Trail Status (Open/Close)

Animal control program on the Fleurieu Peninsula, 19-30 September 2022

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Map of the Wild South Coast Way, the Heysen Trail along the southern coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula

Warning to walkers on the Wild South Coast Way on the Heysen Trail.

There will be an extensive aerial cull of feral deer on the Fleurieu Peninsula by PIRSA and other organisations, with the support of local landholders, between 19 and 30 of September 2022.

Walkers may be affected if in the region of  Boat Harbour Beach, Tunkalilla Beach and the trail to Ballaparudda Creek campground.

The cull will use helicopters carrying thermal technology to detect deer, allowing them to be culled even in dense scrub. Flights will be on week days and weekends, mainly around dawn and dusk, when thermal cameras can detect targets most easily.

The Wild South Coast Way will remain open to walkers during the operation

No shoot and low flying buffers will be put in place around the Wild South Coast Way (Heysen Trail) and Bullaparudda campground, as well as public roads and infrastructure.

There is no risk to people or livestock, but if you are in affected areas you may hear low flying helicopters and the sound of gun shots in the distance.

You can find out more information about the operation on the Parks Closure and Alerts page.

Bio Security alert – Be aware of the potential dangers of Foot & Mouth Disease

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With the increasing risk of Foot and Mouth Disease (F&MD) being introduced to Australia, it is essential that walkers take precautions to combat the potential spread of FM&D and other soil borne diseases.

As the Heysen Trail (and many other walking trails) traverse private properties, it is important that we respect and protect the agricultural activities that are conducted by landholders.

What we can do to stop the spread

Therefore walkers are asked to clean your footwear, clothing and equipment, including walking poles, so they are free from mud, animal manure and mucus.

  1. Use a stiff brush to clean boots & poles to remove dirt and seeds,
  2. Wash the equipment in water to remove any remaining contaminants,
  3. If possible, immerse your boots in a foot bath
  4. If a foot bath is not available, use a spray bottle with any of the following cleaning agents:
    • soap,
    • detergent,
    • bleach,
    • vinegar,
    • citric acid,
    • percarbonate.

Find out more about Foot and Mouth Disease (F&MD).

Heysen Trail closure through the Buckaringa Sanctuary, Friday 26th to Monday 29th August 2022.

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The Buckaringa Sanctuary will be temporarily closed for 3 days in late August 2022. As the Heysen Trail passes through the sanctuary, we advise walkers to consider the closure if planning to walk in the area.

The closure will commence on the evening of Friday 26th August and continue until the morning of  Monday 29th August 2022.

 

 

The Buckaringa Wildlife Sanctuary is home to many Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies and is located between Quorn and Hawker. You can find it on map 6, chapter 4, of the Heysen Trail Northern Guidebook and on Sheet Map 7b – Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park to Mernmerna Creek.

The Heysen Trail enters the southern boundary of the sanctuary at grid reference 195 440. The northern section on the trail exits the sanctuary at 257 490.

The closure affects the trail in the following walk sections:

51 Warren Gorge to Buckaringa Gorge

52 Buckaringa Gorge to Callabrinda Creek

The closure is because the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) will be undertaking feral animal control in the sanctuary.

AWC will place closure signs at all entry points to the sanctuary to warn walkers of the danger.

Heysen Trail closure through the Buckaringa Sanctuary, Friday 1st July to Wednesday 6th July 2022.

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The Buckaringa Sanctuary will be temporarily closed for 5 days in early July 2022. As the Heysen Trail passes through the sanctuary, we advise walkers to consider the closure if planning to walk in the area.

The closure was originally planned for early June. Due to a number of factors the new dates for the closure are :

  • Commencing at 5pm on the evening of  Friday 1st July through to 8am on Wednesday 6th July 2022.

 

The sanctuary is home to many Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies and is located between Quorn and Hawker. You can find it on map 6, chapter 4, of the Heysen Trail Northern Guidebook and on Sheet Map 7b – Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park to Mernmerna Creek.

The closure affects the trail in the following walk sections:

51 Warren Gorge to Buckaringa Gorge

52 Buckaringa Gorge to Callabrinda Creek

 

The closure is because the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) will be undertaking feral animal control in the sanctuary.

AWC will place closure signs at all entry points to the sanctuary to warn walkers of the danger.

Heysen Trail closure near the Buckaringa Sanctuary, 26th to 30th August and 7th to 11th October 2021

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The Buckaringa Sanctuary will be temporarily closed over 2 weekends in late August and mid-October 2021. As the Heysen Trail passes close to the sanctuary, we advise walkers to consider the closure if planning to walk in the area.

  • The planned closures are : 
  • Evening of Thursday 26 August to Morning of Monday 30 August
  • Evening of Thursday 7 October to Morning of Monday 11 October

 

The sanctuary is home to many Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies and is located between Quorn and Hawker. You can find it on map 6, chapter 4, of the Heysen Trail Northern Guidebook and on Sheet Map 7b – Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park to Mernmerna Creek.

The closure is because the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) will be undertaking feral animal control in the sanctuary.

AWC will place closure signs at all entry points to the sanctuary to warn walkers of the danger.

Reminder of a change to the Heysen Trail in the former Bundaleer Forest.

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We remind walkers that, as previously announced, there have been a series of changes to the Heysen Trail in the vicinity of Curnows Hut and the former Bundaleer Forest.

