Friends

The Friend’s Trail Maintenance Shed Open Day – Saturday November 25, 2017.

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Inside our Maintenance Shed at Cobbler Creek

Did you know the Friends of the Heysen Trail operates a Maintenance Shed at the Cobbler Creek Recreation Park?

Wondering what goes on behind the scenes of the Trail Development and Maintenance program?

Did you know we have a working partnership with the Work for the Dole scheme to produce toilets and platforms?

Come along to the Friend’s Shed Open Day

  • Find out more about the infrastructure and maintenance program.
  • Socialise with like-minded members, free BBQ and drinks on offer.

Details and how to register…

When       Saturday November 25 2017, 11.00am to 2.00pm.

Where    ‘The Shed’, Cobbler Creek Conservation Park, east of the intersection of Smith and Bridge Rds, Salisbury East.

All you need to bring is a chair and hat.  BBQ and drinks will be supplied

Register for the free event

We have work ready to do now:

By Christmas we will have 3 new toilets and 15 camping platforms ready to install at a range of locations along the trail.

  • Are you interested in helping with the installation project? You don’t need to be highly skilled, although some lifting work may be involved.
  • Would you like to be notified of future maintenance events ( i.e. weekday or weekend trail trips, our End to End Maintenance weekends and shed work days)? We have a range of work to be done including ‘lighter’ jobs such as pruning along the trail and painting huts.

Do you have home handy person/building skills?

Our Hut Maintenance Co-ordinator needs more assistance.

If you are a skilled home handyperson or tradesperson and are willing to participate in one or two maintenance trips per year with a small group, please put your name on the list below. Typical work includes carpentry, painting, roofing, plumbing, glazing and plastering.

If you can help in any of these areas, please let us know.

You can leave your name to enter your availability preferences and interests/skills and we will add you to our Maintenance Volunteers mailing list.

Join Mailing List

This is your chance to ‘give a bit back to the trail’.

Changes to walk booking arrangements – Golden Boots and Multiwalk Cards

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We have recently made changes to our walk booking arrangements. The major change was to discontinue the sale of Multiwalk passes.

Council recently approved changes to walk booking arrangements to simplify our website redevelopment project. In addition to the discontinuation of multiwalk passes Golden Boots passes can now be used on Twilight walks.

When registering for walk, walkers now have the choice of  using:

  • the casual walk fee option of $8 per walk or
  • a Golden Boots pass (unlimited walks over 12 months at a cost of $60).

The concessional rate of $1 per walk for walkers under the age of 18 years will remain in place.

We have advised existing Multiwalk passholders of transitional arrangements available to them until the time that their Multiwalk pass would have expired.

We trust you will appreciate the exceptional value available through the purchase of a Golden Boots pass and the convenience of having to pay only once a year for the cost of your walks.

If you have any questions about these changes or problems registering for your next walk, please contact the Office.

The Friends elect their first female President

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Our new President, Melanie Sjoberg, walking the trail.

At the Friends Annual General meeting last Friday, the Friends welcomed Melanie Sjoberg to the role of President.

Melanie is a dedicated walker and in addition brings with her a wealth of organisational and negotiation skills.  She recently retired from the position as Director in the Office for the Public Sector SA Govt.

Melanie completed walking  the Heysen Trail in August 2014 with our E2E 4 group. Since then she has continued her connection with the Friends by joining the Lavender Federation Trail walks.

Melanie has provided the following thoughts on her role:

“As I follow a long line of dedicated people, I’m conscious of the challenges but also proud to be the first woman President. I am committed to the beauty and diversity of the Heysen, hence enthusiastic about its continued prominence as an SA icon.  On that basis I’m open to any thoughts, ideas or feedback members may wish to share.”

If you wish to pass on any comments or ideas to Melanie, you can do so by sending her an email at the Friends office, heysentrail@heysentrail.asn.au.

Melanie has taken the reins from our Past President (and now Vice President) Robert Alcock. Robert also spoke at the AGM about the many memories he has of the friendship he developed and the many walks undertaken during his 6 year term. Robert’s contribution was heartily acknowledged by those in attendance.

So thank you Robert and congratulations Melanie – welcome to the position of President of the Friends of the Heysen Trail and other Walking Trails.

Vale Jamie Shephard, past President of Friends of the Heysen Trail

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Vale Jamie Sheppard, past President of Friends of the Heysen Trail

Vale Jamie Shephard, past President of Friends of the Heysen Trail

The Friends of the Heysen Trail are saddened by the passing of our highly esteemed past President Jamie Shephard on 27 December, 2016. Jamie was active in all facets of the walking community, and a most generous host of social functions for the members. Jamie will be remembered as a true gentleman and friend to all who knew him, and he will be very sadly missed in the wider community.

Vale Jamie Sheppard, past President of Friends of the Heysen Trail

Our Wednesday evening Twilight Walks start on November 2nd.

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Daylight saving is here and with the approach of warmer weather, our Wednesday evening Twilight walks are about to start.

Walks commence at 6pm and are 1.5 to 2 hours in duration. They are designed to be quite relaxed and often followed by an optional dinner

Cost is $5 per walk, MultiWalk (although not Golden Boots) passes are accepted.

Register online or via the office.

Check out some of the upcoming walks below, or view the full program.

Marino sheep walk

6pm Wed 2nd November

Agricultural qualifications not required for this walk. In addition to seeing sheep you will explore secret gullies, cliff top paths, artworks, parks, lighthouse, amazing rocky beach and stunning city and sea views. End the evening with dinner, if you wish.

