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Invitation to The Friends 2022 Christmas Gathering
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.
Animal control program on the Fleurieu Peninsula, 19-30 September 2022
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.
The Friends of the Heysen Trail 2023 calendar – final call for photos
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).
Kuitpo – Jupiter Creek temporary re-route, June 2022
This is a temporary re-route
View pdf map showing re-route
This reroute is in the Jupiter Creek Plantation on Mapsheet 2A and Southern Guidebook Map 3.1.
It follows the eastern edge of the plantation along Pocock Road from the intersection with Bassham Road (Grid Reference 955 107) until the car park at GR 953 117. It then follows the northern edge of the forest until it reconnects with the Trail at GR 947 120.
Walkers should take care not to enter the logging area shown on the map and to beware of logging trucks using the haul roads to Pocock Road.
This reroute is likely to remain in place for the rest of 2022.
View all re-routes for the Map 2: Kuitpo Forest to Tanunda (Sept 2014)
View all re-routes for the Re-Routes
Kuitpo – Christmas Hill temporary re-route, June 2022
This is a temporary re-route
View pdf map showing re-route
This re-route is in the Christmas Hill plantation on Mapsheet 1D and Southern Guidebook Map 2.9.
The Trail is diverted westwards from Grid Reference 902 987 towards Brookman Road, passing behind Woodcutters Cottage at GR 895 992. It follows Brookman Road northwards until Gate CH4 at GR 900 998 when it turns eastwards along a firebreak. The reroute will join the Trail at GR 906 996.
Walkers should take care not to enter the logging areas shown on the map and to beware of logging trucks using the haul road immediately to the north of Woodcutters Cottage.
This reroute is likely to remain in place until the end of 2022.
View all re-routes for the Map 1: Cape Jervis to Kuitpo Forest (Sept 2014)
View all re-routes for the Re-Routes
August 2022
Issue 163
Highlights include:
- Why Rush A Good Thing?
- Renovation Of Rossiters Hut
- Think Pink!
- Christmas Creek, Lamington NP
Bio Security alert – Be aware of the potential dangers of Foot & Mouth Disease
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.
- Use a stiff brush to clean boots & poles to remove dirt and seeds,
- Wash the equipment in water to remove any remaining contaminants,
- If possible, immerse your boots in a foot bath
- 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).
Temporary closure of the Heysen Trail in the Montacute Conservation Park, 25th-29th July 2022
Temporary closure of the Heysen Trail in the Montacute Conservation Park
Monday 25th to Friday 29th July, 2022
Walkers are advised of the upcoming temporary closure of the Montacute Conservation Park.
Landscape SA will be conducting a pest control program in the park and on adjoining private properties. The operational area includes the section of Heysen Trail between the eastern boundary of Montacute CP (1b Track, Forestry SA), and Valley Rd, Montacute.
The operation will be undertaken between 6.00am on Monday 25th and 6.00pm on Friday July 29th.
Walkers should note that the Conservation Park and adjoining private property will be closed during this period. As a result, there will be no public access to the sections of the Heysen and Mawson Trails within the park.
Landscape SA will install signs informing the public when the park is closed during the operations.
You can obtain further information about the Park closure from Parks SA.
Heysen Trail closure through the Buckaringa Sanctuary, Friday 26th to Monday 29th August 2022.
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 – Caroona Creek Conservation Park: May 25th-27th 2022.
Caroona Creek Conservation Park : www.visitburra.com
The Heysen Trail through the Caroona Creek Conservation Park will be closed from 6.00 am Wednesday 25th May to 6.00 pm on Friday 27th May, 2022. We advise walkers to avoid the area during this period.
Parks SA has advised us that the purpose of the closure of the entire conservation park is to protect public safety during an Aerial feral animal control program.
The Caroona Creek Conservation Park is located approximately 40 kms north of Burra between Newikie Creek and the Dares Hill Summit Road.
The trail through that area is shown on Heysen Trail Mapsheets 4A & 4B and Southern Guide Maps 6.4 & 6.5.
Other park closures
Other parks affected by the closure are:
- Mimbara Banks Conservation Park
- Hopkins Creek Conservation Park
If you have any enquiries about the Park Closure please contact the National Parks & Wildlife Service, Yorke & Mid North on (08) 8841 3400.
You can find further information on the Parks SA Alerts page.
Heysen Trail closure through the Buckaringa Sanctuary, Friday 1st July to Wednesday 6th July 2022.
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 GPX files update for GPS: 13 re-routes and corrections
A collection of re-routes and corrections of the trail path in the downloadable GPX file and Interactive Map.
These re-routes have also had a minor +3km impact on the Heysen Trail Distances.
The following re-routes, updates and corrections have been added::
- Mapsheet 2B – minor correction of display of trail route around Morialta Barns
- Mapsheet 2D – reroute of trail along Tower Rd/Ross Fire Track to take the trail off Wirra Wirra Rd
- Mapsheet 3A – minor correction of display of trail route to show it following Roennfeldt Rd near Sturt Highway
- Mapsheet 3B – minor, display Marrabel ‘Walk-in’ site on download files
- Mapsheet 4A – show reroute of trail through the southern part of Caroona Creek Conservation Park, and more accurate alignment in the northern part of the Conservation Park
- Mapsheet 5A – minor, display Bundaleer Sports ground campsite on download files
- Mapsheet 5B – show reroute of trail through main street of Crystal Brook
- Mapsheet 5B – show reroute of trail north of Bowman Park
- Mapsheet 6A – show reroute of trail in Wirrabara forest approaching Block 9 Road
- Mapsheet 6A – minor, display White Park Tank on download files. This tank will be installed in June 2022.
