LAST CHANCE! Order your 2013 Heysen Trail calendar now

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It’s your last chance to order a copy of the 2013 Heysen Trail Calendar.

Fancy a little preview of the calendar? The calendar features 25 photos, two for each month.

Orders close next week. There will be some copies available at the higher price of $20, but that will be subject to stock availability. Secure your copy now for just $17 per copy.

The calendar will be ready for pick-up or delivery in late November.

Order and pay via www.heysentrail.asn.au/calendar, or contact the shop/office to place your order.

Last Sunday’s Walk for Nature

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Last Sunday’s Walk for Nature with Nature Foundation SA went well – a sunny day with $32,000 raised towards conservation projects.

The Friends of the Heysen Trail led two groups, Mary Cartland lead the 12km walk, and president Robert Alcock led a smaller group, including a number of families with pushers, on the 3km walk.

The Friends were proud to be involved in supporting the Nature Foundation who have been involved in many conservation projects in South Australia, some of which the Heysen Trail traverses.

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A further two new water tanks and camp sites completed

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A further two new shelters with water tanks and camp sites on the Heysen Trail have been completed, and are waiting for rain to fill the tanks. The two new camp sites are in the Mid-North near Spalding.

Details of the three new camp sites are as follows:

1. Whistling Trig Tank (view info page)

A windy campsite located on a trig point between Hallett and Spalding, Southern Guidebook chapter 6, map 9, view map.

2. Bundaleer Tank Campsite (view info page)

A campsite located beside Bundaleer Creek, between Spalding and Curnows Hut, Northern Guidebook, chapter 1, map 2, view map.

These two campsites will assist through-hikers on the Heysen Trail by closing some of the trail’s water gaps. The distances between campsites and water sources is now:

  • Hallett to Whistling Trig – 22.5km
  • Whistling Trig to Spalding – 26km
  • Spalding to Bundaleer Tank Campsite – 18.8km
  • Bundaleer Tank Campsite to Curnows Hut & Campground – 13.5km

Check out the timelapse video of the construction work on the Bundaleer Tank on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Bronte Leak from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), Colin Edwards, John Potter, Albert Schmidke, Bob Randell and Julian Monfries for their work in the construction effort.

These water tanks are part of an programme of 11 new shelters and water tanks being constructed along the Heysen Trail. The last three shelters and water tanks were constructed in September, following on from the first four shelters and water tanks late last year. The remaining two shelters and water tanks have been fabricated and will be erected soon.

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Heysen Trail closure dates over the Fire Danger Season

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The Country Fire Service has today confirmed the dates for the Fire Danger Season. There are no changes from the normal dates for the Fire Ban Districts affecting the Heysen Trail.

The Heysen Trail is closed across summer during the Fire Danger Season. It will reopen at the end of April when the Fire Danger Season ends in the three Fire Ban Districts the Trail passes through.

Some sections of the Heysen Trail remain open year round, including National Parks, Conservation Parks, Forests and Reserves – although they are closed on days of Total Fire Ban – and public roads.

The closure dates are:

  • Flinders Ranges (north of Wirrabara) – 1 November 2012
  • Mid North (north of Tanunda and south of Wirrabara) – 15 November 2012
  • Mount Lofty Ranges (south of Tanunda to Cape Jervis) – 1 December 2012

Further information on our website: how the Fire Danger Season affects the Heysen Trail.

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We’re on Pinterest!

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We’re on Pinterest! Find us at pinterest.com/heysentrail

We’re sharing hikers’ photos of the Heysen Trail. We’ve been sharing some pretty cool photos of scenic views, wildlife, flora, sunsets, artistic shots, ruins and campsites.

Don’t know what Pinterest is? Pinterest is a photo sharing website, it lets you organize and share all the cool things you find on the web. More info on what Pinterest is can be found at http://blog.beminteractive.com/2012/02/pinterest-explained-3-pinning-tips.html

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Walk for Nature is in two weeks, join now!

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The Walk for Nature is coming up on Sunday 21st October. Join the Friends of the Heysen Trail team to walk the 12km return route, or register as an individual or new team to walk either the 3, 6 or 12km return walk along the Heysen Trail from Bridgewater Oval to Woodhouse Activity Centre. Help Nature Foundation SA to raise money to conserve, restore, and sustainably manage South Australia’s wildlife and environment.

More information about the Friends of the Heysen Trail team can be found at www.everydayhero.com.au/friends_heysen_trail. Email the team leader, Robert Alcock (rra320@yahoo.com.au), for further information about how to join the team. You can also support them by donating to the cause via https://secure3.everydayhero.com.au/friends_heysen_trail/donate.

More information about the Walk for Nature can be found at www.naturefoundation.org.au/help-nature/walk-for-nature/

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Twilight Walks begin this week

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As the walking season comes to a close, and with the warmer evenings and daylight saving our Twilight Walks begin this week. There is a 1.5-2 hour walk every Wednesday night until April. The full programme will be available soon, in the meantime here are the details for the first four walks:

  • Wed 10th Oct 6pm: West Parklands http://bit.ly/west-parklands Visiting Adelaide’s historic western fringe, out to North Adelaide over the Torrens and return. Optional Chinese dinner afterwards at Hawkers Corner, West Terrace.
  • Wed 17th Oct 6pm: Western Torrens Linear Park http://bit.ly/western-torrens Along the River Torrens linear path. Optional dinner afterwards at the Lockleys Hotel.
  • Wed 24th Oct 6pm: Chambers Gully http://bit.ly/chambers-gully Lovely natural bushland close to Adelaide, steady but not steep climb with great views of Adelaide. Many Koalas and kangaroos. Optional Indian dinner afterwards.
  • Wed 31st Oct 6pm: Burnside Ramble @ Tennyson http://bit.ly/tennyson-dunes West Lakes lakefront and Tennyson Dunes – Burnside is too easy! Optional dinner afterwards at the Lakes Hotel.

Further details of our walks and walker registration can be found on our website at www.heysentrail.asn.au/walks/

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