The New Nattai River

[Hughmac]

Hi folks. Apologies if someone else has mentioned this, but was down at Emmett's Flat yesterday and was absolutely gobsmacked by the changes in the river resulting from the March rains. The old crossing between Emmett's and Macarthur Flats has been obliterated, and the flat below Emmett's where you could stand and take in Ahearn's Lookout reflected in the river is gone - now a part of the river. The whole riverbed has been scoured, with all the scrubby islands stripped clean and countless massive Casuarinas pushed over. Only got there late in the day after walking down from Troy's Creek, so didn't get a chance to investigate any further, but it will be interesting to see how it has affected the navigability of the river. I promise all you regulars out there that you will be astonished by what you find the next time you're down there. Happy hiking all.

[GPSGuided]

Ouch! I really loved that little area by the river for camping or a day walk. Thanks for posting here and hopefully would get a chance to visit soon.

[michael_p]

Haven't been down to see it myself but I have seen photos and it is an amazing transformation. Must try and get down to have a look.

[jackhinde]

Very dramatic changes. Russell's Needle is now visible unobstructed by trees from the river bed as you approach it from downstream. Those damn pigs didn't wash away though, lots of digging down there still.

[GPSGuided]

So is there still a crossing available?

[puredingo]

Hey Hugh, you ain't joking mate. The river is totally transformed and completely un-reconisable in parts, particulary at the creek junctions and crossings.

I walked out to vinyard crossing (under Beloon pass) the weekend before last and it's like that the whole way through. each crossing is a ten minute ordeal in itself, firstly the river, plus bank, is 3x's wider so don't bother looking for the original Rd across.. just line up where you think the old road might take off again on the other side and start bashing through the washed down tree fall.

I really doubt they will bother clearing the road through from Vinyard to Allum flat again...it would be a massive undertaking with some heavy machinary involved, just the tree fall along the Rd is huge. And yeah Jack, the pig population has exploded! Never seen such a high density in any national park in my life. Allum flat is totally destroyed. The grassy flats up in the back blocks which were like a bowling green to camp on have all been ploughed, rooted and gouged out...Damn shame.

[puredingo]

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=23528&p=315809&hilit=nattai#p304007

Just checked my thread from awhile ago, the river has actually been in this state for a year now!...So yeah, I suppose they won't be fixing any access roads up (or pig eradication for that matter?)

[Hughmac]

Can't help but wonder if you can still walk from Mittagong to Starlights and Vineyard Flat. I met someone on Sunday who had been down to Wanganderry Ck from Starlights, but narrower sections of the gorge must have been significantly impacted. As to clearing the road, they've never bothered with the landslide from 2006. I suspect National Parks would be very happy for the road to disappear. The pigs have been getting worse for years, but thankfully have never impacted Emmett's Flat. The area was closed a few years ago by National Parks for a goat cull, so you would hope they do something about the pigs. Not as though they are hard to find.

[GPSGuided]

Do those wild pigs pose any risks to campers? I am wondering if the lovely area should be taken off my list for family camping if there's any dangers to kids.

[Grabeach]

Rather bemused. A few cyclists on old formed roads up on the plateau are apparently such a threat to water quality in the dam that they are threatened with $44,000 fines. Yet apparently pigs tearing up the vegetation, digging up the river bed and assumably defecating in it don't receive any attention.

[GPSGuided]

Rather bemused. A few cyclists on old formed roads up on the plateau are apparently such a threat to water quality in the dam that they are threatened with $44,000 fines. Yet apparently pigs tearing up the vegetation, digging up the river bed and assumably defecating in it don't receive any attention.

Want to turn into a pig and ride?

[michael_p]

Do those wild pigs pose any risks to campers? I am wondering if the lovely area should be taken off my list for family camping if there's any dangers to kids.

I've never seen evidence of pigs at Emmetts Flat.

Rather bemused. A few cyclists on old formed roads up on the plateau are apparently such a threat to water quality in the dam that they are threatened with $44,000 fines. Yet apparently pigs tearing up the vegetation, digging up the river bed and assumably defecating in it don't receive any attention.

Don't get me started on the cycling ban.

Michael.

[DaveNoble]

Do those wild pigs pose any risks to campers? I am wondering if the lovely area should be taken off my list for family camping if there's any dangers to kids.

No. Pigs tend keep well out of sight when people are around.

I was at Emmets Flat on 15-16 July 2017 - and there was certainly signs of pigs - rooting up the ground, pig poo etc.

No pig damage on the camping flat at the bottom of the Starlight Trail.

Dave

[GPSGuided]

Brilliant!

[puredingo]

Yes. Feral pigs will avoid contact with humans at all cost, that's why the bottom of Starlights has been partially spared the carnage the other flats/river bank has suffered. They are a Wiley beast and learn fast what area has a higher chance of people population. That being said 4 big pigs where seen at the bottom of the Troy's creek track just the other day so one can only imagine in time their sheer numbers will mean Emmets will be hit sinner than later.

I have had a couple of incidents with pigs where the sows have given a little mock charge. Usually if you surprise them or get between them and a piglet. Once I stumbled onto a nest of piglets and the sow put me up on a rock!!... The boar didn't care he saunter of into the scrub. But definitely not a problem with kids, the noise from a child will give any pig plenty of notice and they'll be off in a shot.

Hugh, not sure about Mittagong to Starlights (never done it) but I've walked from Starlights to Vinyard flat and its s bit of give and take. Some parts of the river which are widened are easier to get along but all the crossings are a nightmare. One thing is for sure though, if people found The Sloss guide confusing to follow before then after this flood it's pretty much redundant.

[Kent]

From the confluence of Wanganderry Creek and Nattai River down stream to the Allum River the walking is very slow through the tree fall. After the Allum River the F/T on the western side of the Nattai to within 200 metres of Vineyard flat is easy going.

[rcaffin]

Could someone summarise then for me please: can one walk from Beloon Pass to Mittagong now? How much slower now than 'before'?

Can one climb Mt Beloon from Beloon Pass? (The views should be unreal.)

Cheers
Roger

[Allchin09]

Could someone summarise then for me please: can one walk from Beloon Pass to Mittagong now? How much slower now than 'before'?

Can one climb Mt Beloon from Beloon Pass? (The views should be unreal.)

Cheers
Roger

My understanding from the upstream sections I have walked post-flood is that the whole section between Mittagong and Beloon Pass would be much faster than it was before the flood. The bad scrubby sections have been washed away!

As for Mt Beloon, I don't see why not (except for the fact it's outside the walking corridor... )

Alex.

[puredingo]

You can definitely still walk it, although going upstream against the pushed over veg does take longer. However some parts that were particularly scrubby have been cleared by the floods and you can now breeze through these sections.

The most time consuming/confusing parts are the crossings. Which there are 4 of if you include Allum flat ( which you should, well worth it)...They were once an obvious, gentle slope like a sand boat ramp but now seeing the river is twice as wide and edged with debris and washed down tree fall you just have to pick a good spot to cross and then find the track on the other side. I found the vinyard flat crossing (which was always a double crossing to begin with) the most troublesome.

Still, no big drama. Definitely easier walking down stream but I've walked it both ways going up wasn't the end of the world (just the end of my PLB!)

[michael_p]

Finally got down to have a look at the Nattai River at Emmetts and WOW!!!!!! Scoured the river bed is an understatement. These photos were taken just metres from the main campground.