for trout and Australian bass fishing, with swimming, paddling, waterfront camping, barbecues and a kiosk.
Small entry fee
- Zig Zag Railway🏛️ Historic site · Clarence · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
Heritage locomotives haul trains over the Great Lithgow Zig Zag, a line dating from 1869, at Clarence on Chifley Road. Book tickets online to secure a seat.
Four rides daily, 7 days a week (2026)
- Glow Worm Tunnel walking track🥾 Trail · Wollemi National Park, north of Lithgow · about 35 mi, 75 min drive
A 6 km return, grade 3 walk through tree ferns and pagoda rock country to a 387 m railway tunnel from the early 1900s, lit by thousands of glow worms; allow 2–3 hours.
Best on weekdays in spring and autumn; may close after heavy rain
No fee listed
- Govetts Leap Lookout🌉 Landmark · Blackheath · about 40 mi, 60 min drive
An accessible lookout over the Grose Valley's sandstone cliffs, with Bridal Veil Falls dropping 180 m to the east; five walks start here. Normally 20 minutes away, it is about an hour while Victoria Pass is closed.
Always open, but can close for fire danger or bad weather
- Echo Point Lookout (Three Sisters)🌉 Landmark · Katoomba · about 47 mi, 70 min drive
The classic view of the Three Sisters, the Jamison Valley, Ruined Castle and Mount Solitary, with the Prince Henry Cliff Walk and Giant Stairway starting nearby.
Visitor centre daily 9am–4pm
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Megalong Valley Tea RoomsTea room · Megalong Valley
A tearoom in business since 1956 on a valley-floor farm, open seven days, 9am–3pm, known for its scones.
- Dryridge EstateWinery or vineyard (21+) · Megalong Valley
A Megalong Valley vineyard with booked cellar door tastings, cheese boards and a ploughman's lunch.
- Megalong Creek EstateWinery or vineyard (21+) · Megalong Valley
A family vineyard under the escarpment with weekend tastings of single-vineyard viognier, pinot and shiraz.
- Hartvale CottageInn or B&B · Little Hartley
A cottage for two in Little Hartley with a wood fire and views to the Mount York escarpment.
- Glenroy CottagesInn or B&B · Hartley
Self-contained cottages and campsites above the Coxs River, five minutes from Hartley village.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMHartley Historic Site · about 5 min drive
Blue Mountains Lavender is not open for visits in 2026/27, so start at the courthouse village: visitor centre, gallery and the Kew-Y-Ahn lookout walk; about an hour.
- 11:20 AMHassans Walls Lookout · about 20 min drive
Walk the boardwalk for the view back over the Hartley Valley; about 30 minutes.
- 1:10 PMMegalong Valley Tea Rooms · about 75 min drive
Drive via Lithgow, Bell, the Darling Causeway and Blackheath, then down into the valley for lunch; about an hour (open until 3pm).
- 2:20 PMDryridge Estate · about 5 min drive
On weekends, a booked cellar door table with a cheese board; about 45 minutes. Plan a designated driver.
- 3:35 PMGovetts Leap Lookout · about 25 min drive
See Bridal Veil Falls and the Grose Valley from the accessible lookout; about 30 minutes.
- 4:25 PMEcho Point Lookout (Three Sisters) · about 20 min drive
View the Three Sisters and walk a short stretch of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk; about 45 minutes.
- 6:45 PMHartvale Cottage · about 80 min drive
Return to the valley by the same detour for an overnight stay.
Tips
- The Great Western Highway has been closed at Victoria Pass since 8 March 2026; check current road status before you leave and allow at least 25 extra minutes each way between the Hartley Valley and the mountain towns.
- Jenolan Caves is closed for major road repairs, with a planned reopening in early 2027, so don't plan on it from Hartley.
- Dogs on a lead are allowed in Hartley village and on the walk to Kew-Y-Ahn lookout.
- National park lookouts and tracks can close during fire bans; check park alerts on hot, windy days.
- Parking at the Glow Worm Tunnel is limited on weekends and holidays, and the track beyond the lookout is not suitable for children.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Can I visit Blue Mountains Lavender in summer 2026/27?
No. The farm says it will not open for its usual public visits this season, mainly because of the Victoria Pass closure. Contact the farm about a pre-arranged group visit, or buy its products online or at The Rocks Markets in Sydney.
How do I get from Little Hartley to Blackheath while Victoria Pass is closed?
Use the detour via the Darling Causeway and Bells Line of Road, which adds at least 25 minutes. Allow about an hour to Govetts Leap.
Is Jenolan Caves open?
Not at present. It is closed for road repairs on Jenolan Caves Road, with a planned reopening in early 2027.
When is the Megalong Valley Tea Rooms open?
Seven days, 9am–3pm, and on most public holidays, with a Saturday farm gate market from November to June.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
Open the Passport🏡 Own a farm, café or inn here?
Add your listing for free so travelers find you, or become a Featured sponsor to sit at the top of this guide, on the Passport map and in the event calendars.
Add your listing Get featured
