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| Heysen Trail | |
|---|---|
| Parachilna Gorge, the northern trailhead | |
| Length | 1200 km (746 mi) |
| Location | South Australia *Flinders Ranges *Mount Lofty Ranges *Fleurieu Peninsula |
| Established | 1978 |
| Trailheads | |
| Use | Hiking |
| Hiking details | |
| Season | sections are closed during summer |
| Waymark | |
| Sights |
|
| Surface | natural |
| Website | http://heysentrail.asn.au/ |
The Heysen Trail is a long distance walking trail in South Australia. It runs from Parachilna Gorge, in the Flinders Ranges via the Adelaide Hills to Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula and is approximately 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) in length. [1]
From north to south, the route of the trail may be summarised by the following landmarks in order: Parachilna Gorge - Flinders Ranges National Park - Hawker - Quorn - Mount Remarkable National Park - Melrose - Crystal Brook - Spalding - Burra - Kapunda - Adelaide Hills - Deep Creek Conservation Park - Cape Jervis
Due to bushfire risk, large sections of the trail are closed annually from December through to April.
Most people choose to walk sections of the track for one or a few days at a time. There are many places to stay along the trail and hardy walkers who walk the track from beginning to end typically do so in about 60 days.
The Friends of the Heysen Trail is a non-profit volunteer organisation dedicated to the maintenance, development and promotion of the Heysen Trail and other walking trails; and to the promotion of bushwalking as a healthy leisure activity. [2]
A regular walking program is conducted by a walking sub-committee. Different grades of walks cater for beginners and for more experienced walkers.
The trail passes cliffs, farmland, natural bushland, forests, vineyards, and grazing land. It extends from the ocean through the fertile Mount Lofty Ranges across Goyder's Line to the arid Flinders Ranges, with many different bioregions.
The trail was first suggested by Warren Bonython in 1969 but design was stalled by several years due to government politics and issues with private land owners. The first 50 kilometres of the track was laid through the Mount Lofty Ranges in 1978 after responsibility for the track was handed to the Department of Recreation and Sport. Terry Lavender was the main designer for the track and oversaw the majority of its construction until it was completed in 1992.
The trail is named after Sir Hans Heysen.
Crystal Brook is a town in the Mid North of South Australia, 197 kilometres north of the capital, Adelaide. In 2016, the population of the town/postcode was 1,935. Crystal Brook is in a very picturesque location, being at the start of the Flinders Ranges. The town has multiple viewing points and parks. It was named after the spring-fed creek next to which it was founded.
The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts about 200 km (125 mi) north of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km (265 mi) from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. The Adnyamathanha people are the Aboriginal group who have inhabited the range for tens of thousands of years.
Deep Creek Conservation Park, formerly the Deep Creek National Park, is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on the southern coast of Fleurieu Peninsula in the gazetted localities of Deep Creek and Delamere about 11 kilometres east of Cape Jervis.
The Adelaide Hills region is located in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. The largest town in the area, Mount Barker, has a population of around 29,000 and is one of Australia's fastest growing towns. Before British colonisation of South Australia, the area was inhabited by the Peramangk people.
Cape Jervis is a town in the Australian state of South Australia located near the western tip of Fleurieu Peninsula on the southern end of the Main South Road approximately 88 kilometres (55 mi) south of the state capital of Adelaide.
Waterfall Gully is an eastern suburb of the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It is located in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges around 5 km (3.1 mi) east-south-east of the Adelaide city centre. For the most part, the suburb encompasses one long gully with First Creek at its centre and Waterfall Gully Road running adjacent to the creek. At the southern end of the gully is First Falls, the waterfall for which the suburb was named. Part of the City of Burnside, Waterfall Gully is bounded to the north by the suburb of Burnside, from the north-east to south-east by Cleland Conservation Park, to the south by Crafers West, and to the west by Leawood Gardens and Mount Osmond.
The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide. The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and defines the eastern border of the Adelaide Plains.
Mount Magnificent Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Mount Lofty Ranges about 58 kilometres south of the state capital of Adelaide. It is located within the gazetted locality of Mount Magnificent.
Finniss Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Mount Lofty Ranges about 43 kilometres south of the state capital of Adelaide and about 7 kilometres west of Ashbourne. It is located within the gazetted locality of Mount Magnificent.
Cobbler Creek Recreation Park is a 266-hectare (657-acre) protected area located in South Australia about 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Adelaide city centre in the suburb of Salisbury East. Originally part of the lands of the Kaurna aboriginal people, it was farmed from European settlement of South Australia until the declaration of the park in 1989.
Horsnell Gully Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia in the locality of Horsnell Gully located about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) southwest of Norton Summit.
Charles Warren Bonython, AO was an Australian conservationist, explorer, author, and chemical engineer. A keen bushwalker, he is perhaps best known for his role, spanning many years, of working towards the promotion, planning and eventual creation of the Heysen Trail. His work in conservation has been across a range of issues, but especially those connected with South Australian arid landscapes.
Mount Brown Conservation Park is a protected area in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The park has established walking trails, including a section of the Heysen Trail. The park is managed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; entry is free. It is located 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Quorn and about 300 km (190 mi) north of the nearest airport at Adelaide.
Adelaide Bushwalkers is a bushwalking club based in Adelaide, South Australia.
Telowie Gorge Conservation Park is a protected area located in the Australian state of South Australia about 7.5 kilometres east of the town of Port Germein in the gazetted locality of Telowie.
Mount Brown is a mountain in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Flinders Ranges about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the city of Port Augusta.
The Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park is a protected area located in South Australia about 5 kilometres north-west of the town of Quorn in the Flinders Ranges. It includes a mountain known as The Dutchmans Stern from which its name is derived.
Caroona Creek Conservation Park is a protected area located in the Australian state of South Australia in the localities of Collinsville and Mount Bryan East about 173 kilometres (107 mi) north-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of the town of Hallett.
Mylor Conservation Park is a protected area located in the Australian state of South Australia in the suburb of Mylor in the Adelaide Hills state government region about 19 kilometres (12 mi) south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north-east of the town of Mylor.
The Parachilna Gorge is a gorge on the western side of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. It is located about 8 kilometres east of the small town of Parachilna. Parachilna Creek flows through the gorge. Parachilna Gorge Road runs from Parachilna on the plains up through the gorge to Blinman. Angorichina Village is near the road at the eastern end of the gorge.