In the ‘Heysen Trail reopens on Saturday May 1st 2021‘ news item, we referred to a number of  re-routes along the trail.

One of those, Item 3 Bundaleer, advised a change of the route in April 2021 to follow the Bundaleer Greenway. That re-route considerably lengthened the trail.

On 30 June 2021 we updated the news item to say that the Department of Environment and Water had reversed that re-route.

As a result the original trail between Curnows Hut and New Campbell Hill has been reinstated.

This is a significant change to the trail between Curnows Hut and Raeville. That walk, shown as Section 35 of the Heysen Trail Walk Selector, returns to 20 kms.

Any reference to the change of the trail to follow the Bundaleer Greenway was removed from our website Re-route page in June.

August edition of the Trailwalker

The upcoming August edition of the Trailwalker magazine, contains an article ‘Heysen Trail Route News’.

The article on page 7 includes an item headed ‘Bundaleer Forest’. The item describes the April 2021 change to follow the Greenway.

That article was written prior to the 30 June reinstatement of the original route.

In order to eliminate any confusion, we confirm that the Heysen Trail again follows the route as shown on the Heysen Trail Mapsheet 5A & the Northern Guidebook Map 1.4.

That is also the route shown on the Heysen Trail GPX file 16/2/2021 v4.0 and the corresponding version of the Heysen Trail Interactive Map.

Heysen Trail closure near the Buckaringa Sanctuary, Thursday 3rd June to Tuesday 8th June 2021.

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The Buckaringa Sanctuary will be temporarily closed early in June. As the Heysen Trail passes close to the sanctuary, we advise walkers to consider the closure if planning to walk in the area.

The planned closure is:

  • Thursday evening 3rd June to Tuesday morning 8th June 2021.

 

The sanctuary is home to many Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies and is located between Quorn and Hawker. You can find it on map 6, chapter 4, of the Heysen Trail Northern Guidebook and on Sheet Map 7b – Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park to Mernmerna Creek.

The closure is because the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) will be undertaking feral animal control in the sanctuary.

AWC will place closure signs at all entry points to the sanctuary to warn walkers of the danger.

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

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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 Closure – Southern Flinders Ranges

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Walkers are advised that access to the Heysen Trail in the Southern Flinders Ranges will be restricted  from 6 am  Saturday, 21 November 2020 until 2pm Friday, 27 November 2020.

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.

The Heysen Trail is closed over the Fire Danger Season. The Country Fire Service has  already announced the commencement of the Fire Danger Season for the Mid North & Flinders Districts.  As a result, the Heysen Trail is now closed in those areas.

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.

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 21st  to 27th November.

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.

Walkers warned of night closure of trails in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park for the next 12 months through to October 31st 2021.

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Feral animal control continues in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

The Department for Environment & Water has advised that the existing feral animal control program being undertaken in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park will continue over the next year.

Multiple walking trails within Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park will be closed every night until Sunday 31 October 2021. Walkers are advised to exercise caution in the area as the trails will be closed for the purpose of a pest control program. The program is being conducted after dark in the vicinity of the following tracks.

  • Trezona Track
  • Mount Sunderland Track
  • Rifle Range Track
  • Old Blinman Track
  • Jones Camp Track
  • Telegraph Track
  • *St Mary Peak (outside trail)
  • *Cooinda Track
  • Pound Gap Track

Evening/night time closures will occur through to Sunday 31st October 2021.

As daylight hours vary over the period of the night time control program, there are a range of closure times. They are:

  • Saturday 1 November 2020 and Sunday 31 January 2021
    9pm to 5am
  • Sunday 31 January 2021 and Sunday 28 February 2021
    8:30pm to 5am
  • Sunday 28 February 2021 and Friday 30 April 2021
    8pm to 5am
  • Friday 30 April 2021 and Saturday 31 July 2021
    6pm to 5am
  • Saturday 31 July 2021 and Thursday 30 September 2021
    6:30pm to 5am
  • Thursday 30 September 2021 and Sunday 31 October 2021
    8:30pm to 5am

The tracks and walking trails will remain open outside of these times.

*Additional summer closures apply to some trails within Wilpena Pound from 6pm Monday 30 November 2020 until 6am Monday 1 March 2021.

The purpose of the extended closures is to ensure the safety of the public during a feral cat control program to be conducted after dark. The aim is to protect the populations of recently reintroduced Western Quolls and Brushtail Possums.

During the period of the evening/night closures, the Heysen Trail will remain open. 

During the Fire Danger Season, walkers should be aware that most sections of the Heysen Trail are closed.

However, walkers still have access to the section of the trail passes through the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park (and other public areas), unless a total fire ban has been announced for the day.

However walkers must:

  • remain in designated campgrounds and huts, or
  • camp within 20 metres of the Heysen Trail within the park after dark.

If you are camping in the park, you may see spotlights and occasionally hear firearms in the distance at night. The Rangers have advised that the control program will not take place in the vicinity of campgrounds or huts.

Access to the Heysen Trail during the Fire Danger Season

For more information on walker access to the Heysen Trail over the fire danger season, including sections that remain open, check this page.

Further information

You can get further information on the feral animal control program and these trail closures on the Parks Alerts page or from

The National Parks & Wildlife Service – Port Augusta.

Phone: (+61 8) 8648 5300

Email:  DEW.SAALParksAccommodation@sa.gov.au