Dear Footsteps Followers,
We have a new Footsteps Newsletter for you. Footsteps is the Newsletter of the South Australian Recreation Trails Incorporated (SARTI) and the Lavender Federation Trail.
Banner Photo: Announcing the Official Opening of the Sanderston Trail with one of the great panoramic views to be seen on the new trail.
In this issue:
- Sanderston Trail Opening Date Announced.
- SARTI AGM at Manoora.
- Murray Coorong Trail.
- Bits and Pieces.
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Sanderston Trail Opening Date Announced:-
The Sanderston Trail will be officially opened on Sunday 21st August at Saunders Gorge Sanctuary, Three Chain Road, Sanderston.
Walkers are looking forward to this trail finally opening after many years of negotiation between SARTI, the owners of the 1364 ha property, Brenton & Nadine Newman, Mid- Murray Council and the Office for Recreation & Sport.
After 12 years of work and discussions, a road reserve has been closed, a two metre wide access for the 6 kilometer trail created, new fencing installed, the trail marked, stiles installed and interpretive signs located at either ends of the property. To ensure access is available in perpetuity, the 2 metre wide trail access strip has been added to the property land title.
This trail is a challenging walk with some steep sections but the reward is some of the most spectacular scenery to be seen from a walking trail close to Adelaide. SARTI believes the scenery, many kilometers of unbroken dry stone walls stretching over distant hills and closeness to the city will make this trail very popular when the word gets around.
The Sanderston Trail connects with the Lavender Federation Trail via the Eastern leg of the Springton Loop Trail.
Constructed at a cost of $13,750, the trail has been funded partly by a grant from the Mid Murray Council and SARTI.
Add Sunday 21st August to your diary - join us for a great day.
Organized walks on the new trail will commence at 10.00 am.
- At 12 noon assemble at the Saunders Gorge Sanctuary restaurant.
- Opening ceremony and official opening by Mid Murray Council Mayor Dave Burgess at the Eastern end of the trail at Tree Chain Road.
- 1.00 pm lunch supplied at the Sanctuary Restaurant (finger food).
- 2.00 pm trail walks on the Sanderston Trail or into Saunders Gorge. The Saunders Gorge walks usually attract a fee of $10 for adults, $5 children or $25 for a family but at no cost on the opening day.
Free interpretive brochures which include maps and trail details will be available at the opening.
Accommodation is available at Saunders Gorge Sanctuary and includes camping, a self-contained historic cottage, and nature lodges.
If you are a 4WD enthusiast, the Eagle View 4WD track is available by prior arrangement. Bookings and details at 85693032 or http://www.saundersgorge.com.au/
SARTI Board member Barry Stacey has been the major driving force behind the many years and thousands of hours of work leading up to next month’s trail opening ceremony with the assistance of local SARTI board member Roger Lillicrap.
Saunders Gorge is located on Tree Chain Road, Sanderston, 75 km from Adelaide & 18 km East of Mt Pleasant..
Left: Dry stone wall stretches across the hill in the distance.
Right: Looking north from the western end of the trail.
 
Left: Access road from the Springton Loop Trail.
Right: Surveying the trail before construction commenced. |
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SARTI AGM at Manoora:-
The Annual General Meeting of the South Australian Recreation Trails Inc. (SARTI) was held on Thursday 14th July at the Manoora Football Clubrooms.
Reelected for a two year term were:-
Chris Bushell (Chairman); Ian Pool (Forward Planning) & Bob England (Treasurer).
Secretary for the past 14 years, Barry Stacey, has decided to take a back step but will continue to serve on the Board and undertake interpretive sign design amongst other duties.
Continuing on the Board with a further 12 months to run were:-
Graham Hallandal (Funding & Publicity), Isobel Barrett (Map/brochure distribution), Julie Mathews (Membership Secretary), Ian Richardson (Trail Maintenance Supervisor).
Continuing Local Government representatives are Kevin Heyndyk (RCMB), Kevin Myers (Mid Murray), Michael Seager (Barossa), John Neal (Goyder), Jeremy Kells (Clare & Gilbert Valley).
Regional Representatives representing their local communities are Roger Lillicrap (Keyneton Region), Peter Herriman (Eudunda Region/Web site/Social Media), and Trevor Mathews (Eudunda ECBAT committee).
