Starlights Trail Nattai National Park

[adventurer87]

Hello i am going to Starlight Trail in Nattai National Park in April. I'm going to bring a handheld GPS (Garmin 550 Handheld GPS) and i found this gpx map, I was wondering if this map is accurate to the national parks nsw direction path. So on the NSW national parks site it says the following:

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/thi ... print=true

"Getting there and parking
On entering Nattai National Park:
Start from the end of Wattle Ridge Road west of the township of Hilltop. A visitor carpark with visitor information is located at the start of the walk at Wattle Ridge carpark.
Walkers then access the Nattai Road fire trail then deviate onto the Starlight’s trail, dropping into the Nattai Valley."

Now here is the map i want to follow site is below:
I want to download the GPX file onto my handheld gps and follow this:

https://www.beyondtracks.com/walks/natt ... hts-trail/

So i need to know if the map from beyondtracks.com starts at the Wattle Ridge Carpark then walk to Nattai Road then into Starlight's Trail.

Also does anyone know how to upload a gpx file onto a gps and then view the map on the device? i be using 'Garmin 550 Handheld GPS'

thanks

[awmross]

I'm not sure if I clicked the wrong link, but the gpx file i downloaded from the page you linked, "bt-starlights-trail.gpx", looks like it's actually "Ahearn lookout track" (which is listed as a "sidetrack" on that page). This is a firetrail along the top of the ridge, not down into the valley. So no I don't think this is a good file to load into your GPS.

The route displayed on the map on that page IS Starlights Trail though. So I think you have run into a bug on their website; the gpx file downloaded does not match the route displayed on the page.

It looks like the route there is just lifted from OpenStreetMap anyway. I will pm you a correct gpx file taken from OpenStreetMap. (disclaimer: I have never actually been down Starlights Trail myself so have no first hand experience of this route).

[ribuck]

Adventurer87, the GPX file that I downloaded from your link contained six separate tracks - the Starlights Trail plus all the side-trips shown on the nationalparks.nsw.gov.au website. You need to try it out on your device to see how a multi-track GPX is displayed.

As for your question about accuracy, I can't vouch. It's a while since I've been down Starlights Trail.

[adventurer87]

I'm not sure if I clicked the wrong link, but the gpx file i downloaded from the page you linked, "bt-starlights-trail.gpx", looks like it's actually "Ahearn lookout track" (which is listed as a "sidetrack" on that page). This is a firetrail along the top of the ridge, not down into the valley. So no I don't think this is a good file to load into your GPS.

The route displayed on the map on that page IS Starlights Trail though. So I think you have run into a bug on their website; the gpx file downloaded does not match the route displayed on the page.

It looks like the route there is just lifted from OpenStreetMap anyway. I will pm you a correct gpx file taken from OpenStreetMap. (disclaimer: I have never actually been down Starlights Trail myself so have no first hand experience of this route).

I really appreciate you telling me about the wrong info path of the gpx file and sending me the correct one.

[michael_p]

Hi adventurer87,

The NPWS website is useless and I wouldn't rely on the information they provide. The map on the beyond tracks website is correct.

Starlights is well used and easy to follow. I don't think there is a need to put a track in your gps, all you need is a few waypoints to make sure you don't turn onto the wrong track. Here is a list of some useful waypoints* and notes on the walk:
S34 17.830 E150 25.729 - Wattle Ridge car park**. At the national park information sign there should be a walkers registration book, you should put your name into the book (refer photos in this post: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=17036#p227139). Walk through the gate and continue along Nattai Rd (11E fire trail).
S34 18.082 E 150 24.853 - Turn left at the sign for Starlight’s Trail. You can't miss the sign, do a Google image search for: starlights trail sign.
Up and over the ridge past the Nattai Wilderness Sign.
S34 18.225 E150 24.747 - Next intersection is with the Rocky Waterholes Ck track. Keep to the right to continue on Starlights. Keep walking down the hill for what seems like an eternity and never forget that you have to walk back up this way.
* Waypoints are WGS84.
**Wattle Ridge Rd becomes Nattai Rd which causes some confusion. You get onto Wattle Ridge Rd and keep driving until you get to the end of the road and you should see the gate and car park.

I hope this helps,
Michael.

[tqc]

The map on that page looks right to me.

It’s probably worth noting that the npws site is just a little bit conservative about how difficult the trail is to follow.

It does get a little rougher further down, but not to the point of being hard to follow.

[adventurer87]

Hi adventurer87,

The NPWS website is useless and I wouldn't rely on the information they provide. The map on the beyond tracks website is correct.

