Nattai National Park
Encyclopedia
Nattai is a national park in New South Wales
(Australia
), 150 km southwest of Sydney. It is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area
, and primarily encompasses the valley of the Nattai River, which is surrounded by spectacular sandstone cliffs. The park is covered in dry sclerophyll
(hard leafed) forest - mostly eucalypt
, and has fairly frequent forest fires. It is largely an untouched wilderness area.
The park adjoins the Kanangra-Boyd National Park
(which is to the north). Lake Burragorang
(water supply for Sydney
) also borders the northern side of the park, and there is a 3 km exclusion zone surrounding into which entry is prohibited.
The Nattai receives very few visitors, as it has virtually no facilities and is fairly remote, despite its proximity to Sydney.
and Herb Gallop went on bushwalks in the region from 1912 onwards. An area held in high regard was a forest of Sydney blue gum around Blue Gum Creek. Dunphy lobbied for the stand to be preserved upon becoming aware of plans to log the area, but was unsuccessful and the area was logged in the 1920s and 30s. Dunphy put forward a plan for a Greater Blue Mountains National Park, which incorporated what is now Nattai National Park in the southeast in 1932. The creation of Warragamba Dam
in 1960 limited access for development of land upstream, but it was not until 1991 when plans for permanent protection and national park status looked to become realised.
. Unsealed road access to a small unsealed car park at the edge of the park - a four wheel drive vehicle is not required. There are no facilities, just an information board, and a log book. Make sure you sign in and out of the log book when entering the park.
Wombeyan Caves Road :
exclusion zone, but destruction of plants is not allowed, so choose your campsite well, and use tents with smaller footprints. At the Mittagong visitors information center you would should try to get a copy of a yellow covered book that discusses in depth walks in the Nattai, it is invaluable. The book was published in 1998 but hopefully it is still available, it is a great reference for this little known and isolated area.
Russells Needle : Extension of Starlights Trail from Emmetts Flat south along the Nattai River to a tall rock spire
Katoomba to Mittagong
: A well known long distance trail, through the heart of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area - 132 km
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 150 km southwest of Sydney. It is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area
Greater Blue Mountains Area
The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a World Heritage Site in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 24th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Cairns from 27 November to 2 December 2000...
, and primarily encompasses the valley of the Nattai River, which is surrounded by spectacular sandstone cliffs. The park is covered in dry sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
(hard leafed) forest - mostly eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
, and has fairly frequent forest fires. It is largely an untouched wilderness area.
The park adjoins the Kanangra-Boyd National Park
Kanangra-Boyd National Park
Kanangra-Boyd is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 100 km west of Sydney. It lies to the southwest of and is contiguous with the Blue Mountains National Park, and is part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site ....
(which is to the north). Lake Burragorang
Lake Burragorang
Lake Burragorang is the water storage impounded by Warragamba Dam. It collects the waters of the Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, and Wollondilly Rivers. It is the major water storage for Sydney, Australia...
(water supply for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) also borders the northern side of the park, and there is a 3 km exclusion zone surrounding into which entry is prohibited.
The Nattai receives very few visitors, as it has virtually no facilities and is fairly remote, despite its proximity to Sydney.
History
The area now known as Nattai National Park has limited impact from Europeans. Several early expeditions attempting to cross the Blue Mountains passed though the area at the end of the 18th century, and settlers settled in the lower Nattai and Burragorang Valleys in 1827. Early conservationists Myles DunphyMyles and Milo Dunphy
Myles and Milo Dunphy were Australian conservationists who played an important role in creating the Australian wilderness movement.Myles Joseph Dunphy OBE lived in Oatley, a Southern suburb of Sydney, and started his wilderness publicity work in 1910. He compiled detailed maps of a number of areas...
and Herb Gallop went on bushwalks in the region from 1912 onwards. An area held in high regard was a forest of Sydney blue gum around Blue Gum Creek. Dunphy lobbied for the stand to be preserved upon becoming aware of plans to log the area, but was unsuccessful and the area was logged in the 1920s and 30s. Dunphy put forward a plan for a Greater Blue Mountains National Park, which incorporated what is now Nattai National Park in the southeast in 1932. The creation of Warragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam is the primary water source for the Australian city of Sydney. It is approximately to the west of Sydney on the Warragamba River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, and impounds Lake Burragorang.- Overview :...
in 1960 limited access for development of land upstream, but it was not until 1991 when plans for permanent protection and national park status looked to become realised.
