Nattai National Park

Nattai National Park New South Wales
IUCN category II (national park)
Nattai National Park, from Wollondilly lookout.
Nattai National Park
Nearest town or city	Oakdale
Coordinates	34°17′22″S 150°21′37″E / 34.28944°S 150.36028°E / -34.28944; 150.36028Coordinates: 34°17′22″S 150°21′37″E / 34.28944°S 150.36028°E / -34.28944; 150.36028
Established	13 December 1991 (1991-12-13)^[1]
Area	489.84 km² (189.1 sq mi)^[1]
Visitation	1,000 (in 1997)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Nattai National Park
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Nattai National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Macarthur and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. 48,984-hectare (121,040-acre) It is situated approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) southwest of the Sydney central business district 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 and receives very few visitors, as it has virtually no facilities and is fairly remote, despite its proximity to Sydney..

The Nattai National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.^[2] The Nattai National Park is the most southern of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site. The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range.

The national park is bounded to the north by the Nattai State Conservation Area, the Burragorang State Conservation Area, and Lake Burragorang, inclusive of a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) exclusion zone surrounding the lake; to the east by the Bargo State Conservation Area and the now partly disused Picton – Mittagong loop railway line; to the south by the Wombeyan Caves Road; to the south–west by the Kanangra-Boyd National Park; and to the west by the Yerranderie State Conservation Area. The Blue Mountains National Park does not directly adjoin the Nattai National Park, located on the north–western shore of Lake Burragorang.^[3]

The Nattai National Park contains much of the course and catchment of the Little, Nattai, Allum and Wollondilly rivers.^[3]

History

The area now known as Nattai National Park has had 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.^[4] Early conservationists Myles Dunphy 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.^[4]

Access

The national park may be accessed via Wattle Ridge Fire Road, northeast of the small town of Hill Top. 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.

An alternate access is via the Wombeyan Caves Road.

Activities

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 Burragorang 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.

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.

Water may be scarce away from the Nattai River and its tributary creeks. The area is fairly remote, and few people hike here, so make sure plans are left with a responsible person, and consider taking an EPIRB. 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 Snakes 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 possible that water is infected with Giardia. 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 kilometres (4.0 mi) one way with 550 metres (1,800 ft) descent, approx. You begin at an elevation of roughly 640 metres (2,100 ft) and descend to 93 metres (305 ft) 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 Trail: A well known long distance trail, through the heart of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area - 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length

References

1 2 "Nattai National Park: Park management". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
↑ "Greater Blue Mountains Area". World Heritage List. UNESCO. 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
1 2 "Nattai National Park". Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
1 2 Wright, Peter (1996). National Parks of Southern NSW. Rosebery, NSW: Bridge Printery. pp. 30–31. ISBN 0-9587590-1-4.

External links

Free online topographic maps of Nattai - NSW Dept of Lands Spatial Portal

National parks of New South Wales, Australia

Central West, North West Slopes, Riverina, and South West Slopes	Abercrombie River Belford Cataract Cocoparra Conimbla Coolah Tops Garrawilla Goobang Goonoo Goulburn River Kalyarr Mount Kaputar Murray Valley Nangar Oolambeyan Timbarra Turon Warrumbungle Weddin Mountains Yarrobil

Hunter and Mid North Coast	Bago Bluff Barakee Barrington Tops Bellinger River Ben Halls Gap Bindarri Biriwal Bulga Bongil Bongil Booti Booti Cascade Coorabakh Crowdy Bay Dooragan Dorrigo Dunggir Ghin-Doo-Ee Hat Head Junuy Juluum Kumbatine Maria Middle Brother Mount Royal Myall Lakes Nymboi-Binderay Saltwater Sea Acres Tapin Tops Tomaree Towarri Ulidarra Wallarah Wallingat Watagans Willi Willi Woko Yarriabini

New England Tablelands	Bald Rock Barool Basket Swamp Boonoo Boonoo Butterleaf Capoompeta Carrai Cathedral Rock Chaelundi Cottan-Bimbang Cunnawarra Gibraltar Range Guy Fawkes River Indwarra Kings Plains Kwiambal Mummel Gulf New England Nowendoc Nymboida Oxley Wild Rivers Single Warra Warrabah Washpool Werrikimbe

