Park of the Month, Sturt Gorge Recreation Park, March 2020

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Sturt Gorge Recreation Park is the National Parks and Wildlife Service SA Park of the Month for March 2020.

The gorge offers a variety of walking experiences. Escape the hustle and bustle of the nearby city and suburbs by venturing into Sturt Gorge, following the river or some of the higher trails. There are 19 marked trails in the park and adjacent Craigburn Farm Shared Trails network, with another half dozen in the adjacent Mitcham Trail Network (Zone 4, Blackwood Hill Reserve).

Most of these trails are linear or return trails, we’ve outlined two of the trails and four walking loop routes:

Walking Trails and Loops in Sturt Gorge Recreation Park and Craigburn Farms Shared Trails network

Lake View Trail (Craigburn Farm)1.

Lake View Trail (Craigburn Farm)

1.2km, 30 mins, moderate hike

Walk suitable for prams and strollers Walk suitable for dog walking Trail shared by mountain bikers

Enjoy a stroll around the lake in the Craigburn Farms Shared Trails network in Sturt Gorge Recreation Park. Start from the trailhead on Bonython Way, Craigburn Farm, and follow the Lakeside Trail (marked with blue markers), walking downhill towards the lake, then following the loop around the lake.

Whilst we have displayed the pram-friendly icon, please note that it is a uphill on the return leg back to the trailhead.

It’s possible to get to the trailhead by public transport, by Adelaide Metro bus from Grand Boulevard, Craigburn Farm, which is a 1km walk east of the trailhead, or by Adelaide Metro train from Coromandel Railway Station, which is a 1.8km along pathways and some of trails in the Mitcham Trail Network.

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We’ve contacted every local government in South Australia calling for national funding to improve walking paths and trails

  • Calling on all local councils
Posted on by Walking SA

As the not-for-profit peak body that leads, promotes and supports all forms of walking in South Australia, Walking SA advocates for improvements to walking infrastructure at all levels.

Most recently, Walking SA contacted every local government in South Australia calling for national funding to improve walking paths and trails, through the National Assembly of Local Governments 2020. This action was undertaken in collaboration with our national counterparts in each state and territory, through Bushwalking Australia.

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The next stage of the Adelaide100 trail progresses

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April 2020: we've launched a project website for the Adelaide100 trail at adelaide100.com.au

Officers from Campbelltown City Council join Walking SA to install the first Adelaide100 post at the bottom of Black Hill. From L-R: Jim McLean (L), Walking SA Adelaide100 project; Tracey Johnstone, Rob Johnstone and Walter Iasiello from Campbelltown City Council, and Helen Donovan, Walking SA Executive Director

Walking SA is currently engaged in negotiating with fourteen property stakeholders along the 100 plus km route of the new walking trail the Adelaide100. Local government of the north eastern suburbs immediately recognised the worth of the project. The Campbelltown City Council, the City of Tea Tree Gully and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield quickly committed support and resources to the portions of the trail traversing their regions.

This is a 10.5km section to add to the 1.6km start at Norton Summit. As this story is posted the marking with 32 post and signs of the Campbelltown City Council portion has been completed. The portions in the City of Tea Tree Gully and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield will be completed in the next couple of weeks.

As with Norton Summit it is a great walk on its own so be one of the first to have a go when it is finished. Start at the Black Hill Wildflower Garden in Addison Avenue. Traverse local parks and reserves, wind your way along Fifth Creek, follow the River Torrens Linear Park to Lochiel Park Golf Course and enjoy a baguette and coffee at Bunker Cafe.

Walking Trails to enjoy on Kangaroo Island, supporting the KI community post-bushfire

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Are you looking for ways to support the Kangaroo Island community after the devastating January bushfires? Head to the island and enjoy one of the many walks that are confirmed as still open! From the pleasant 1km Beyeria Walk to the 4km Ironstone Hill Hike and 4km Fish Cannery Walking Trail, there are plenty of options to explore the island on foot.

Check out the full list below.

List created 5th February 2020. We’ll be updating the list as walking trails re-open.

13 Walks and Trails unaffected by the 2020 Kangaroo Island Bushfires

Ironstone Hill Hike1.

From Penneshaw: Ironstone Hill Hike, Baudin Conservation Park

4.2km, 1.5 hours return

Follow the start of the original bullock track to Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, with spectacular views across Backstairs Passage to the Fleurieu Peninsula.

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Kangaroo Island Sculpture Trail2.

