HIKING the HEYSEN TRAIL

Section Hiking the Heysen

Thank you for visiting my page! This blog tells the unfolding story of section hiking the Heysen Trail, South Australia (SA). Through magnificent photography (mostly shared by fellow hikers), my travel notes, and interesting narratives from walking buddies, I invite you to ‘virtually’ join us on this marathon trail.

There are 61 walks to hike the trail! The southern trailhead lies in Cape Jervis, SA, and extends 1,200 kilometers to the north, ending in Parachilna Gorge Trailhead, Flinders Ranges, SA.

I began walking the trail in May 2019. I joined the ‘The Friends of the Heysen Trail ‘, and ‘End-to-End Group 14′ (i.e. the 14^th group of the ‘Friends’ to hike the trail). We started at the Southern trailhead, in Cape Jervis. Due to the Bush Fire Danger Season, most of the trail is only open between late April to October. Walking once per month, the trail can take an average of 6 years to complete.

In 2020, COVID-19 led to the closure of the trail. In 2020 I also stumbled over my own two feet and fractured one of them! In 2021 I wasn’t fit enough to take up the trail and so deferred it until this year, 2022.

Retire Active SA Bushwalkers Although not retired yet, I do have a flexible job and I’ve taken up the opportunity to walk midweek. I’m now walking the Heysen Trail with a new group “HeysenGroup 17”. We walked our first walk together on April 12^th, 2022.

Walking more often, we hope to complete the trail within 3 years. Group 17 has decided that walking sections of the Trail closest to Adelaide was more convenient for us. We will return to Section 1 later. Fortuitously we pick up the trail close to where I concluded in Season 1.

Section 1: Southern trailhead Cape Jervis Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
Photo: courtesy of The Friends of the Heysen Trail

*Section 61: Northern trailhead Parachilna Gorge, Flinders Ranges, South Australia*
Photo: courtesy of The Friends of the Heysen Trail

Acknowledgement of Country
As we travel along the Heysen trail we acknowledge that the lands we walk upon and the waters we encounter are the traditional lands for the Aboriginal people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge the diversity of Aboriginal peoples, past and present.

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