Month: February 2021

Eagle Waterhole ‘hike-in’ Hut and campsite closed May to July 2021

Posted on

The popular hike-in site at Eagle Waterhole in Deep Creek will be closed for reconstruction from May to July 2021.

An interim site is being established by Parks SA, approx. 300m further along the trail heading east: signage will direct walkers to a site with a water tank and picnic tables.

The Heysen Trail route will not be affected.

Walkers may continue to book online through the Parks website: National Parks… – National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia. 

The good news is that this will deliver upgraded hiker camping facilities as part of the new Wild South Coast Way on the Heysen Trail: Wild South… – National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia .

This project reflects SA Government investment delivered through collaboration between National Parks, Friends of the Heysen Trail, Yankalilla & Victor Harbor Councils.

Heysen Trail Closure – Southern Flinders Ranges Parks (February 2021)

Posted on

Walkers are advised that access to the Heysen Trail in the Southern Flinders Ranges will be restricted  from 6 am  Saturday, 20th February 2021 until 2pm Friday, 26th February 2021.

Telowie Gorge Conservation Park, The Napperby Block of Mount Remarkable National Park, Spaniards Gully Conservation Park and Wirrabara Range Conservation Park  will be closed for the purpose of undertaking a pest control program.

The parks cover a long section of the trail on Heysen Trail Map sheets 5B and 6A  and Maps 2.5 to 2.7 of the Heysen Trail Northern Guidebook.

Many sections of the Heysen Trail are closed over the Fire Danger Season. The Country Fire Service has  already announced the commencement of the Fire Danger Season for the the complete length of the Heysen Trail.

However walkers can still use some sections of the trail, including sections that are not on private land including Conservation Parks and Reserves, Forests, public roads and vacant land – provided it is not a day of a declared total fire ban..

But the feral animal control program means walkers need to take note of this closure and avoid that section of the trail over the period from the 20th to 26th February.

For more information about the control program or park closure, please contact the Natural Resources Centre on (08) 8841 3400.

You can also check this and other park closures on the Parks SA Alerts page.

Heysen Trail GPX files update for GPS: Major detail update and 12 re-routes and corrections

Posted on

This is a major update:

  1. the first 185km of the trail path in the downloadable GPX file and Interactive Map has been updated to have 10x more detail.
  2. includes 12 trail re-routes, minor corrections and improvements since the last bundled update in August 2020.

Updated Mapsheets with the 10x more detail are:

  1. Mapsheet 1: Cape Jervis to Kuitpo Forest (all four submaps)
  2. Mapsheet 2A: Kuitpo Forest to Bridgewater Oval – the first 27km to 3km south of Mylor (submaps 2B, 2C and 2D have not yet been updated)

We will progressively update the trail path further along the trail moving northwards through the mapsheets.

The following 12 re-routes and alterations have been added:

  1. Mapsheet 1B: a minor 400m correction to the trail at Waitpinga, a temporary re-route that was put in place sometime ago but can now be considered permanent, has been added now to improve accuracy.
  2. Mapsheet 1C: a 600m re-route up The Sugarloaf, north of Inman Valley. An improved realignment was marked in November 2020.
  3. Mapsheet 2A: A minor clarification of trail route in Kuitpo Forest near Mt Bold to remove an obsolete temporary reourte.
  4. Mapsheet 2A/2B: A minor clarification of trail route past Bridgewater Oval.
  5. Mapsheet 2B: correction to the first 600m of spur trail to Hahndorf starting from Bridgewater Playground.
  6. Mapsheet 2B: when entering Morialta Conservation Park from Norton Summit, there is a 140m long low water crossing and when water levels are high there is a 1.6km long high water crossing alternate route.
  7. Mapsheet 2B: the reroute through Morialta Conservation Park has been tidied up in the GPS files.
  8. Mapsheet 6A: a correction to the GPS file to include the 2015 reroute along Sheepyard Track.
  9. Mapsheet 6B: A minor along streets within Melrose, re-route down Brewery and Lambert Sts.
  10. Mapsheet 7A: the north and south routes around the waterfall upstream from Depot Creek have been tidied up.
  11. Mapsheet 8A: a 3km section of the trail south Red Range Campsite has been tidied up.
  12. Mapsheet 8B: The trail has been adjusted when passing the Wilpena Information Centre. The new 800m route avoids the 1.5km route around the resort and caravan park.

The Heysen Trail Distances page has also been updated to show the new more accurate distances between towns and campsites along the trail.

Announcement of the Friends’ 34th AGM

Posted on

To be held on Friday March 19th 2021

You are invited to attend the 34rd Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Heysen Trail and Other Walking Trails Inc. The meeting will be held at 6.30 pm on Friday March 19th 2021. The venue will be the Woodville Lawn Bowling Club, Oval Avenue, Woodville.

We are seeking nominations from you, our members, for election to the Friends Council at the AGM. There are vacancies in the following positions:

  • President
  • Vice President,
  • Secretary,
  • Treasurer and
  • half of the remaining members.

Our Constitution calls for not less than four and no more than ten non office-bearing members.

You will also hear about our Association’s activities in 2020 and plans for 2021.

Come along and meet your council (they are the people who make the decisions). Find out what we intend to do to further develop, maintain and promote the use of the Heysen and other walking trails.

COVID SAFE: Members are asked to register to attend the AGM via our website walk/events program or phone the office. Numbers may need to be limited to meet space requirements as defined by SA Health at that time. Safe hygiene and social distancing will be in place.

Please note socialising after the formal meeting will not occur again this year, consequently, please don’t bring a plate.

If you are thinking of becoming more involved, please check the information and nomination form that you find in the Autumn issue of the Trailwalker, which will be issuing shortly.

AGM Agenda

  1. Apologies
  2. Acceptance of Minutes of the previous AGM held on August 28th 2020.
  3. President’s Report
  4. Financial Report
  5. Election of Returning Officer
  6. Election of Officers
    • President
    • Vice President
    • Secretary
    • Treasurer
    • Council Members
  7. Appointment of the Auditor
  8. Election of Honorary Members
  9. Other Business
  10. Close Meeting

Any member wishing to move a motion at the AGM should be aware of the Constitutional requirements:

‘Notice of any such motion proposed to be moved at a General Meeting by any member not being a member of the Council shall be signed by the proposer and seconder and shall be delivered to the Secretary at least seven days before the meeting. No motion moved by any member other than a member of the Council shall be entertained by the meeting unless notice thereof has been given as aforesaid.’