Where

Nattai National Park in Sydney and surrounds, Country NSW

Distance

14km return

Time suggested

4 - 6hrs

Grade

Grade 4

Trip Intention Form

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What to
bring

Drinking water, hat, sunscreen, suitable clothing

See some of the best spots of the spectacular Thirlmere Lakes and Nattai National Park along Couridjah Corridor walk. You’ll pass by Hawkesbury sandstone cliffs, sheltered gorges, eucalypt forests and the wetlands of Thirlmere Lakes. When you reach the locked gate, retrace your steps along the return journey.

There’s so much to discover here, including an amazing array of animals and birds, ranging from eastern grey kangaroos, wallaroos and brush-tailed rock wallabies to glossy black cockatoos and powerful owls.

‘Couridjah’ means ‘honey’ in the Gundagurra language, and this land has long been prized by Aboriginal people for its constant water supply and abundant wildlife.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Dharawal and Gundungarra territory

The Nattai area is the traditional territory of the Dharawal and Gundungarra Aboriginal peoples. The Wollondilly and Burragorang valleys historically form a transition zone between the two. The land and waterways, and the plants and animals that live in them, feature in all facets of Aboriginal culture, including recreational, ceremonial, spiritual, and as a main source of food and medicine. They are closely associated with the dreaming stories and cultural learning that are still passed on to this day.

See the forest through the trees

Nattai is a wonderful place to revel in the beauty of Australian land, thanks to its incredible range of environments, from exposed sandstone plateau tops to wild rainforest and sheltered gorges. Stroll among eucalyptus trees, pockets of blue-leaved stringybark forest and, on the Nattai River, majestic stands of Nattai Sandstone River peppermint forest. In the northern part of the park, you'll find communities of red bloodwood, Sydney blackbutt, red ironbark, scribbly gum, Sydney peppermint, and smooth-barked apple trees. The incredible range of wildlife you can encounter in Nattai National Park will thrill animal-lovers. A huge variety of remote habitats support up to nine species of frogs, 160 species of birds, and 19 species of reptiles; not to mention, wallaroos, emus, swamp wallabies, grey kangaroos, dingoes, wombats, echidnas, forest microbats, gliders, and wallaroos. Among the threatened species you may see are brush-tailed rock wallabies, long-nosed potoroos, tiger quolls, powerful owls, and glossy black cockatoos.

Wilderness adventures

For the adventurous hiker, Nattai is a wilderness paradise offering rugged walking experiences rarely found so close to major cities and towns. There are several long hikes that will suit well-equipped nature lovers. Choose between a number of routes, all of them featuring incredible scenery among the sandstone cliffs, rainforest and woodlands, including Couridjah Corridor walk, Mount Jellore, Starlight's trail, or the Nattai River trail.