In Penneshaw: Kangaroo Island Sculpture Trail

1.5km, 30 min loop

Wander along the Kangaroo Island Sculpture Trail through the stunning trail built in a remarkable natural environment, located in the heart of the coastal village of Penneshaw. Explore the many surprises, scenic lookouts, ancient vegetation and the stunning ravine walls. Look for the ancient ghost tree, the resident kangaroos and wallabies, or just pause and reflect on one of the beautiful seats crafted from reclaimed timber from the Penneshaw jetty. The trail is an easy 5 minute walk from the ferry terminal at Penneshaw. The new trail was opened in 2018.

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Park of the Month, Onkaparinga River Parks, February 2020

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Onkaparinga River National Park and Onkaparinga River Recreation Park is the National Parks and Wildlife Service SA Park of the Month for February 2020. Join one of the events held in the parks throughout the month.

In the National Park diverse hiking trails take you to cliff tops with magnificent views, or down to permanent rock pools teeming with life. Experience rugged ridge tops and the narrow river valley of the spectacular Onkaparinga Gorge.

In the Recreation Park, the river spills onto the plains, creating wetland ponds and flood plains. The area conserves important fish breeding habitat and hundreds of native plant and animal species, many of which are rare.

You can walk your dog in the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park, between South Road and Commercial Road. You must keep your dog on a lead and under your control at all times. Pets are not permitted in other areas of the park.

16 Great Hikes and Trails in Onkaparinga River National Park and Recreation Park

Punchbowl Lookout Walk1.

Punchbowl Lookout Walk

2km, 1 hour return, Moderate Walk

Walk suitable for prams and strollers Walk suitable for those with mobility issues including wheelchairs Trail shared by mountain bikers

A new trail opened in Spring 2017. The one kilometre Accessible trail visits a new lookout above The Punchbowl, where you can see spectacular views into the Onkaparinga Gorge. The trail is a consistent one metre wide and made of compacted gravel, and with gentle contoured gradients, so as such is suitable for those with mobility access issues, including wheelchairs and prams. There is some seating mid-way along the trail.

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Slow down on Hindley Street safer for everyone

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Here at Walking SA we commend the City of Adelaide for taking action to protect the tens of thousands of residents and visitors that visit Hindley Street each week, by lowering the speed to 30km/h. Average speeds were measured as between 20km/h and 27km/h anyway.

A recent report shows the majority of ‘hit pedestrian’ casualty crashes occurs in Adelaide city centre, where for the 5-year monitoring period there were 222 casualty crashes. Around 26% of these casualty crashes were either serious or fatal.

Many of these crashes are completely avoidable or could be reduced in severity by slowing down vehicles to 30 km/h where there is high pedestrian activity.

Hindley Street West has had a trial 30km/h speed limit in place since April 2015 and has resulted in a safer environment for everyone.

Back in 2018 we got in touch with the Lord Mayor of Adelaide calling for lower speed limits in Hindley Street and other areas in the CBD where there is high pedestrian activity, so it’s good to see the new 30km/h limit in place.

Is it pedestrians or drivers who need to give way?

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If you are walking across a road that a driver is entering or leaving, do you know who has to give way?  Perhaps it’s a good thing if you don’t and are hesitant, because if you a confident that you do know, you could be wrong.

It probably won’t surprise you that a 2006 study found that in 20% of cases, both the pedestrian and the driver thought that they had the right of way.  We can only hope that they don’t both enter the intersection at the same time.

We are gratified to see that the State Government is removing left turn slip lanes in areas with lots of people walking, because too many drivers think that they have the right of way, when they don’t.

It doesn’t help that on this question, states often go their own way, with different rules in different parts of the country.

The South Australian Road Rules (Rule 353) say that, at an unsignalized intersection, the driver turning to enter into a road that a pedestrian is crossing has to give way to the pedestrian.  But if the driver is leaving the road that the pedestrian is crossing, it is the driver who has right of way.  If you think this is bizarre when the pedestrian is walking across the side street of an arterial road, we agree with you!

A recent article in The Conversation argues that the road rules should be amended to require drivers to give way to pedestrians at all intersections, with those that don’t have signals to be legally treated as if they were marked pedestrian crossings. “We should think of these intersections as spaces where vehicles cross an implicit continuous footpath, rather than as places where people cross a vehicular lane.”

The images below show how the intersection of The Parade and Edward Street looks now, and how it looks in the proposed Masterplan.

