Planning on walking the Heysen Trail? Warren Conservation Park, 45km from Adelaide, is a great training ground.
The abundant wildlife, spectacular views and rugged beauty of the Warren Conservation Park are the rewards for one of the more challenging day walks near Adelaide. Located near the sleepy town of Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills, this three-hour circuit is for experienced bushwalkers. Sections of the track are steep, rocky and uneven, taking you to the edge of deep cliff faces. While the signage is generally good, there are some parts of the trail almost hidden amongst thick bush.
The walk is accessed after a short drive along Watts Gully Road, about 7km out of Kersbrook. A gate with a large sign welcomes you, with the walk beginning on a section of the famous Heysen Trail. From here, a boardwalk offers a comfortable start, taking you through tall ghost gums. Leaving the boardwalk, a dirt track leads uphill past a map of the circuit sitting atop a post. The gentle green slopes of grazing land are visible to the left, before the path enters more dense terrain.
Within minutes, the track becomes steeper and the bush thicker. Make sure you follow the yellow markers, with the red Heysen Trail signs also visible for much of the trek. Five minutes into the walk, the path narrows and veers to the right offering amazing views of the Mount Lofty Ranges.
The best time to do this walk is in spring, when wildflowers add a splash of colour to the forest floor. The region is also known for its abundance of wildlife. Just 30 minutes into the walk, a large kangaroo hopped across the path ahead, disappeared for a moment and then reappeared to observe us from the safety of the forest. The wilderness gradually thickens and the path narrows, with a more uneven surface as the track heads uphill. After a while, the path levels out and then heads down to a gully where a small timber footbridge crosses a shallow creek.
At times, large, ancient volcanic rocks form parts of the track. The trail eventually opens up as you approach the summit. A stile helps you over a fence and onto a fire track, which leads to farming land. Look out for some particularly territorial magpies. Escaping the aerial assault on top of the hill, several kangaroos watched us as we headed for the fire lookout tower. Another map on a post sits near the tower. This is checkpoint W4 from where you gradually turn back to the start at W1.
At this point the Heysen Trail veers off to the left, while you follow the yellow markers of the Mount Lofty Walking Trail. Reaching a fence, climb over and trek through bushland as you make your way around the circuit, back down the hill to Watts Gully Road.
The path inclines steeply and the rocky surface is slippery and difficult. During this last 2km some of the views from the jagged rocky path are breathtaking. Finally you return to the more open trail of the early stages of the walk, and retrace your steps back to the park’s entrance.
Words and photo_Simon Trayhorn