View Walk

Thai on Hutt

6pm Wed 9th November

Richard has found a short walk through the eastern parklands on level ground! Stop for a Thai dinner and then walk back to your cars. Sounds like a treat.

View Walk

Fifth Creek Wade

6pm Wed 16th November

A pleasant amble along fifth Creek, from its beginning at the Torrens to where we leave it at Black Hill. Dinner at the Rezz Hotel.

View Walk

Western Torrens Linear Park

6pm Wed 23rd November

This walk takes us along the River Torrens linear path. Optional dinner at the Lockleys Hotel.

View Walk

Friends win awards at Walking SA Awards Presentation

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President Robert accepts the Walking SA Award

President Robert accepts the Walking SA Award

14681725_1266883953355764_7727399999955805516_njulian-7220879_nThe Friends won an award on Thursday night at the Walking SA Awards for South Australia, for our work on the HeysenTrail and for our End-to-End walking program.
Special Recognition Award – Organisation – http://bit.ly/2dyLYCo

Two of our members also won Walking SA Awards for Longstanding Contribution – Individual. Colin and Julian were awarded for an enormous amount of work they have put in over many many years.

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Listen to Radio Interview with Ron Kandelaars on 891 ABC Adelaide, 13 July 2016

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Friends of the Heysen Trail ambassador, Ron Kandelaars, was interviewed today by Ian Henshke on 891 ABC Adelaide.

He discusses walking South Australia’s 1200 kilometre long Heysen Trail as a great bucket list item, and our organisation’s End-to-End Walking Program. He also interviews Katrina Gillespie who is walking the trail with her two teenage sons and husband together, to set aside their digital devices and walk the Heysen Trail together as a shared experience.

Listen to the interview on SoundCloud.

Volunteers Sought for Trail Development

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Much of the Heysen Trail infrastructure is now 30 years old.

The Friends Trail Development Committee have plans for many upgrades to both the trail and walker facilities. These plans include –

  1. Trail remarking and track work – a 3 year project commenced this year.
  2. Camp site facilities – toilets, water tanks and benches are planned for more sites.
  3. Hut upgrades to include benches, seats, painting etc.
  4. New huts are being considered at White Park; Simmons Hill; Cuddlee Creek and a Freemans hut replacement.
  5. Rebuilding the Waitpinga Beach sand ladder.

You can help

We need help to get these projects moving, both in the field and at our Cobbler Creek shed.

  • Waitpinga Beach walkway: We need a team to urgently undertake work on the sand ladder. The existing structure is in a dilapidated condition.
  • Cobbler Creek shed, Salisbury East. Urgent work is required to produce items needed for the campsites and huts. We propose to initially open the shed once a month, on a Tuesday from 9 am to 3 pm, for this work.

We would love to hear from anyone with time available and an interest in the trail to HELP us.

Contact us to discuss how you can help.

The trail needs us, please help.

Welcome to our new Ambassador: Ron Kandelaars

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Ron Kandelaars, ambassador of the Friends of the Heysen Trail

Ron Kandelaars, ambassador of the Friends of the Heysen Trail

We welcome Ron Kandelaars as our new Friends of the Heysen Trail Ambassador.

At the recent Walk for the Heysen event President Robert welcomed Ron into the role, and presented him with an Ambassador certificate. We all welcome Ron into the Friends family.

Since commencing his media career in the late 1970s, Ron has been involved in many roles, including:

  • A permanent two day a week reporter’s role with Channel Seven in Adelaide gathering stories across South Australia
  • A regular contributor of “Off The Beaten Track” radio segments on ABC 891 and the corporation’s South Australian regional radio network
  • Writer/producer/presenter with Channel Nine’s popular, long running, and multi-award winning travel program ‘Postcards’. In 2011, Ron was awarded South Australian of the Year (Tourism) in the Advantage SA South Australian of the Year Awards; and Outstanding Contribution by an Individual in the South Australian Tourism Awards
  • Public relations consultant for a variety of corporate and government clients working on both South Australian and national issues.

Walk for the Heysen, inaugural fundraising event, 22nd May 2016 Mt Crawford Forest

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2016 Walk for the Heysen

2016 Walk for the Heysen

Sunday 22 May 2016 from 9.30 am
Fromm’s Farm, Mount Road, Mount Crawford

Please join us for the Warren Bonython Heysen Trail Foundation’s inaugural fundraising event.

Proceeds of the Foundation’s fund raising activities are currently used to support greening activities along the Heysen Trail and the restoration of fire damaged sections of the Trail.

There will be three loop walk options of:

  • 5 km
  • 8 km
  • 15 km

All walks depart from and arrive back to the Fromm’s Farm camp-site. Walks are designed to suit all ages and standards of walking fitness.

In keeping with the tradition of the Walk for Warren established by us, the theme for the day will be yellow and a prize consisting of a Heysen Trail merchandise pack to the value of $100 will offered for the best sartorial contribution on the day.

After the walk grab a sausage off the BBQ at the Fromm’s Farm camp-site. Or bring your picnic while enjoying some cool blues with “Deuces Wild”. Fromm’s Farm offers a Large shelter shed and a Picnic area with space to relax.

The cost of registration is $30 for adults, $5 for children and $50 for families.

Register Now

You may also choose to make a one-off donation to the Foundation through the Foundation’s cause page.

Please note that the Foundation’s application to be registered as an environmental charity is still pending and donations at this point in time are unfortunately not tax deductible.

Download brochure:

Walk for Heysen brochure