Photo courtesy of @creber295, 17/04/2015, titled ‘5 hour wait for 120mm of rain to settle so we could get through.’ https://instagram.com/p/1kjFboo4Hm/
Heavy rains on Friday in the Flinders and to an extent in the Mid North will be welcomed by this season’s hikers on the Heysen Trail.
During audits conducted from January to early April we were aware that some tanks were low, and with the hiking season starting soon (with the end of the Bushfire Danger Season) we were about to remind hikers to be vigilant with water planning.
The advice though should always be followed: when planning multi-day walks and camping, ensure that upon entering a campsite you still have sufficient water to make it to a known water supply, should the water tank be found to be unexpectedly too low.
We anticipate that Friday’s rains have had a positive effect on tank levels. Reports late night suggest that Yanyanna Hut, which we knew to be almost empty, has been filled to half full. We knew of a number of other tanks that had fallen to 1/4 level, and we hope they too have been filled.
The rains will be welcomed by farmers, and we hope will bring new life to the landscape.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s 8th April 2015 assessment lists much of the area of the southern 2/3 of the trail as facing a Serious or Severe Deficiency in rainfall. Heavy rains that fell over Easter only resulted in 1-5mm of rain (low) in the northern Mt Lofty Ranges and Flinders Ranges.