Friends

WALKING SA Walk Event – Adelaide 100 Trail Launch, 7km Showcase walk

Posted on

Walking SA   Adelaide100 Trail Launch,

7km showcase walk
10:00am Sunday 11 October 2020

Join Walking SA to celebrate the launch of the first section of the Adelaide100® trail.

The Adelaide100® is a loop walking trail of over 100km that takes in the coast, waterways and hills of the capital city of South Australia.
The 7km showcase walk starts from Pinky Flat, following the linear trail along the beautiful River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri. Walking upstream past Adelaide Oval before crossing the river at Hackney Bridge and returning past the zoo and Elder Park. Passing the Festival Centre and Convention Centre, the walk continues under Montefiore Road, crossing the river over the weir before returning to Pinky Flat.

Registration is free. Participant numbers are limited due to COVID-19 event planning guidelines.
Post a photo on social media with #adelaide100 for a chance to win a $200 Scout Outdoor Centre voucher.

Key Facts
Rating: easy
Tickets: Registration is free. Participant numbers are limited due to COVID-19 event planning guidelines. Please register to assist us in managing our COVID-Safe event plan.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Hike Length: 7km

Registration and start location details can be found via the following link to Walking SA website.

More people walking more often

The Friends modified walk program to start around mid June

Posted on

Last year we started walking the Heysen Trail as a family again, but this time with children of my own

Easing of restrictions will allow gradual reintroduction of walks

The Friends Council appreciates your ongoing support during the Covid 19 restriction period.  The latest SA Government announcement about a slight easing of some restrictions is welcome, although we will remain vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our volunteers and members.

Council has supported a recommendation from the Chair of the Walking Committee to adopt appropriate guidelines that will assist us to revive small group walking over the next few weeks.  Walk leaders will be consulted about suitable loop walks with the view to ease into a modified program around the middle to late June after finalising any practical steps.

Extra responsibilities of walkers

Members attending walks will be expected to

  • register online
  • take responsibility for their own and others health by adhering to the current social distancing requirements; and
  • stay away if they have any cough, cold or fever symptoms.

End-to-End 2020 programme remains cancelled

Council’s decision to cancel our End to End walks for this year (and subsequently confirmed in the April news item) has not been rescinded.

Golden Boots passes extended

To acknowledge the patience of our members during the Covid restrictions, Council has decided to extend expiry dates for Golden Boots passes by 12 months.

Trail maintenance

We are also looking at how to recommence volunteer trail maintenance and will notify members when we have confirmed those arrangements.

Office relocation and reopening

During this period the Friends is also moving office to a larger space just next door.  The office will remain closed until the relocation has been completed.  Council has decided it is safer for our team if we get the new space organised before opening up again.

See you on the trail

We appreciate your patience as we gradually ease back into operation, and look forward to seeing you back on the trail.

Melanie Sjoberg,
President

Announcement: Friends Walks and Events cancelled due to COVID-19

Posted on

The Friends of the Heysen Trail is disappointed to announce an extension to the cancellation of planned activities beyond 31 May 2020.

Sadly, in light of ongoing public health requirements, the Friends Council and Executive has made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel all the following activities:

Walking:

  • End to End Walk Program for 2020;
  • Group walks using buses: Lavender/Willunga Basin/Yurrebilla/Yorke Peninsula; and
    • Except that the October South Coast Walk will be reviewed mid-year.
  • Trailstarter/Trailwalker program.

Trail Development

  • Trail Development infrastructure projects;
  • Section Leader Trail Maintenance; and
  • Friends Shed work.

Office

  • Remain closed until further notice;
  • Online shop will cease for map and book sales;
  • Membership Subscriptions and Renewals will continue to be processed.

Trailwalker

  • Production of pdf only version will continue until restrictions are removed.

We share the frustration and regret that walks and trail work plans had to be adjusted.

Depending on progress around the current public health risks and any announced reduction in community isolation practices, the Friends may be able to revive some of our local Trailstarter/Trailwalker and/or trail development work later in the year.  The website will be updated if that occurs.

Easy membership renewals coming – we’re getting ready to upgrade our website

Posted on

As a part the upgrade of our membership and walk registration system we will be temporarily suspending online walk registrations for a day or so.

What are we doing?

We are updating the software that we use to run the membership and walk registration system. These changes to the ‘back end’ are mainly going to affect our Office Volunteers and Walk Leaders, but the system will make it easier to renew your membership.

We’ve chosen a period of low demand to make the change. This will allow us to be ready for the period of increased website traffic during the walk season.

Will the change affect you?