Newly appointed as a regional representative was David Spackman whose expertise and knowledge of the Clare area will be invaluable in constructing trails in this area.
The Board also welcomed back George Adams who is involved in constructing stiles and seating for the LFT.
Soup this good just has to be home made, and at Manoora it certainly was tasty.
Community involvement is very important to SARTI, and holding the AGM at Manoora, which was open to the public, meant that once again the Board had a chance to meet with local representatives at the same time. A big thank you to the ladies who put on some delicious country made soups.
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Murray Coorong Trail:-
Leon Bignell MP, Minister for Recreation and Sport has announced a grant of $280,000 to the Mid Murray Council for the Murray Coorong Trail.
Mid Murray Council applied for the grant on behalf of three councils, Coorong, Murray Bridge and Mid Murray for stage one of the trail.
Each Local Government will commence construction of a section of trail which, when completed, will commence at Cadell in the Riverland, follow the Murray River as close as possible to the lower lakes and the Coorong to Salt Creek.
The estimated total length when completed will be 450 km and is designed as a multi-purpose walking/cycle trail.
Of particular interest is that stage one in the Murray Bridge section is a section shared with the Lavender federation Trail, heading up river to Toora Reserve.
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Bits & Pieces:-
- Are you a “Friend of the Lavender Federation Trail?
YOU can be a financial contributor to SARTI as a “Friend of the Lavender Federation Trail".
The new Sanderston Trail, the Lavender Federation Trail, new loop and spur trails such as the recently completed Point Pass Loop Trail are all being designed and constructed by volunteers. Volunteers undertake ongoing trail maintenance and each year SARTI has to fund public liability insurance of around $1,800, all for the benefit of walkers. Every contribution helps and at only $10 PA for an individual per annum, a small price to pay for the enjoyment received.
Go to the link http://lavenderfederationtrail.org.au/web/membership/ and become a member.
- New Loop Trail & Spur Trail Completed:
The Point Pass Loop Trail and Robertstown Spur Trails have now been completed and marked.
Still to be installed are interpretive signs at these locations. Point Pass is an excellent location to start or finish a walk on the Eudunda to Webb Gap section of trail. Point Pass has recently been added to the Accommodation page of the website. (Look under the Suppliers Tab and then Map 5)
http://lavenderfederationtrail.org.au/web/accommodation/
Negotiations are nearly complete to add Robertstown on the page too.
- Website best place to ask questions:
We receive many questions and enquiries through the LFT web site and attempt to answer them as soon as possible. In recent times the majority have been about maps for the Eudunda to Webb Gap section of trail and Jailbreak Trail or information about future sections of trail.
We encourage people to subscribe to the free “Footsteps” newsletters
http://lavenderfederationtrail.org.au
(It is very easy to sign up - go to the main website and there is an online form on the left hand side for you to fill in.). Most enquiries received have been detailed in Footsteps including map downloads for new sections that are available direct from the web site.
- What about our Twitter feed?
In our last footsteps we mentioned that you can follow us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/lavendertrail/
If you find Twitter is more to your liking, then please feel free to follow us on out Twitter Feed which will alert you to out posts on the website and other news which may be more relevant in social media.
Check it out here https://twitter.com/lavendertrail1
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Newsletters
Are you receiving this newsletter indirectly via a club or friend? Why not receive a copy direct and get all the latest news direct to your computer or mobile device?
The Lavender Federation Trail website home page www.lavenderfederationtrail.org.au gives easy access to subscribe or unsubscribe. Don’t forget to tell us if you change your email address via the link at the bottom of this email, 'update subscription preferences' at the bottom of this newsletter
“Footsteps” Newsletter is free. Reproduction of all or part of this newsletter by any organization may be permitted providing permission is first obtained from SARTI.
Previous Newsletter?
Looking for the Previous Newsletter? You can get it on the website.
If you have any trouble with this link
You can download the latest Footsteps Newsletter from the website at this link.
http://lavenderfederationtrail.org.au/web/newsletters/footsteps
and follow the links. You can also download previous newsletters here too.
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Sincerely,
Graham Hallandal
Editor (Footsteps),
Lavender Federation Walking Trail.
South Australian Recreation Trails Inc.,
Post Office Box 1052,
Murray Bridge, 5253, Australia.
http://lavenderfederationtrail.org.au
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