Katoomba to Mittgaong

(well Hilltop actually)

Chris and David 2nd - 8th April 2026

This walk is documented in a small book written by Robert Sloss “Bushwalking the Ensign Barrallier Walk : Katoomba to Mittagong track” published in 1995.

Our “Plan A” was to follow the walk as documented all the way into Mittagong by walking with the Nattai for the final three days into the centre of Mittagong.  The problem with “Plan A” was that the Nattai has changed a great deal since Robert Sloss wrote this book. The Nattai has been significantly changed by flooding and we could find no account of anyone actually walking the last two days up the Nattai. The Nattai river valley used to be a beautiful grassy valley with fire trails, walking tracks and remnants of small farming leases.  All of the fire trails, walking trails and grassy areas are now long gone and you can either walk down the river or endure km after km of fight scrub.

Our “Plan B” was to exit at Hilltop and catch a taxi for the last 28 kms into Mittagong, and this is what all groups doing this walk seem to be doing.

Here is our original plan. In the end we, like all recent groups, left the track after Emmetts Flat, by walking up Startlight’s trail (Plan B) into Hilltop. This cut the walk short by one day.

We came to this decision because we knew that the last day and a half up the Nattai River Valley were going to be difficult with lots of dangerous rock hopping and were were both pretty tired and didn’t feel like risking two days of fight scrub and boulder hopping with heavypacks. We were after all there to have fun!

Day

Date

Start

Finish

Distance Kms

1

2/04/2026

Katoomba

Medlow Gap

19

2

3/04/2026

Medlow Gap

Catholic Bushwalkers

18

3

4/04/2026

Catholic Bushwalkers

Yerranderie

30

4

5/04/2026

Rest Day

  

5

6/04/2026

Yerranderie

Colley Flat

28

6

7/04/2026

Colley Flat

Emmetts flat

16

7

8/04/2026

Emmetts flat

Stockyard Creek

14

8

9/04/2026

Stockyard Creek

Mittagong

14

   Total

139

Day 0

Past Adventures and Food Cache

Day 1

Katoomba to Lake Birell

Day 2

Lake Birell to Catholic Bushwalkers

Day 3

Rest Day and Kowmung River

Day 4

Catholic Buhwalkers to Wollondilly River

Day 5

Wollondilly River to Nattai River

Day 6

Nattai River to Emmetts Flat

Day 7

Emmetts Flat to Hilltop