Starlights is well used and easy to follow. I don't think there is a need to put a track in your gps, all you need is a few waypoints to make sure you don't turn onto the wrong track. Here is a list of some useful waypoints* and notes on the walk:
S34 17.830 E150 25.729 - Wattle Ridge car park**. At the national park information sign there should be a walkers registration book, you should put your name into the book (refer photos in this post: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=17036#p227139). Walk through the gate and continue along Nattai Rd (11E fire trail).
S34 18.082 E 150 24.853 - Turn left at the sign for Starlight’s Trail. You can't miss the sign, do a Google image search for: starlights trail sign.
Up and over the ridge past the Nattai Wilderness Sign.
S34 18.225 E150 24.747 - Next intersection is with the Rocky Waterholes Ck track. Keep to the right to continue on Starlights. Keep walking down the hill for what seems like an eternity and never forget that you have to walk back up this way.
* Waypoints are WGS84.
**Wattle Ridge Rd becomes Nattai Rd which causes some confusion. You get onto Wattle Ridge Rd and keep driving until you get to the end of the road and you should see the gate and car park.

I hope this helps,
Michael.

Thank you Michael for this information. So i mark these as wavepoints on my handheld gps, great. This will be my first time using a handheld gps so im new to this but i think i will get the hang of it, thank you for those important wave points i will put them on the gps.

[Warin]

This will be my first time using a handheld gps so im new to this but i think i will get the hang of it, thank you for those important waY points i will put them on the gps.

Play with you GPS at home .. take it out for a walk and see what it does.

What maps do you have on the GPS?

You can use a 'zoom' control on it somewhere (page up/down?) to see more detail or a larger area. When looking at a larger area it will not show all the detail - the screen has too much to show so it reduces the amount of information displayed. That means to look at walking tracks you need to zoom in a fair way before the walking tracks become visible.

You should also be able to pan to other places - so you can see what is there. I'd suggest you pan to Starlights and see how much detail it has there now.

[adventurer87]

I want to thank everyone for the help i really appreciate it

has anybody been on the Starlight's Trail?
Is it worth it? the 5 hour walk?
What interesting stuff do you see on this Trail? any good landscapes views, lakes you pass by on this walk?

[kanangra]

Mate it's great. You'll love it. Just do it. And be surprised.

K

[GPSGuided]

Yes, it's a nice trail. Good views and some efforts rolled into one. Destination at Nattai river is fantastic but I hear that the flood of last year has significantly damaged the topography of the area.

[michael_p]

I want to thank everyone for the help i really appreciate it

has anybody been on the Starlight's Trail?
Is it worth it? the 5 hour walk?
What interesting stuff do you see on this Trail? any good landscapes views, lakes you pass by on this walk?

I've done it several times and may be doing it again in a few months time.

Yes it is worth it. On the way down there are many views, and not long after you start down the hill you go past a very large and interesting rock called Toothache rock. At the bottom there is a large camping area and a nice section of the river to explore. And when you get to the bottom see if you can find the remains of Emmetts hut near the main camping area (photo of what you will be looking for: viewtopic.php?t=17241&p=232157#p232157 ).

Michael.

[adventurer87]

Im excited now for my trip there!!!!

Im planning going at start of April. As its Autumn it should be good weather.

Im staying at Picton (which is reportly the most haunted town in Australia and a nice cozy town)

[adventurer87]

Hi adventurer87,

The NPWS website is useless and I wouldn't rely on the information they provide. The map on the beyond tracks website is correct.

Starlights is well used and easy to follow. I don't think there is a need to put a track in your gps, all you need is a few waypoints to make sure you don't turn onto the wrong track. Here is a list of some useful waypoints* and notes on the walk:
S34 17.830 E150 25.729 - Wattle Ridge car park**. At the national park information sign there should be a walkers registration book, you should put your name into the book (refer photos in this post: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=17036#p227139). Walk through the gate and continue along Nattai Rd (11E fire trail).
S34 18.082 E 150 24.853 - Turn left at the sign for Starlight’s Trail. You can't miss the sign, do a Google image search for: starlights trail sign.
Up and over the ridge past the Nattai Wilderness Sign.
S34 18.225 E150 24.747 - Next intersection is with the Rocky Waterholes Ck track. Keep to the right to continue on Starlights. Keep walking down the hill for what seems like an eternity and never forget that you have to walk back up this way.
* Waypoints are WGS84.
**Wattle Ridge Rd becomes Nattai Rd which causes some confusion. You get onto Wattle Ridge Rd and keep driving until you get to the end of the road and you should see the gate and car park.

I hope this helps,
Michael.

Michael, is the Wattle Ridge car park here? i marked it on the map. Tell me if this is correct? as on the map it shows Nattai Road then it becomes a track?

pic attached

[michael_p]

Yes, that's the spot.

Michael.

[Tyreless]

Yes, that's where the carpark is.

Note that the intersection with the Rocky Waterholes Track is not signmarked and is easy to miss. There is an arrow made of little stones on the ground pointing towards the track.

I did a walk yesterday combining Ahearn Lookout, the Slott Way and Starlights Trail. They are all good in their own way. I prefer the walk to Ahearn Lookout for the views, but you can have a nice swim in the river at the bottom of the other tracks. The Slott Way is very vague but can be navigated (there are lots of helpful arrows and ribbons in trees).

