While Lithgow is the main centre for this part of the Central Tablelands, some of our region’s strongest character is found in the smaller towns and villages beyond it.
Each community, from the dramatic landscapes surrounding Capertee to the historic buildings of Hartley, offers a different way to experience the wider Lithgow region.
For us, Capertee is particularly significant. It forms an important part of the area we service and offers a lifestyle that feels distinctly different from living in Lithgow itself. Small in scale but surrounded by extraordinary country, this village is an ideal place to start exploring what lies beyond the city.
Capertee: small village, remarkable setting
Head north from Lithgow and the landscape begins to open into the vast country surrounding Capertee.
The village sits at the gateway to the Capertee Valley, where sandstone escarpments, farmland and bushland create one of the most striking settings in the region. It is an area known for its natural beauty, access to national parks and the sense of space that comes with living beyond the larger regional centres.
For residents, Capertee offers something quite different from a typical suburban lifestyle. Properties can range from homes within the village to larger rural and lifestyle holdings, while the surrounding countryside attracts people who value privacy, space and a closer connection with the landscape.
Activities popular with locals and visitors alike include bushwalking, birdwatching and exploring the surrounding national parks, with Gardens of Stone, Capertee and Turon national parks among the natural areas within reach.
The village itself may be small, but its location gives it a strong identity. For people who want country living while maintaining access to Lithgow and other regional centres, Capertee can offer a compelling balance.
Wallerawang: lake town
Closer to Lithgow, Wallerawang has a completely different character. Known locally as “Wang”, the town has long been connected with mining, transport and energy but Lake Wallace is now one of its most recognisable features.
The lake foreshore provides space for walking, fishing, picnics and family time. There are also camping areas, playground facilities and open spaces that make the lake a gathering point for both locals and visitors.
Wallerawang offers the convenience of a larger small town while still keeping the country feel that defines much of the region.
Portland: a town reinvented
Portland, about 20 minutes from Lithgow and previously noted for cement production, has reinvented itself over the last few years. From a strong industrial past, the town is embracing a more creative identity.
Now the former cement works have been repurposed as The Foundations, a precinct used for arts, markets, events and community activities.
Large-scale silo artworks have become a landmark while murals and historic advertising signs throughout the town reflect Portland’s working history.
This town is a good example of how a regional community can preserve its past while finding new ways to bring new residents into the mix.
Rydal: quiet country living
Rydal appeals to those who value a peaceful rural life, being even smaller and quieter than other nearby towns. The village still has links to its railway history and is surrounded by farmland and open countryside. Life here moves at a more relaxed pace, with the closest shops at Wallerawang, a ten-minute drive from Rydal.
One of Rydal’s best-known traditions, Daffodils at Rydal, is now an annual spring event while the annual Rydal Show maintains the strong community spirit associated with country agricultural shows.
For those who appreciate the peace of rural life and a close-knit village atmosphere, Rydal provides a different lifestyle from other nearby towns.
Hartley: gateway history
Heading east from Lithgow is Hartley, another town steeped in history.
Hartley’s buildings of historic interest include the courthouse, built in 1837, St John’s Anglican Church, St Bernard’s Catholic church, built to accommodate the Irish population of the mid-1800s, and the Royal Hotel. The latter has a chequered history, being at one time a Cobb & Co. staging point. Around Hartley you’ll find rural and lifestyle properties, gardens and open countryside.
With an enviable location between Lithgow and the Blue Mountains, Hartley offers a charming combination of history, rural living and accessibility.
Tarana: granite country
Tarana, southwest of Lithgow, is set among rolling farmland and distinctive granite country.
The landscape is one of Tarana’s defining features, especially around Evans Crown Nature Reserve, where enormous granite formations rise above the surrounding countryside.
Tarana has the general feel of a small rural community. The local hotel, markets and community gatherings provide important meeting points, while the Tarana Community Farmers Market brings producers, makers and residents together.
This is a village where the connection between the community and the surrounding agricultural country is tangible.
Different villages, different ways to live
One of the advantages of the wider Lithgow region is the variety available within a relatively short distance.
You can live close to the dramatic landscapes of Capertee, beside the recreational spaces of Wallerawang, among the heritage character of Hartley or within the quieter farming communities around Rydal and Tarana.
Each town or village has its own rhythm, property styles and reasons people choose to live there.
That is why understanding the area at a local level matters when you are buying or selling. A property in Capertee will often appeal to a very different buyer from a home in central Lithgow, just as rural acreage requires a different approach from a village residence.
Start with Capertee and explore from there
If you haven’t spent much time beyond Lithgow itself, Capertee is a particularly good place to begin.
The drive north introduces you to a very different side of the Central Tablelands, where larger landscapes, smaller communities and rural properties become part of everyday life.
Continue exploring and it quickly becomes clear that the wider Lithgow region is not one property market or one lifestyle. This area is a collection of communities, each with its own character.
For buyers, sellers and property owners across Capertee and the wider Lithgow region, the McGrath Central Tablelands team can provide local advice based on the property, location and market you are dealing with.
Need selling advice in the Central Tablelands?
We have buyers looking for homes in Mudgee, Rylstone, Kandos, Lithgow and Capertee. As established real estate agents, we’re here to help. Get in touch today by calling us on (02) 6372 2584.
