Trail Development volunteers putting your walk fees to work.
Volunteers have used walk fees to complete several recent Trail Development projects. Work was undertaken at the Hallett Railway Station & several campsites.
News
Stay in the know about upcoming events, route updates, and what’s new with the Friends of the Heysen Trail.
Keep up to date with the latest news along the Heysen Trail
Check back here anytime to catch all the latest news from the Friends, updates on Trail reroutes and closures ahead of your hike, and see what adventures are coming up with the Friends.
Want to keep up with what the Friends have been up to? Become a member to get our triannual magazine Trailwalker sent straight to your inbox (or read past issues here!).
Latest news
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Book Launch: Heysen Highlights Sunday 14 April
During this Sunday's Hiking Expo we'll be officially launching our Heysen Highlights book. 12noon at Main Oval, Belair National Park, launch by guest John Schutz, Chief Executive of Department for Environment and Water.
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Hearing about Reconciliation from E2E8 walker Mark Waters
We were privileged at the December meeting of Council to have the opportunity to hear a presentation about Reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from one of our members. Mark Waters completed the trail with E2E8 in August and worked within Reconciliation SA for eight years. The presentation initially arose from members of E2E8 asking questions about what Aboriginal country we cross as we walk along the trail. This led the group to decide to commence its walks with an Acknowledgement of Country. It seems awareness was growing among Friends as similar discussions had occurred during a couple of other E2E walks I joined last year. Mark took the initiative to write to the Friends about generating a broader discussion.
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Friends of the Heysen Trail – Walk Fee increase 2019
For well over 10 years the Friends has maintained a standard walk fee for its End to End, Trail Walker and Trail Starter walks. However increased costs of running the organisation are having an impact. Council has approved the following fees for 2019: Casual walk fee – new rate of $10 will apply to walks scheduled on or after 1 May 2019. Golden Boots Card – new fee of $75 will apply to any purchase on or after 1 May 2019.
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Join the Friends before May 31, 2019
If you join the Friends of the Heysen Trail between 1st March and 31st May 2019 your name goes into the draw to win a 2-day guided walk on the Heysen Trail and overnight accommodation at Heysen’s Rest B&B, Myponga*.
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Closures of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park to affect Heysen Trail walkers.
The Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, will be closed for several periods in February and March 2019. This will affect access to the Heysen Trail. Night time closures will also continue until the end of September 2019.
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Heysen Highlights book released
In this companion guide The Heysen Trail is broken into 58 sections, each comfortably walked in one day. For each day there is a overview of what to expect and what to look out for when hiking the Heysen Trail, this companion guide offers a wealth of discovery on every journey along the Trail, with no shortage of historical, geological and environmental highlights along the way. By explaining the historical context, of the Aboriginal people, European explorers and settlers and the development of the trail, walkers can enrich their experience of the trail and its landscape. Author Simon Cameron joined the Friends of the Heysen Trail in 2001, the same year that he started walking the Trail. He has never stopped walking it. As anyone who has had the joy of walking with Simon will known, there is so much to see and so much to discover along the Trail that there never will be a reason to stop. Buy on line for $39.95 plus postage from $13.05.
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Heysen Trail at Cape Jervis – A Focus for Revegetation and Weed Control by the Warren Bonython Heysen Trail Foundation
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.
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Telowie Gorge Conservation Park and the Napperby Block of Mount Remarkable National Park
Telowie Gorge Conservation Park and Napperby Block (Mount Remarkable National Park) will be closed from 6am Saturday, 24 November 2018 until 11.30pm Friday, 30 November 2018.
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Introduction to Walk Leader Training Night. Tuesday 2nd Oct 2018.
Have you ever thought you'd like to become a walk leader with the Friends of the Heysen Trail? Well, here’s your chance to see what goes on, on and off the trail. Come along to the Walk Leader Training evening.
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Leave only footprints, take only photographs
Heysen Trail walkers are well aware of the general principles related to walking which are captured by the expression “leave only footprints, take only photos”. Many sections of the trail traverse National and Conservation Parks. It is therefore a useful reminder that the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 includes regulations about activities in parks that the general public must comply with. Disregarding these regulations may result in park users being issued a fine.
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Installation of Trail Counters to Improve Data on Number of Walkers
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.