- Mapsheet 6B – minor realignment of route along the Pine Track
- Mapsheet 6C – minor correction of display of trail route approaching Horrocks Pass, and more accurate alignment along the pass.
- Mapsheet 6D – include alternate Heysen Trail route of the The Dutchmans Stern Hike.
Caroona Creek Newikie Creek Reroute, May 2022
View pdf map showing re-route
The Heysen Trail has been re-routed through the southern part of Caroona Creek Conservation Park as it follows Newikie Creek.
Download gpx file for loading onto your GPS unit
View all re-routes for the Map 4: Burra to Spalding (May 2015)
Bookings for the next ‘End to End’ walk from Cape Jervis open at 7.00am on Tuesday April 5th 2022
The next series of the Friends ‘End to End’ walks along the Heysen Trail is scheduled to commence from Cape Jervis on Sunday May 8th 2022.
Registrations for the first walk open at 7.00am sharp tomorrow (Tuesday April 5th 2022).
You can find out more information about the walk by reading the description in our walk calendar.
The End to End walk program section of our website provides further information about the ‘E2E’ program.
Registration is open to members of the Friends, so to save time, make sure you have created a membership account before registrations open. You will need to log into your account to register.
Temporary closure of Rossiters Hut
Renovations temporarily close Rossiters Hut on occasions during April 2022
Rossiters Hut will be closed to walkers for approximately one week commencing 30th March 2022 due to extensive renovation work being undertaken on the building.
A further closure is also planned towards the end of April. That closure is also expected to be for a week or so.
The work is being undertaken by the Friends of the Heysen Trail and ForestrySA and part funded under a Responsible Wood Community grant.
Rossiters Hut is located in the Mt Crawford Forest within the Mt Lofty Ranges fire danger region.
Many sections of the Heysen Trail are currently closed over the Fire Danger Season. The Fire Danger Season in the Mt Lofty Ranges continues through to April 30th.
However, as Rossisters is in a Forestry Reserve, walkers are able to use the Heysen Trail in the vicinity of hut, provided it is not a day of Total Fire Ban.
Please check the listing for Rossiters Hut on our website Accommodation page for the latest closure dates, as they are subject to change.
April 2022
Issue 162
Highlights include:
- Walking Trail or Muse?
- Thru Hiking on the Heysen Trail
- More than a Stroll on the Beach
- Taste of the Aussie Camino
Temporary closure of the Heysen Trail in the Montacute Conservation Park, 28th March – 1st April 2022
Temporary closure of the Heysen Trail
Montacute Conservation Park and Cudlee Creek Forest – March 28th to April 1st, 2022
Walkers are advised of the upcoming temporary closure of the Montacute Conservation Park and Cudlee Creek Forest .
Landscape SA will be conducting an aerial goat control operation in the Montacute area during the week of 27 March – 1 April 2022.
Montacute Conservation Park will be closed to the public from 6pm on Sunday the 27th of March 2022 until 6pm on Friday the 1st of April 2022. The Forestry SA Cudlee Creek Forest will also be closed during this time.
The operational area includes the section of Heysen Trail within the Cudlee Creek Forest and Montacute Conservation Park from Snake Gully Rd, Cudlee Creek, to Valley Rd, Montacute.
The Heysen Trail between the above mentioned access points will not be accessible to the public (or anyone) during these times, to ensure public safety. The affected section of the Heysen Trail can be found on Heysen Trail Mapsheets 2B & 2C.
Both of these entry points to the operational area will be staffed between approximately 7am and 6pm during the operation, to prevent access by members of the public.
You can obtain further information about the Park closure from Parks SA – Parks Alerts page.
Friends Office reopens to Visitors
Following the easing of COVID19 restrictions, the Friends Office is now open for enquiries and map purchases.
Our office hours have returned to normal: 10.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday.
Please note, we accept card transactions only and encourage visitors to wear masks.
Office closure Monday 28th March
The Office will be closed on Monday 28th March for the Volunteers Information / Training Day.
Office will reopen from 10.30am Tuesday 29th March.
Full contact details can be found on our website at heysentrail.asn.au/contact
Heysen Trail Closure – Southern Flinders Ranges Parks February & March 2022
Walkers are advised that access to the Heysen Trail in the Southern Flinders Ranges will be temporarily closed while pest control programs are undertaken in the following areas:
- Wapma Thura-Southern Flinders Ranges National Park from 6am Monday, 14th February 2022 until 2pm Friday, 18th February 2022
- Mt Brown Conservation Park and Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park from 6am Saturday, 26th February 2022 until 2pm Friday, 4th March 2022
These areas include sections of the trail on Heysen Trail Map sheets 6A, 6C and 6D and Maps 2.5, 3.7, 3.8, 4.1 and 4.2 in the Heysen Trail Northern Guidebook.
Please take note of these temporary closures and avoid the impacted sections of the trail over the dates and times mentioned above.
Note: 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 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 National Parks, Conservation Parks and Reserves, forests, public roads and vacant land provided access to these areas isn’t closed and it’s not a Declared Total Fire Ban day.
For more information about these pest control programs or park closures, contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service on (08) 8841 3400. You can also view a full list of park closures and alerts on the Parks SA Alerts page.
The Friends Office to reopen on Tuesday 1st February, 2022 – but operations limited due to COVID.
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.