Apart from the temporary reduction in services on our website, our members and frequent visitors won’t notice many changes.

Our website address will continue as https://heysentrail.asn.au.

After the upgrade, the Walk Calendar on the website will look slightly different. But the calendar will operate much the same as the one you are familiar with.

There will be a welcome change for anyone intending to register for our End to End 15 walk. Registrations for this and all other events will no longer have a set opening time of midnight. Bookings will generally open at 7am instead.

You can help make the change easy

Over the next week our Office Volunteers will be undertaking training in using the new system.

If you need to renew your membership or register for a walk, we ask you to use the existing website. It will be operating normally until late on Monday February 17th.

If you contact the Office before the shutdown, we may not be able to answer the phone immediately. For urgent enquiries, please send us an email which we will action it as soon as we can.

Introduction to Walk Leader Training Night. Tuesday 8th Oct 2019.

Posted on

A Friends Trailstarter walk at Hallett Cove Conservation Park

Have you ever thought you’d like to become a Walk Leader with the Friends of the Heysen Trail?

Have you got a favourite short walk that you would like to share with others?

Well, here’s your chance to see what goes on, on and off the trail.

In a low key evening we will run through the basics of being a leader and how you can get involved.

Being a walk leader is a rewarding way of sharing your favourite walks with others and a great way to get involved with the Friends. With an increasing number of members, we have more walkers keen to ‘get out on a trail’. We need new leaders prepared to show others the way.

So if this is something you’d like to hear more about, we’d love to see you on the night.

The evening is the first step in joining our team of walk leaders. The Walk Committee will offer you further support and assistance and help you plan and lead walks. An experienced leader will accompany you on your first walk.

If you are interested come on and give it a try. There is no pressure – attending does not oblige you to lead walks.

How

Just go to the walks calendar on the website and register as you would for a normal walk.

Where

Woodville Bowling Club, Oval Avenue,  Woodville South.

When

Time-7.00 to 9:00pm, including a Tea Break.

If you have any questions, please send an email to the Office and one of the leaders will contact you. You can also use the red text hyper link on the walk description to email the leaders directly..

The Friends welcome Joshua West as a new Ambassador for the Heysen Trail.

Posted on

The Friends of the Heysen Trail are pleased to announce that Joshua West (also known as Trekking West)  has accepted our invitation to act as a voluntary Ambassador for the Heysen Trail.

Josh joined the Friends prior to his journey through-walking the Heysen in 2018. His main aim in doing so was to raise awareness and funds for the Black Dog Institute.

During the walk he shared his photos, videos and experiences via Facebook and a daily blog on his website.

His blog continues to be available to inspire and help others who are encouraged to walk the trail.

Relive Josh’s Heysen Trek

Josh’s Daily Diary reports are descriptive and contain some wonderful photos of his adventure on the trail. Read from the comfort of an armchair, they will put you in the boots of an inspirational Heysen Trail walker.

Josh is not one to rest after his Heysen achievement, He is currently walking the Camino de Santiago.

As an Ambassador for the Heysen, Josh will continue to promote walking this fabulous long-distance trail. The Friends appreciate his support in meeting our goals of expanding  interest, knowledge and engagement with the trail.

In addition to the Friends website, anyone with a desire to explore long-distance Heysen hiking can check out Josh’s detailed information at www.trekkingwest.com/

The Friends’ Walking with Children Policy

Posted on

The Friends of the Heysen Trail supports broad involvement in our walking program and offers various levels of walks to assist people to engage in walks with nature:

  • TrailStarter grade walks 3-4 hours for those wishing to build skills and strength;
  • Trailwalker grade walks 5-7 hours over more varied terrain for those seeking challenges; and
  • End-to-End programs taking up to 6 years to cover the 1200km Heysen

The Friends of the Heysen Trail recognises that some members may wish to be accompanied by their children on suitable walks. The Friends takes its responsibility for the safety of the group, walk leaders and family with children seriously and has had regard to the relevant legislation and guidelines related to Working with Children. Consequently, the Friends sets out the policy guide to clarify how the organisation will help ensure we meet those commitments.

View Policy

The Policy Guideline was adopted by FoHT Council 15 May 2019.

Grounded in Truth Walking Together.

Posted on

Serpents Tongue, Ochre Point, Moana – Tjilbruke Trail south of Adelaide. Tjilbruke Trail info kaurnaculture.wordpress.com

Grounded in Truth Walking Together:
Friends of the Heysen Trail recognise and respect National Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June 2019.

