Walks & Events

Walk Leader Training

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Some people find leading a walk to be a very rewarding experience.

Do you have a favourite walk that you would like to share with others?
Are you interested or considering leading one or more walks for the Friends?

Why don’t you give it a try?

Prospective leaders or anyone thinking about what is involved are welcome to attend the Walk Leader Training scheduled for Saturday 15th October.

The half day session will lead you through the basics of what is involved in leading a walk.

To start the day, a panel of experienced leaders will introduce the skills needed to lead a walk. You may find that you have them already.

Depending on your interest or experience, you may prefer to lead short walk such as a Summer walk or a Trail Starter. The day will also cover what is involved with leading a Trailwalker or even End to End walks.

There will be an interactive session to answer your questions. After that attendees will break into small groups to plan a walk.

You can find out more about the event and register here.
After registering you will receive some information to help you prepare for the training. This will be sent out a few days prior to the day.

The Walk Committee will support you.

This is a great opportunity to understand what is involved in leading a walk with the Friends of the Heysen Trail.
Our many walking members need leaders, so other leaders will help you!

Invitation to The Friends 2022 Christmas Gathering

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Invitation

Members and Volunteers of The Friends Christmas gathering

Lets celebrate another year of working and walking on the Heysen.

Date and Time : Sunday November 13th, 12 noon to 4.30 pm

Place: Karka Pavilion, Belair National Park

What to bring: BYO food, drinks, chairs, a rug, cutlery or anything else you need to share the day with walking friends and your families.

Cost and Booking: There is no charge for this event but you need to book so we can give Belair National Park some idea of numbers.   heysentrail.asn.au/event/xmas-bash-2022-2022/

Bookings  open September 19th at 9am  or call  the Office on 8212 6299.

Bookings close on Friday  November  7th .

Park entry fees are waived for attending members and guests. On entry, just mention you’re with Friends of the Heysen Trail.

The Friends of the Heysen Trail 2023 calendar – final call for photos

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Have you taken any great photos of the Heysen Trail?

The Friends of the Heysen Trail 2023 calendar is currently being compiled and we need your photos!

Win a free calendar!

Submit your photos for the 2023 calendar for a chance to win a free copy.

Photos must feature the Heysen Trail. There is a maximum of six photos per person.

Photos need to be landscape shaped and meet minimum technical requirements, generally a 7 mega pixel camera on the highest image quality setting.

We prefer photos that do not contain close up images of people.

Closing date for contributions is Monday 26th September. If your photo is selected for inclusion in the calendar, you will receive a complimentary copy.

Email your photos to trailwalker@heysentrail.asn.au

Email size can be up to 25MB (however your email provider may not allow emails of that size).

The Friends Office to reopen on Tuesday 1st February, 2022 – but operations limited due to COVID.

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Office Volunteers Information Day cancelled due to concerns over COVID

After a break over Christmas, our Office Volunteers were to attend our annual Volunteer’s Information Day on Monday.

However due to the current COVID outbreak we have cancelled the meeting.

The Office will re-open for restricted operations – but will remain closed to visitors

As of Tuesday we will have a limited number of volunteers in attendance at the Office.
As a further precaution against the spread of COVID, the Office will not be open to visitors or customers.

Our volunteers will be available from 10.30am to 2.30pm to undertake the following administrative tasks:

  • Attend to emails and phone calls,
  • Process On-line shop orders, Membership enquiries and renewals,
  • Answer questions about walking the Heysen Trail,
  • Walk registrations can be made using our online walk calendar but you can also contact the Office if you need assistance.

Full contact details can be found on our website at heysentrail.asn.au/contact

As there will be a limited number of volunteers in attendance and we already have to deal with correspondence received over the break, please be patient if there is a delay in responding to your enquiry.

Access to the Trail over the Fire Danger period

We remind walkers that many sections of the Heysen Trail remain closed over summer and through April. You can find more information about the closures on our Fire Danger Season page.

We will be monitoring advice from SA Health as the situation develops

We trust you will understand the precautions we are taking in the interest of safeguarding the health of our volunteers and their families.

We intend to reopen the Office for ‘drop-in customer’ service as soon as it is considered safe to do so.

Our 2021-22 Summer walks commence this week.

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As the walking season has come to a close, the arrival of warmer evenings and daylight saving has heralded the beginning of our Summer Walks. These are generally a 1.5-2 hour evening walk most weeks until March. Some longer walks may be held during the day.

The full programme will soon be listed on our walk calendar but here are the details for the first five walks:

Friday 29th October, 6pm: Semaphore/West Lakes/Tennyson

This is a summer/sunset 10klm loop walk, taking in the views from the lake and hopefully the sunset from the Tennyson trail and viewing platform. Their will be an optional dinner at the Big Shed brewery after the walk.

