If tradition had its way, the historic towns of Galston and Dural would be regarded as the gateways to Sydney's own farm - the city's country estate. For decades this has been the place to come if you wanted to stop off at a packing case stall under a beach umbrella on the roadside and buy some peaches to make jam, a dozen farm fresh eggs or a box of apples - even fresh manure to make your own garden, back home in suburbia, grow.
Some things never change. A drive through this area today yields plenty of home-lettered signs advertising 'poo' for sale - chicken, cow, horse - and the buckets of flowers and figs and other fruit are still here too. But there is movement at the station. In fact, down in the back paddock, there is the makings of a regular stampede.
Half an hour or more by road from Galston and Dural, the pioneer towns of Windsor and Richmond are stirring. It's here you will find the Windsor Smokehouse, turning out a wide range of smoked fish and seafood: trout, gravlax salmon, scallops, tuna and eel. Not far away Kurrajong Kitchens and North Richmond Bakehouse hold court with cakes and pastries, breads - both regular and sourdough - you can even enjoy them there, in the small cafe.
Close by, Gretchen's Farm combines a pecan orchard, rose garden and honey. Up the hill is Kurrajong Australian Native Foods, doing things you would never expect - drowning wild hibiscus flowers in syrup, turning desert quandongs into jam and drying and crushing bush tomatoes and mountain pepper into something you will want to sprinkle onto everything. There are free tastings at weekends and, with enough notice, they will even arrange a rainforest walk complete with gourmet bush tucker picnic (fee involved).
Continue on to Bilpin and you'll find several orchards ready to sell you whatever fruit is in season. Go at the right time and you might even be allowed to pick your own.
Yet, if you had taken a left turn into the magical Grose Valley, you would have been able to 'discover' a lavender farm, an orchard and herb display or pump water from the source of Blue Mountains Natural Spring Water. It almost seems as though someone has laid out the route just for your benefit. Which in a way is true. The farms, orchards and businesses of course chose their location, but the Hawkesbury Food Program, sponsored by Hawkesbury City Council has drawn it all together, creating a food trail that would take several days to complete for those who want to see it all.
While promoted as a 'farm gate trail' there is much, much more. Apart from orchards and vegetable growers the map lists bed and breakfasts, art and craft galleries and gardens, a goats cheese producer, a fine dining restaurant and function centre (the amazing Loxley on Bellbird Hill), self-contained accommodation, alpaca farms, a guesthouse and a resort.
The trail winds north as far as the old town of St Albans and the Court House Guesthouse, but you should schedule a stop on the way there, at Ebenezer, to visit Tizzana Winery, built in 1887, and still producing wine today.
There is so much to see and do - the map lists 34 places - and even though the travelling time between Windsor and St Albans is given as just over an hour, you'd need almost a day to see everything just in this part of the trail.
So plan to stay for several days, or make several day-trips, remembering Saturday is one day most places will be open, to really see what this astonishingly rich area has to offer.
And whatever you do - don't forget to bring your shopping bag!
Always carry your Mobile Phone, so you can phone the NRMA when in need of help and don't forget your hands free kit so the NRMA does not have to tow your vehicle from the scene of a collision because you were not concentrating on your driving.
S.S, Sydney
4WD
