Category: Trail Development

The southern gateway to South Australia’s iconic Heysen Trail is located at Cape Jervis. Unfortunately, the coastal strip is severely degraded due to soil erosion, the activity of off-road vehicles and infestation by invasive plant species. There is a need to remediate this area to provide an attractive and welcoming experience for walkers that highlights the natural attributes of this area. A 2007 study concluded that this area are of high conservation value and were also facing a high level of threat. The Warren Bonython Heysen Trail Foundation is prioritising this as a focus for their greening activity works and will allocate volunteer resources and grant funding, where successful, to facilitate the project.

The Friends will be installing 3 TRAFx infrared trail counters along key sections of the Heysen Trail. The devices count the number of trail uses giving us comprehensive data about trail use. The device is very compact with an unobtrusive design, which reduces risk of vandalism. They will be concealed to further prevent them being stolen or vandalised. It only uses standard AA alkaline batteries and has very long battery life.

A proposal is under consideration to upgrade the Heysen Trail on the southern Fluerieu Peninsula (67km / 5 days), which will encourage walkers to visit the area, in particular tourists from outside the region. Feedback is being sought from the public, walkers and potential tourism and adventure operators. Walk options will allow for day walkers, 1-2 day walkers, 5-day walkers and a 1-day Accessible trail, with walkers camping on the trail or staying in accommodation nearby. Tourism operators will be able to offer transport services, either daily or the start and end of multi-day walks. Sections of trail and exclusive walkers-campsites will be constructed or upgraded.

The State Government is proposing to use the Recreational Greenways Act 2000 to protect the Heysen and Mawson Trail networks for recreational access in perpetuity for use by walkers and/or cyclists. This will create a greenway over sections of the Heysen and Mawson Trails within Wirrabara and Bundaleer Forests that are proposed to be sold to private parties. Our main concerns relate to the proposed change to the route in Bundaleer that removes the section walked from Curnow’s Hut to New Campbell Hill and consequently removes the extensive views across the Spencer Gulf as well as extending the distance.