The Friends is proud to commence a process of re/learning stories of Aboriginal connection along the 30+ years of the Heysen Trail.

We respect the traditional owners past and present and respect their continued relationship to country.

The following articles from recent issues of the Trailwalker magazine outline some initiatives that the Friends are undertaking.

Reconciliation

Read about Reconciliation from End to End 8 walker Mark Waters.

A Shared Journey to Reconciliation

Mark Waters, then State Manager Reconciliation SA, gave a presentation to the Friends’ Council in December 2018.

Friends of the Heysen Trail and Reconciliation

Since Mark’s presentation in December, Council has introduced plans to bring recognition and respect to the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Heysen Trail passes.

These initiatives are still being discussed with Aboriginal Elders, Reconciliation SA and the Department for Environment and Water (DEW).

In her President’s Report of the last issue of Trailwalker (Autumn 2019), Melanie Sjoberg introduced draft wording for an Acknowledgement to Country which End-to-End groups can use as they traverse Aboriginal country on the trail. That Acknowledgement, while still under discussion with Traditional Owners/Native Title Holders.

The Friends also have formed a Reconciliation Committee whose members will meet with Aboriginal stakeholders, Reconciliation SA and DEW to discuss opportunities for sharing stories along the Heysen Trail.

The theme for this year’s National Reconciliation Week (31 May – 3 June) is Grounded in Truth – Walk Together in Courage. This theme has resonance for the Friends and all users of the Heysen Trail.

Book Launch: Heysen Highlights Sunday 14 April

Posted on

During this Sunday's Hiking Expo we'll be officially launching our Heysen Highlights book

During this Sunday’s Hiking Expo in Belair National Park we’ll be officially launching our Heysen Highlights: A companion guide to the Heysen Trail book.

The book will be launched by John Schutz, Chief Executive of Department for Environment and Water, as part of the Hiking Expo ceremonies at 12noon.

Author Simon Cameron will be on hand to sign any copies purchased on the day. Simon joined the Friends of the Heysen Trail in 2001, the same year that he started walking the Trail. He has never stopped walking it. As anyone who has had the joy of walking with Simon will known, there is so much to see and so much to discover along the Trail that there never will be a reason to stop.

In this companion guide the Heysen Trail is broken into 58 sections, for each day there is an overview of what to expect and what to look out for when hiking. By explaining the historical context, of the Aboriginal people, European explorers and settlers and the development of the trail, walkers can enrich their experience of the trail and its landscape.

Hearing about Reconciliation from E2E8 walker Mark Waters

Posted on

We were privileged at the December meeting of Council to have the opportunity to hear a presentation about Reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from one of our members. Mark Waters completed the trail with E2E8 in August and worked within Reconciliation SA for eight years. The presentation initially arose from members of E2E8 asking questions about what Aboriginal country we cross as we walk along the trail. This led the group to decide to commence its walks with an Acknowledgement of Country. It seems awareness was growing among Friends as similar discussions had occurred during a couple of other E2E walks I joined last year. Mark took the initiative to write to the Friends about generating a broader discussion.

The Reconciliation SA website outlines the following information:

‘Reconciliation’ is about Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians talking, walking and working together to overcome the reasons that there is division and inequality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. Reconciliation has both symbolic and practical elements. A spirit of goodwill, mutual respect and recognition of the effects of colonisation on Australia’s first people are the symbolic cornerstones of reconciliation effort.

In South Australia, an Acknowledgement of Country is a way of showing respect and awareness of Aboriginal owners of the land on which a meeting or event is being held, and of recognising the continuing connection of Aboriginal peoples to their Country. It is a demonstration of respect dedicated to the traditional custodians of the land or sea where the gathering of participants is being conducted. Government agencies and community organisations are adopting the practice of acknowledging the traditional custodians of Country at events, ceremonies, meetings and functions.

Awareness about Aboriginal history in SA and connection to country has grown since the Heysen Trail was developed 30 years ago. Council members were very interested and receptive to the discussion and felt that it was a good opportunity for the Friends to consider how we can understand more about the deep history of the areas we traverse. This is likely to be an ongoing conversation within the Friends and will also be raised at our next meeting with senior officers from the Department for Environment and Water, as owners of the trail.

Our new book Heysen Highlights includes a map identifying Aboriginal language groups along the Heysen Trail. Members are strongly encouraged to find out more and to consider showing respect through an Acknowledgement of Country at relevant times during the walk season. Council will provide further information about the Aboriginal lands that the trail traverses and a guide for appropriate words that may be used by walking groups.

Melanie Sjoberg
President, Friends of the Heysen trail