Northern Rivers	Arakwal Border Ranges Broadwater Bundjalung Bungawalbin Fortis Creek Goonengerry Koreelah Mallanganee Maryland Mebbin Mooball Mount Clunie Mount Jerusalem Mount Nothofagus Mount Pikapene Nightcap Ramornie Richmond Range Tooloom Toonumbar Wollumbin Yabbra Yuraygir

Outback NSW	Culgoa Gundabooka Kinchega Mallee Cliffs Mungo Murrumbidgee Valley Mutawintji Paroo-Darling Sturt Toorale Willandra Yanga

South Coast and Highlands	Bangadilly Ben Boyd Benambra Biamanga Bimberamala Bournda Brindabella Budawang Budderoo Bugong Clyde River Conjola Deua Eurobodalla Gourock Gulaga Jerrawangala Jervis Bay Kooraban Kosciuszko Livingstone Macquarie Pass Meroo Mimosa Rocks Minjary Monga Morton Mount Imlay Murramarang Seven Mile Beach South East Forests Tallaganda Tarlo River Wadbilliga Woomargama Yanununbeyan

Sydney and surrounds	Berowra Valley Blue Mountains Bouddi Brisbane Water Cattai Dharug Dharawal Gardens of Stone Garigal Georges River Heathcote Kamay Botany Bay Kanangra-Boyd Ku-ring-gai Chase Lane Cove Marramarra Nattai Popran Royal Scheyville Sydney Harbour Thirlmere Lakes Werakata Wollemi Wyrrabalong Yellomundee Yengo

Protected areas of New South Wales

Blue Mountains topics

Towns, suburbs and localities	Bell Berambing Bilpin Blaxland Blackheath Bullaburra Clarence Faulconbridge Glenbrook Hartley Vale Hazelbrook Katoomba Kings Tableland Lapstone Lawson Leura Linden Little Hartley Medlow Bath Megalong Mount Irvine Mount Riverview Mount Tomah Mount Victoria Mount Wilson North Katoomba Shipley Springwood Sun Valley Valley Heights Warrimoo Wentworth Falls Winmalee Woodford Yellow Rock Yosemite

Mountain peaks and ranges	Banks Bell Bindo Boyce Erskine Hay Irvine Narrow Neck Plateau Kings Tableland Piddington Solitary Trickett Wilson York Bell Explorers

Tourist attractions	Evans Lookout Hartley Jenolan Caves Katoomba Scenic World Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum Perrys Lookdown Three Sisters Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum Zig Zag Railway

Valleys	Grose Valley Jamison Valley Kedumba Valley Megalong Valley Wolgan Valley

Waterfalls	Kanangra Falls Katoomba Cascade Katoomba Falls Leura Cascades Leura Falls Linda Falls Victoria Falls Wentworth Falls

History	1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains Clarence Tunnel Glenbrook Tunnel Lapstone Zig Zag Lithgow Zig Zag

National parks	Blue Mountains Gardens of Stone Kanangra-Boyd Nattai Thirlmere Lakes Wollemi Yengo

Rivers and creeks	Bargo Bedford Capertee Colo Coxs Du Faur Erskine Grose Hollanders Jenolan Jooriland Kedumba Kowmung Little (Oberon) Little (Wollondilly) Macdonald Nattai Nepean Tonalli Wingecarribee Wolgan Wollangambe Wollondilly Blackheath Blue Gum Bowens Breakfast Bungleboori Burralow Cedar Galong Glenbrook Glen Erskine Govetts Koondah Linden Megalong Nayook Ovens Pulpit Hill Putty Queen Victoria Wentworth Werriberri Wollemi Woodford

Miscellaneous	Fantastic Aussie Tours Greater Blue Mountains Area (World Heritage Site) Hydro Majestic Hotel Cascade Dams Greaves Creek Dam Lake Medlow Dam Woodford Creek Dam

Disasters	1999 Glenbrook rail accident 2001 Black Christmas / Warragamba bushfires 2013 bushfires

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