Mittagong, NSW
10.5 km (3.5 hrs )
★★★☆☆

The Box Vale track follows the route of the historic coal mining tramway from Mittagong to the Nattai Gorge. The track passes through cuttings, along embankments and through a tunnel 84 metres in length. Coal was discovered here in 1851 and a mine was established in 1878. A 6 km branch railway line from Mittagong was completed in 1888, terminating at the Nattai River Gorge some 160 metres above the coal mine. A steep incline was used to haul the coal from the mine to the railway. Although the quality of coal was some of the best in NSW, it still was not enough to overcome the high costs of operating the mine and in 1896 the mine closed.

The track to the former railway tunnel is well marked and easy to follow. The descent to the Nattai River along the old incline was closed due to safety risks, so my only option was to backtrack to Forty Foot Falls fire trail in order to view the falls. The waterfall was quite impressive, being at the bottom of a steep valley, but the many leeches in the moist area meant a hurried departure!