The images below show how the intersection of The Parade and Edward Street looks now, and how it looks in the proposed Masterplan

The proposal would embolden a pedestrian crossing Edward Street.  Hopefully a motorist turning left into the Parade wouldn’t try to assert their legal right of way.

One comforting thought is that, no matter where you are in the country, a motorist has a duty of care and must stop for any pedestrians who are already crossing the road.

Park of the Month
Innes National Park

Posted on by Walking SA

Innes National Park is the National Parks and Wildlife Service SA Park of the Month for January 2020.

Below we’ve outlined 8 walks and trails to experience the park. The park is a great destination for camping, fishing, surfing and short walks to coastal lookouts. There is an abundance of birds and animals to see while you catch some of the best coastal views in South Australia. All of the park is accessible by 2WD, so it’s perfect for day visits and a paradise for beach lovers.

8 Walks and Hikes in Innes National Park

Cape Spencer Lighthouse Walk1.

Cape Spencer Lighthouse Walk

600m, 1 hour return, Easy Walk

This short walk provides spectacular views from Cape Spencer, including of the Althorpe Islands.

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A Path Forward for the the Hallett Cove Boardwalk

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The future of the popular Hallett Cove Boardwalk, also known as the Marion Coastal Walking Trail or Coastal Walkway, was put into doubt in October 2019 following concerns about structural issues which saw some sections having been closed for some time, and a 2.5km section of the 8km trail needing considerable upgrading for it to be re-opened. There are temporary street detours in place.

Hallett Cove is not only beautiful, it is also one of the most geologically significant sites in Australia. The boardwalk allows access to otherwise inaccessible parts of the coastline.

The majority of walkway expected to open by February 2020, with the Marion Council progressively repairing the 20-year-old structure over summer, which will see more than 2km re-open. This will cost $238,000 and is funded from the Council’s existing budget. Detours will continue to be in place around Kurnabinna and Grey Road gully sections. View maps of trail showing sections open, closed, and set to be re-opened by February 2020.

On November 26, the Council endorsed a $4.8 million plan to upgrade and renew further sections of 8km walkway. The plan includes investigating design realignment and rebuilding Kurnabinna and Grey Road gullies and completing the linkage of walkway between Heron Way Reserve and Field River. The Council has committed $2.44 million, and will seek matching funding from State or Federal governments to complete the necessary renewal work. The Council has developed a long-term renewal plan to completely rebuild the structures, which would cost an estimated $14.5 million over 15 years.

Tragedy, Sadness and Healing

  • Response
Posted on by Walking SA

Tragedy in the North

Climbing the Great Wall at Moonarie Gap

Climbing the Great Wall at Moonarie Gap

The news that two climbers had died at Moonarie Gap, on the escarpments of Wilpena Pound, came out of nowhere. Immediate thoughts were with the families and friends of the two young men. We learnt that the cliff at Moonarie is a renowned climbing destination so thoughts included the local and international climbing communities. But the effect on the traditional custodians of the land was a wake-up call for the climbing and the walking communities alike.

The reaction of the Adnyamathanha, the indigenous nation of the northern Flinders Ranges, was unexpected. It was immediately evident that an impact on climbing and walking in, around and beyond the Wilpena Pound was a distinct possibility. I am a back-packing walker of the northern Flinders Ranges going back to the 1960s and a Heysen Trail end-to-ender but this was new to me. What should I think? What should we think? How should we react, if at all?

Map of where Moonarie Gap is on Wilpena Pound

I wrestled considerably with my thoughts, and the thoughts of others, until I came to three words: Respect, Listen, Learn. This story is about the follow-up of users of this wonderful country, in recent times and over thousands of years.

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Even though October’s WalktoberSA is ending, there’s still plenty of walking opportunities

Posted on by Walking SA

With October ending we’re wrapping up our WalktoberSA month-long promotion of all things walking.

Even with the warm weather ahead, there’s always plenty of places in South Australia to explore on foot:

• With 600+ walks on our website, it’s easy to find somewhere to walk
• Or grab one of themed “best-walk” lists

Like what you’ve been seeing? We need your support to help us promote walking opportunities throughout the year. October’s #WalktoberSA was possible through a grant from the State Government via the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.

We are the peak body in SA for walking, but we’re a not-for-profit organisation with only a little help from the government so we rely on supporters, just like you, to promote walking to all South Australians.

If you’re able to, please support our work for as little as $22 per year. Support us.