View Walk

Wednesday 3rd November 6pm: Springfield-Waite

A suburban hike through leafy (but rather hilly) Springfield, skirting Carrick Hill and Waite Conservation Park with a smidge of the Yurrebilla Trail.

View Walk

Wednesday 10th November 6pm: Wirraparinga Loop

A walk along the 5km Wirraparinga Loop Trail in Brownhill Recreation Park, with a detour along the Springbank Trail. Optional dinner or a refreshment at nearby Edinburgh Hotel.

View Walk

Thursday 18th November 8am: Old Noarlunga Loop

A brisk morning wake up walk taking in the lower reaches of the Onkaparinga River and with a serious climb to deliver views across to the coast.

View Walk

Wednesday 24th November 6.00pm: Torrens Linear Park – Lockleys

This walk winds along the River Torrens linear path. An easy 6 km walk, with no hills. Enjoy the wildlife, reed beds and gum trees abundant with birdlife. There will be a post walk dinner at the nearby Lockleys Hotel.

View Walk

Walk fees

Pay with either option:

  • a Golden Boots pass, which are accepted for Twilight walks
  • Summer walk casual fees are $5.00 ($1.00 for walkers under 18 years of age)

Register on-line or via the Office

If you don’t have a Golden Boots pass, you can purchase one when you register for the walk. Just click on the Golden Boots pass payment option. A Golden Boots pass costs $75 and can be used on Summer, End to End and Trail Starter/Trailwalker walks for 12 months from the day of purchase.

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

Christmas Gathering 2021

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Come along and join in the fun at the Friends’ 2021 Christmas gathering at Port Adelaide’s Pirate Life Brewery.

  • Pirate Life Brewery, 18 Baker Street, Port Adelaide. View Interactive Map
  • 12pm to 4pm, Sunday 28th November 2021
  • Cost $56 per person plus $0.50c booking fee (includes all food served in a cocktail grazing style throughout the afternoon plus 2 drinks – soft, beer or wine)
  • Family and friends welcome

Bookings and payment for this event are via TryBooking, which enables tickets for Friends and family members to be purchased at the same time – https://www.trybooking.com/815457 

Hope to see you there!

Get your Friends Calendar before the Office Closure.

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Friends 2021 Calendar now in stock

The Friends 2021 Calendar is now available for pick up from the Office. If you’ve ordered a calendar for delivery by post, we have started sending them to you.

It is not too late to order copies – they are available from the on-line shop. You can also call into the Office or phone us

Office closure

If you plan on picking up your calendar or other Christmas gifts, please note that our Office will close at 2.30 pm on Friday December 11th 2020.

We are giving our volunteers a well-earned break. They will return for our Office Volunteers Information Day on Monday February 1st 2021. The Office will re-open for business the following day, Tuesday February 2nd.

Online Shop Sales

While the office is closed, our online shop will remain open for business. Over the break, shop orders will be despatched within 5 working days.

If you want to shop for last minute Christmas purchases we will process and post out any orders received by midday Wednesday December 16th, on that day.

Please note that Australia Post has advised that for delivery by Christmas (within Australia) the following timeframes will apply:
  • Send Parcel Post by Saturday 12 December 2020.
  • Send Express Post by Saturday 19 December 2020.
  • For sending letters within Australia this Christmas, Australia Post’s standard delivery timeframes apply.

Register for Walks

You can also still register for walks online during the break.

Our 2020-21 Twilight/Summer walks commence in November.

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As the walking season has come to a close, the arrival of warmer evenings and daylight saving has heralded the beginning of our Twilight/Summer Walks. There is a 1.5-2 hour evening walk most weeks until March. Some longer walks may be held during the day.

The full programme will soon be listed on our walk calendar but here are the details for the first four walks:

Wed 4th November 6.15pm: Wirraparinga Trail Loop Plus A Bit

A gentle walk along the 5km Wirraparinga Trail in Brownhill Recreation Park, plus a bit of an add on. Optional dinner or a refreshment at nearby Edinburgh Hotel.

View Walk

Wednesday 11th November 6pm: Randell Park, Mitcham

A somewhat uphill walk through Randell Park with views over the city as the reward.

View Walk

Thursday 19th November 6pm: Torrens Linear Park (Lockleys)

This walk winds along the River Torrens linear path. An easy 6 km walk, with no hills. Dinner afterwards at the Lockleys Hotel.

View Walk

Friday 27th November 6pm: Stirling Dinner walk

A 9-10 km loop starts with an uphill section into Stirling. Then downhill to enjoy our dinner and fellowship at the Stirling Golf Club.

View Walk

Walk fees

Pay with either option:

  • a Golden Boots pass, which are accepted for Twilight walks
  • Twilight walk casual fees are $5.00 ($1.00 for walkers under 18 years of age)

Register online or via the office

If you don’t have a Golden Boots pass, you can purchase one when you register for the walk. Just click on the Golden Boots pass payment option.

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

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

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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

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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