Looking for new regular walks

SA, WA & NT specific bushwalking discussion.
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Looking for new regular walks

Postby Matthanna » Sun 16 Apr, 2017 9:23 pm

Hi forum,

I am a new user, and this is my first post!

My name is Matt, and I live around Panorama in South Australia. I walk all over the lower Belair, Shepherds Hill, and Watiparinga Reserve areas, and have done so for the last 25 years (yes, that sounds boring but no it's beautiful). Also mount Lofty and surrounding areas are also well walked. I'm looking for new areas to walk at, anything up to 40km preferably in circuits and loops. Distance away from home is of no concern.

The reason why I am asking a forum, is that I've been using the Walking SA site, and I really believe it's failed in that you can't search for walks that have fees or no fees associated it. Whilst I have no issue paying for site access, I do have issue with getting there to find bookings must be done online, so am now personally boycotting sites requring payments. The last time that happened was only a few days ago, i drove 104km to go do the 12k Deep Creek walk, only to get there and literally be asked to leave because you need to pay online. I don't feel what is happening out there is good enough, allow people to pay within 7 days, or come up with another scheme of allowing paper money payments onsite, but instantly threatening fines etc like what happened to me a few days has turned me off ever paying again regardless about upkeep costs.

Anyway, I'd love to hear of great SA hikes that are truly free, any difficulty, and anything up to 40km (nothing multi day). I would prefer to keep away from the city walks (ie; torrens etc) and really busy walks (like around Lofty), and would like it to be rich enough that I can just get lost time and time again.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Matt
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Re: Looking for new regular walks

Postby whitefang » Sun 16 Apr, 2017 10:32 pm

The easiest thing to do would be to use Walking SA and check the National Parks website for fees to the park you want to visit. I've done quite a few day walks that I have found on Walking SA and have only had to pay entrance to Deep Creek and Para Wirra.

Personally, I think it's not worth boycotting parks with an entrance fee. There's so many beautiful places to see and online booking is only getting bigger for National Parks. You don't necessarily have to book from home either. Some park headquarters have computers to use or fees can be paid at visitor centres. In the end though it always pays to check the relevant websites of where you're walking for any fees or closures. Walking SA just gives you routes but they're not the authority who controls the trails.

In terms of suggestions for walks my favourites that I've done recently are: a loop of Scott Creek CP, Gandys Gully, a loop of Montacute CP and a loop in Mark Oliphant CP. All of those are free and I believe they are all listed on Walking SA. Send me a PM if you want me to gives you some notes on these walks.
Last edited by whitefang on Sun 16 Apr, 2017 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Looking for new regular walks

Postby whitefang » Sun 16 Apr, 2017 10:36 pm

Just further to the fees for Deep Creek, National Parks have provided these options for cash payment of fees to enter the park: "Cash payments for Deep Creek Conservation Park can be made at:

Delamere: Delamere General Store, (08) 8598 0200
Yankalilla: Yankalilla Visitor Information Centre, 1300 965 842"

All the places you can make payments for parks that need to be booked online can be found here https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/entry-fees/online-booking-information/frequently-asked-questions in the FAQs.
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Re: Looking for new regular walks

Postby Matthanna » Wed 19 Apr, 2017 9:53 pm

Hi Whitefang,

Thanks for your great reply. If they had told me there were cash payment options somewhat locally, I would've been quite happy going local to pay, but being asked to leave isn't on, and yeah driving almost 4 hours for no reason on such a nice day was the biggest waste and ultra-frustrating. It looks like they need to update their signage. oh well, I'm not fussed anymore, since then have just stuck to my regular walks and will check out the few you've listed. I did lofty on easter monday morning and OMG, it was the busiest I've ever seen.

Cheers,
Matt
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Re: Looking for new regular walks

Postby whitefang » Wed 19 Apr, 2017 10:26 pm

I highly recommend you send some feedback and explain what happened to DEWNR.OnlineBookings@sa.gov.au. If they asked you to leave without letting you know of the options to pay with cash in Delamere and Yankalilla then DEWNR can pretty simply rectify this issue by letting staff know.

I did Morialta to Eagle on the Hill on Easter Monday and the few hundred metres I walked along waterfall gully I saw 5x the people I had seen all day. It has beautiful scenery but the popularity of the walk puts me off.
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