Heysen Trail Maintenance

There are quite a few groups in Adelaide who have undertaken to improve and maintain walking trails. One of them is the Bushwalkers Group of the SAADV.

The group was formed in 1991 consisting mainly of members of the South Australian German Association. They enjoyed their various walking activities but, after a while, decided to apply to become responsible for the maintenance, repair and improvement of a section of a walking trail.

In October 1999, after discussion with 'Friends of the Heysen Trail', the 'Walking Federation of South Australia' and among themselves, they undertook the trail maintenance of section 4 of the Heysen Trail between the townships of Mount Compass and Myponga.

After initial inspection of the section by a small group, the first repair duty was carried out in November 1999.

Since this first duty, groups of volunteers have assembled on 24 occassions until 2006 to maintain and improve parts of the section. At times only two volunteers attended but at one point twelve made the effort. On this occasion, a 62.4 m boardwalk was built at Spring Creek. Over the whole period the average attendance has been five volunteers – very commendable.

The tasks that these volunteer groups have tackled are many and varied including erecting and re-locating straight posts, building and repairing stiles, replacing and painting logos and direction signs, the trimming of limbs, bushes and undergrowth, removing, maintaining, building bridges, walkovers and boardwalks, removing debris, building erosion barriers, and generally maintaining and improving the condition of the track.

The group thoroughly enjoys its bushwalking activities and, in attending to the maintenance work on the track, seeks to continue the pleasures of using the trails both for themselves and others.

Improvements at Section 4 of the Heysen Trail

In 2005, the volunteers of the Bushwalkers of the SAADV had a very active year on the Heysen Trail at section 4. At the beginning of the year, they had to complete improvements to the 69 steps in Yulte Conservation Park, which had previously been very difficult for walkers to use.

Then in March the volunteers started a new project. The old suspension bridge near Hindmarsh Tiers Road had become badly dilapidated and needed replacement. A new site 50 m closer to the hillside was chosen and the volunteers prepared to build a new bridge similar in design to the other two bridges they had already replaced.

The Bushwalkers first had to clear debris and other unwanted items from the 9 m wide dry creek bed. Then four large holes (450 mm in diameter, 1500 mm deep) had to be dug on either side and four hardwood poles embedded in concrete to carry the 9 m long steel beams.

Because of a delay in the supply of materials the volunteers were still working when the weather became wet and the creek was flooded with 2 feet of water, making the area very muddy and difficult to work in. Once the steel beams arrived, they were delivered to the bridge location by a neighbouring farmer, who used his bulldozer to bring them in and place them on the hardwood poles. The decking was then completed in tallowwood, a hardwood which grows along the coast and in the coastal ranges between the Hunter River in NSW and the Maryborough district in Queensland. The bridge was finished with steel balustrade posts and hardwood rails. The completed bridge is 14 m long and 1 m wide.

All workers did a wonderful job and a special thanks goes to Lawrie Rowley, the local farmer who helped the Bushwalkers with his bulldozer.

Second Bridge at Yulte Conservation Park

The Bushwalkers of the SAADV have built the second bridge on the Heysen Trail at Section 4 in the Myponga area. The old 28 m long suspension bridge at the east end of Yulte Conservation Park over a creek had been repaired a few times, but with not much success. The bridge became very dilapidated over the last few years, making it unsafe for public use.

After a few discussions with Bronte Leak, the Trail Officer of the Heysen Trail and other Walking Trails, and Hermann Schmidt, the Bushwalkers made a decision to remove the old suspension bridge and replace it with a timber one.

As soon as the plans were drawn up and approved, the Heysen Trail helpers of the German Bushwalkers went into action. Undergrowth had to be cut, holes to be drilled (450 mm in diameter, 1700 mm deep), Baron poles embedded into concrete, etc. The helpers had a lot of surprises. They had mud, clay, reeds, rocks, water, and the ground was very slippery.

The new bridge is 20 m long and 1 m wide and can take more than one person. The helpers did a wonderful job, and a special thanks goes to Lawrie Rowley, the farmer nearby, who gave the Bushwalkers permission to use his land for transport, and also guided the trucks to the bridge location.