Week 3 Winners of School Kids “View from my walk” Competition

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The winners of our third week of our School Kids “view from my walk” competition are:

Thanks to Scout Outdoor Centre they have won a $50 voucher.

Throughout October take a photo of something you love or find interesting as you walk to or from school. Use the hashtags #walktoberSA and #way2go to enter our competition for a chance to win a weekly prize. Thanks to Scout Outdoor Centre there are two $50 vouchers up for grabs for each school week.

The competition has run for the first 3 weeks of Term 4.

More walking = more fun = less cars = safer children.

Looking for some tips to help you plan your family’s active travel to and from school?
Visit the Way2Go website at dpti.sa.gov.au/Way2Go or Google “Way2Go families”.

View what others have shared.

The competition commences on Monday 14 October and closes on Thursday 31 October. Competition prizes will be announced weekly on Monday 21 October, Monday 28 October and Thursday 31 October. View the full Competition Terms & Conditions.

This October there are two competitions:

  • Competition #1: ANYONE: Share your “view from my walk” photo for a chance to win a weekly prize throughout October
  • Competition #2: SCHOOL KIDS: Take a photo of something you love or find interesting as you walk to or from school. Use the hashtags #walktoberSA and #way2go to enter our competition for a chance to win a weekly prize during Weeks 1, 2 or 3 of Term 4

The competition is part of Walktober – celebrating walking throughout October.

Week 2 Winners of School Kids “View from my walk” Competition

Posted on by Walking SA

The winner of our second week of our School Kids “view from my walk” competition is Katie Fotheringham, with a photo of her and the kids walking along the road to Watervale Primary School.

Thanks to Scout Outdoor Centre they have won a $50 voucher.

Throughout October take a photo of something you love or find interesting as you walk to or from school. Use the hashtags #walktoberSA and #way2go to enter our competition for a chance to win a weekly prize. Thanks to Scout Outdoor Centre there are two $50 vouchers up for grabs for each school week.

The competition will run for the first 3 weeks of Term 4.

More walking = more fun = less cars = safer children.

Looking for some tips to help you plan your family’s active travel to and from school?
Visit the Way2Go website at dpti.sa.gov.au/Way2Go or Google “Way2Go families”.

View what others have shared.

The competition commences on Monday 14 October and closes on Thursday 31 October. Competition prizes will be announced weekly on Monday 21 October, Monday 28 October and Thursday 31 October. View the full Competition Terms & Conditions.

This October there are two competitions:

  • Competition #1: ANYONE: Share your “view from my walk” photo for a chance to win a weekly prize throughout October
  • Competition #2: SCHOOL KIDS: Take a photo of something you love or find interesting as you walk to or from school. Use the hashtags #walktoberSA and #way2go to enter our competition for a chance to win a weekly prize during Weeks 1, 2 or 3 of Term 4

The competition is part of Walktober – celebrating walking throughout October.

Week 4 Winners of “View from my walk” Competition

Posted on by Walking SA

The winners for our third week of our “view from my walk” competition are:

  1. Instagram user @scottp180 with a photo of spring flowers found when exploring the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens. There’s plenty of trails in the gardens to walk, including a wheelchair and pram accessible walk around the lake.
  2. Instagram user @melbohall22 with a photo of a Forester moth on a fairy fanflower in Spring Gully Conservation Park near Clare. There are three trails in the park exploring the gullies and ridges.

Thanks to Scout Outdoor Centre they have each won a $50 voucher.

Throughout October share your “view from my walk” photo using the hashtag #walktoberSA to enter our competition for a chance to win a weekly prize. Thanks to Scout Outdoor Centre there are two $50 vouchers up for grabs each week throughout October.

Take a walk in a nearby park, along the beach, along a river, in a national park or on your walk to work – anywhere in South Australia. With over 600 ideas of places to walk around SA there’s always somewhere nearby to explore on foot.

View what others have shared.

View the Competition Terms & Conditions.

Good luck and enjoy a walk! You’re just two feet from some of the best places in South Australia.

This October there are two competitions:

  • Competition #2: SCHOOL KIDS: Take a photo of something you love or find interesting as you walk to or from school. Use the hashtags #walktoberSA and #way2go to enter our competition for a chance to win a weekly prize during Weeks 1, 2 or 3 of Term 4
  • Competition #1: ANYONE: Share your “view from my walk” photo for a chance to win a weekly prize throughout October

The competition is part of Walktober – celebrating walking throughout October.