Yurrebilla Trail, Adelaide - April 2009

How about a bit of a retro post again, in April 2009 Sam and I headed over to Adelaide for a long weekend. The aim of the trip was for me to walk the Yurrebilla Trail and Sam to have a bit of retail therapy. I was planning to walk the trail in three single day stages, returning to our accommodation in the CBD each night., this was because I’m soft and also because accommodation and camping are a bit of a pain in the arse on the Yurrebilla Trail, either forcing long days or short days. Anyway there is a lot to be said for returning to the CBD for a hot shower, good food and a soft bed each night, like I said I’m soft.

Yep, the start photo.

Day 1      11 kilometres

We left Melbourne early enough in the morning to get through the city before peak hour which meant that we arrived in Adelaide in mid afternoon, this was good for me as I was planning to do the first section this afternoon. Sam dropped me off at the entrance to Belair National Park and then headed into the city to check into our accommodation. After setting off the first point of interest  was Playford Lake were I played around with the camera getting some photos of the resident ducks.

No shortage of ducks here.

Looking pretty fresh having walked for about 15 minutes.

Twisting and turning the track made its convoluted way through Belair National Park, at one stage passing through a tunnel under the main Melbourne to Adelaide railway. Soon after I left Belair the track descended via numerous small switch backs to Brownhill Creek Road, walking this quiet road in this bucolic setting it was hard to believe I was so close to Adelaide,  soon I passed the beautifully named Manure Pits, used in ye olde days to store fertiliser so as not to pollute the creek. Thirty minute later I left the quiet road and climbed up a rougher track to McElligotts Quarry, this spot not only provide a view of the CBD but also marked the spot where I would leave the track for today. Wondering down Carrick Hill Drive past the flash houses I was soon at the bus stop on Fullarton Road, within half an hour I was at the hotel in town.

The Yurrebilla Trail heading into the tunnel under the Melbourne-Adelaide railway line.

Not your average wilderness walk.

Walking along Brownhill Creek Road in the late afternoon sun.

Day 2     25 kilometres            36 kilometres total

Sam dropped me off at the quarry this morning and I soon started climbing up some open slopes making my way towards Eagle on the Hill, the good thing was that the sparse vegetation gave me good views as I climbed. Eventually I turned onto the old highway which I followed to the old Eagle on the Hotel, this was interesting walking for me as I’d been up and down this old highway numerous times in trucks with my dad. One of my first memories was dad giving me something to colour in to take my mind off the drop as we descended the old road into Adelaide, as a 5 year old I already understood the danger of big trucks with dodgy brakes on long hills with big drops.

Adelaide from the open slopes on the climb to Eagle on the Hill.

This little bloke was up a tree beside the old highway.

Soon after passing Eagle on the Hill I dropped off the old highway into Cleland Conservation Park making my way along the Waterfall Gully track towards Cleland Wildlife Park. Once again I’d been here before, I walked the Waterfall Gully Track on my trip around Australia when I was 18. After a little more twisting and turning the track leaves the Cleland Conservation Park and follows some reasonably quiet roads for awhile but it was still good to enter Horsenell Gully Conservation Park with its resident population of Koalas. After a fair descent to Giles Ruin and then another fair climb along Ridge Track I started the final section for today, a descent along or near roads to the Norton Summit Hotel where Sam picked me up and we headed back to the city.

The Heysen and Yurrebilla Trail's meet up for a bit near Mount Lofty.

Following some quiet roads on my way to Horsnell Gully Conservation Park.

There was a large population of Kaola's in Horsnell Gully Conservation Park.

Day 3     20 kilometres            56 kilometres total

After getting dropped off in Norton Summit I followed the quiet Colonial Drive for awhile towards the historic Morialta Barns, once owned by a former state premier. From there I entered Morialta Conservation Park by the back door making my way down towards Third Falls where my camera died. I spent the next couple of hours either climbing or descending mainly fire tracks before I eventually came out at Montacute Road.

Following an old road towards Morialta Barns.

Heading towards the waterfalls in Morialta Conservation Park.

If you look hard enough you may be able to spot some rock climbers, Morialta Conservation Park.

Following the road down for a couple of kilometres I then turned up into the final section of the walk, the Black Hill Conservation Park. Once again I was faced with a hot, steep and dusty climb, it was a pity that I didn’t have the camera as the scenery got better today the further I went. Topping out on the summit of Black Hill I gave Sam a call while I sat under the shade of a tree, organising my pick up in Ambers Gully in an hours time. The descent to Ambers Gully wasn’t as steep as the climb and I had an enjoyable ramble down to end the walk. Sam picking me up so we could head into town for a celebratory dinner.

And that was were the camera died, Adelaide from Morialta Conservation Park.

The Dirt

Don’t forget that I did this walk before the blog was even a twinkle in my eye so apart from the camera having a melt down I’m also having to rely on my slightly hazy memory. The Yurrebilla Trail is a creation of a government marketing team in that it isn’t a ‘traditional’ trail, it was created by joining numerous existing trails together with some new signage, it looks like to get a respectable distance up the boffins have mapped out a fairly convoluted route. Having said that, writing up this post has wet my appetite and I may go back one day and do it feral style by stealth camping, just don’t let the authorities know OK. We certainly didn’t do it feral style on this walk staying at The Rendezvous Hotel and eating and restaurants in the city.

I used the notes out of Lonely Planets Walking in Australia’s 5th edition and Yurrebilla Trail 1:20,000 topo map put out by the Department of Environment and Heritage, the map dates back to 2003 so hopefully there is a new edition.

Walking the Yarrebilla Trail as a series of day walks I would class this as an easy-medium standard walk, if I was doing it as a three day walk self sufficiently I’d rate it as a medium walk

No goin' feral on this walk!

The view from our room.