Friends of Sturt Gorge
Trails....
The Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) is currently formulating a Trails Master Plan for the Sturt Gorge RP to assess existing trail opportunities, identify the suitability of existing trails, and any actions required to make them sustainable for future use. Although DEH is undertaking and funding the trails plan, the Friends of Sturt Gorge RP are playing an integral role in assisting this project.
The Friends of Sturt Gorge regularly undertake Trail Maintenance on behalf of DEH. Most recently a new management plan was gazetted for the park and whilst mountain bike riding has not been permitted in the past, it is DEH's aim to allow bikes into the park as cycling is one of the most popular forms of unstructured active recreation in South Australia. This is supported as there are linear trails that allow bikes that join the boundary of the park on two sides. Given current trends within the park and an increased residential population on the boundary of the park the need for properly maintained trails for walkers and cyclist is imperative.
One trail maintenance team has worked extensively at the Horner's Bridge site on Murray's Hill Road / Coromandel Parade (UBD Map 166 Ref. M1), slashing the blackberries, olives and broom.
See our photos here.
There has been a need for many years for all weather river crossings to connect trails on the North and South sides of the river. After much campaigning by the Friends several of these crossings are now in place.
Warri Parri Track:
Lark rocks were moved by DEH for this river crossing. More pictures here!
Ctenotus Track:
Stepping stones were installed across the river at Ctenotus Track in June 2008. The "stones" have been made to look like natural rocks and blend in quite nicely.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of FOSG volunteers and the help of Brenton Collins from Trail Solutions Australia we’ve had 2 additional working bees to rock armour sections of trail in the Sturt Gorge adjacent to Bushland Drive at Bellevue Heights. (23rd August and Sunday 1st Nov).
On the 2nd working bee the weather was against us reaching 35 degrees but we still had 7 people attend and all worked past our planned 12:30pm finish to 2:00pm. A great effort, thanks to all those who attended and also helped with planning and getting materials on site in the weeks prior to each working bee.
The purpose of the working bees was to fix erosion of the trail where water is expelled from storm water outlets off Bushland Drive. Unfortunately Sturt Gorge has many storm water outlets exiting into it causing erosion of trails and gullies. A rock ford is an effective way of strengthening the trail against storm water flow while still maintaining the natural look and feel of the Gorge. These same techniques can be used to stop this sort of trail erosion in other places around the Gorge.
Raw materials for Rock Armouring (i.e. rocks) can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Brenton Collins donated the rocks for both projects and Bob Grant was able to obtain some used concrete culverts from the railways for the 2nd project.
Gordon’s trailer complete with hydraulic lift was required to get the culverts to the work site. While strengthening the trail we were also able to make improvements to stop the trail damaging and undermining the roots of 2 Grey Box trees.
More detailed summaries of the trail work can be found via the following links:
http://fosg.wdfiles.com/local—files/trails/Sturt_Gorge_Working_Bee_2009-08-23.pdf
http://fosg.wdfiles.com/local—files/trails/Sturt_Gorge_Working_Bee_2009-11-01.pdf