Entry points
Wattle Ridge Fire Road : Northeast of the small town of Hill TopHill Top, New South Wales
Hill Top is a Northern Village of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. Previous names of the village include Hilltop and Jellore. It is a 17 km drive to Mittagong and around 10 km drive to the Hume Highway via Colo Vale. It is roughly 6–8 km...
. Unsealed road access to a small unsealed car park at the edge of the park - a four wheel drive vehicle is not required. There are no facilities, just an information board, and a log book. Make sure you sign in and out of the log book when entering the park.
Wombeyan Caves Road :
Hiking
Nattai National Park has several worthwhile hikes, however it is a remote area, and also very dry. Bush camping is allowed anywhere outside the Lake BurragorangLake Burragorang
Lake Burragorang is the water storage impounded by Warragamba Dam. It collects the waters of the Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, and Wollondilly Rivers. It is the major water storage for Sydney, Australia...
exclusion zone, but destruction of plants is not allowed, so choose your campsite well, and use tents with smaller footprints. At the Mittagong visitors information center you would should try to get a copy of a yellow covered book that discusses in depth walks in the Nattai, it is invaluable. The book was published in 1998 but hopefully it is still available, it is a great reference for this little known and isolated area.
When to go
In summer it can be extremely hot walking along the fire roads, and at camp sites is far too hot to get inside a tent until quite late.Dangers and annoyances
- Water is very scarce away from the Nattai River and its tributary creeks. Ensure everyone carries enough.
- The area is fairly remote, and few people hike here, so make sure your plans are left with a responsible person, and consider taking an EPIRBEmergency Position-Indicating Radio BeaconDistress radio beacons, also known as emergency beacons, ELT or EPIRB, are tracking transmitters which aid in the detection and location of boats, aircraft, and people in distress. Strictly, they are radiobeacons that interface with worldwide offered service of Cospas-Sarsat, the international...
. Mobile phones may work on the highest parts of the plateau surrounding the valley, but won't work in the valley. - Make sure your navigation skills are adequate to route find properly, as fires in the park often clear out undergrowth, which makes finding an indistinct trail nearly impossible (although it also means that walking is much easier).
- Beware of snakes, especially sunning themselves on fire roads or trails and near creeks - they won't always move away when you come near, so you may end up getting uncomfortably close to one. Red-bellied Black SnakeRed-bellied Black SnakeThe Red-bellied Black Snake, Pseudechis porphyriacus, is a species of elapid snake native to eastern Australia. Though its venom is capable of causing significant morbidity, it is not generally fatal and less venomous than other deadly Australian snakes. It is common in woodlands, forests and...
s are the most common type seen. Make sure you carry snake bandage(s) and know how to use them. - Treat all water taken from rivers/creeks - there are towns (e.g. Mittagong) upstream, so there is likely to be Giardia in the water.
- Be aware that when there has been recent and/or substantial rainfall there are lots of thorny vines, spiky plants and stinging nettles nearby the river. It is best to have attire that will protect your legs and hands under these circumstances.
- There are lots of wombat burrows and soil that has been disturbed by wombats.
Trails
The Starlights Trail : Nattai Road Park Entrance to Emmetts Flat (a good camp site on the river without facilities) on the Nattai River. 6.5 km one way with 550 m descent, approx. You begin at an elevation of roughly 640 m and descend to 93 m which is the altitude of the river. [These are aggregate measurements based on topographical maps and GPS]Russells Needle : Extension of Starlights Trail from Emmetts Flat south along the Nattai River to a tall rock spire
Katoomba to Mittagong
Katoomba to Mittagong Trail
The Katoomba to Mittagong Trail is a long-distance walking trail of 132km that starts in the Blue Mountains at Katoomba and finishes at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands.-Description:...
: A well known long distance trail, through the heart of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area - 132 km
See also
- Protected areas of New South Wales (Australia)
- Free online topographic maps of Nattai - NSW Dept of Lands Spatial Portal