[tom_brennan]

I've added maps to some of the walks on my Bushwalking NSW site
Starlights Track - http://bushwalkingnsw.com/walk.php?nid=1005

[LachlanB]

I've added maps to some of the walks on my Bushwalking NSW site

Your website looks like it has had a bit of a facelift (plus some new walks, which is always good)?

Tyreless, I know what you mean about the tracks in the area. There's been a couple of time when I've been wandering along the trails out Wattle Ridge way and obliviously walked straight past a turnoff...

[Hughmac]

Carpark is a snap to find, and the track is easy to navigate with one exception. After turning left at the sign in the photo you walk up a slight hill until you come to a low rock shelf in the road with a Nattai National Park sign in front of you. The fire trail swings right then left after you pass the sign, but you don't turn left. This is where the rock arrow pictured should be assuming it hasn't been disturbed. I've met a few people over the years who missed it. From here it is pretty obvious. Enjoy your walk - definitely worth doing.

[adventurer87]

I would love to see Ahearns Lookout but if im going on the starlights trial am i able to go through to the Ahearns lookout and get back before dark?

The starlight's trail takes around 5 hrs to complete i read how long would it take for me to do the Ahearns Lookout after completing the starlight's trail?

I am not going camping and havent done camping before so i wont have any camping gears. I want to complete all of this before it gets dark and return to my car in the carpark. I want to get to the Nattai National Park around 8 or 9am. Will this give me plenty of time to complete the starlight's trail and also go to the Ahearns Lookout as well and get back before 5pm or 6pm?

Here is a photo i found of Ahearns lookout from the bottom of starlight's trail that huge cliff is Ahearns lookout.
I found this from this website below:

http://www.david-noble.net/bushwalking/ ... Jul17.html

[Tyreless]

It all depends on how fast you walk and how unlikely it is that you will get lost. If you get back up the Starlights Trail to the fire trail by 1pm you'll have time to do Ahearn Lookout as well and be back to the car by 5pm. There is a bit more navigating to do to get to Ahearn Lookout - the start of the track is very easily missed (it's more subtle than the start of the Starlights Trail) and you want to be sure you don't take the turn-off down the Slott Way (there are some branches across the track to discourage you).

This is part of the view at the Lookout, to whet you appetite...

[GPSGuided]

After Emmett's Flat, you'll have to backtrack quite a bit to get to the start of that Ahearn Lookout track. On a long summer day, there will be enough time, especially given the Ahearn Lookout track is not a steep track but runs on the top of the plateau. Some have described a short cut to go straight up to Ahearn Lookout from Starlight trail but I was never able to find it and it doesn't look like to be an easy route.

[adventurer87]

From that photo i uploaded is that at the end of starlight's trail. If i cant make it to Ahearns Lookout it be good to view it from the distance like from that photo.

[Tyreless]

From that photo i uploaded is that at the end of starlight's trail.

Yes

[adventurer87]

From that photo i uploaded is that at the end of starlight's trail.

Yes

Great so i be able to at least view the Ahearns Lookout at the distance when i get to the end of Starlight's Trail.
So that cliff in the distance is Ahearns Lookout?

[Tyreless]

Great so i be able to at least view the Ahearns Lookout at the distance when i get to the end of Starlight's Trail.
So that cliff in the distance is Ahearns Lookout?

Yes, that's Ahearn Lookout up there. But it's not the view TO Ahearn Lookout that you want (although it's not bad). It's the view FROM Ahearn Lookout that's fantastic.

[adventurer87]

Great so i be able to at least view the Ahearns Lookout at the distance when i get to the end of Starlight's Trail.
So that cliff in the distance is Ahearns Lookout?

Yes, that's Ahearn Lookout up there. But it's not the view TO Ahearn Lookout that you want (although it's not bad). It's the view FROM Ahearn Lookout that's fantastic.

yes i am very tempted now of heading to the Ahearns Lookout, after i finished the Starlight's Trail. Hoping i don't get lost and get there and back to my car before it gets dark. But getting lost is all part of the experience i guess i have my gps with the map of the starlight's trail and will be marking the spot of the carpark so i will find my way back... hopefully (:. I will give myself plenty of time like arrive at around 8 or 9am so hoping this will give me enough time to explore before getting dark.

[Tyreless]

You can do it as two separate walks. If you don't get to Ahearn Lookout the first time it will still be there the next time you visit.

[GPSGuided]

It's hard to get lost if you have all the tracks displayed on your GPS unit, especially when you are high with good GPS locks.

[tom_brennan]

I've added maps to some of the walks on my Bushwalking NSW site

Your website looks like it has had a bit of a facelift (plus some new walks, which is always good)?

Thanks, yeah, main update this time was new walks, plus interactive topo maps for about a quarter of the walks. It got a facelift a year or two ago to make it mobile friendly.