HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
Above: Zara and Chris standing in front of one of the vistas on the Chalk Hill Road section of the trail.
Roaming the Willunga Basin Story by Kate Le Gallez. Photograph by Jason Porter.
Chris Davies isn’t quite sure, but he thinks the late Greg Trott (of Wirra Wirra) perhaps described the Willunga Basin best: ‘as you come over the rise near Pedler Creek, you get that ‘ahh’ feeling as you see the view laying out in front of you. That view you see is Willunga Basin.’ Inspired by the ‘freedom to roam’ in Scotland, Chris and his partner Zara Lupton, together with a dedicated group of volunteers, are establishing a walking trail that encircles and crosses the basin. The end result will not only literally connect the diverse terrain found within that marvellous view, but will offer locals and visitors renewed access to the landscape. The Friends of Willunga Basin, a group dedicated to preserving the basin’s beauty, agriculture and heritage first discussed the possibility of a trail in 2009. It was suggested as a way to define the area, which is bounded by the southern Mount Lofty Ranges as they sweep to the coast at Sellicks, along the coast as it stretches towards Port Noarlunga and framed by the cliffs and hills south of the Onkaparinga River. With the idea firmly planted in their minds, Zara and Chris left for a fifteen-month trip to Zara’s native Scotland. Their experience changed their perception and understanding of what it means to be able to walk in the landscape. There, walkers have a legally enshrined right to responsibly roam most Scottish land. Returning to Australia, Chris and Zara missed that sense of freedom. ‘I knew there were nice places to walk like the national parks and things, but you had to get in your car and drive there to do the walk.’ The question became, how could they achieve a similar level of access throughout the Basin? They found their answer in unmade road reserves, many of which were laid down in the planning for South Australia in London in the 1830s and have largely never been thought about since, at least until now. But they’re there, plain as day on maps of the region and remain public land in the council’s 46
care and control. By the end of 2012, Chris, Zara and friend Chas Martin had mapped a route connecting the area’s diverse terrain, taking in vineyards, farmland, native bush and coastal dunes. The route makes use of over twenty unmade road reserves with very few private links. Perhaps like most people, Chris and Zara assumed building the trail would be a matter for the Onkaparinga Council, which approved the route in 2012. That was until they discovered the backlog of trails yet to be built. By their calculations, it would be 27 years before work began. Instead of throwing their hands up, they submitted to council that they be allowed to do the work – a proposal that was accepted. ‘We had won, we were actually going to get on and do it, we’re not going to wait for somebody else,’ recalls Chris. That initial jubilation has given way to the hard work necessary to put the trail in. And it is a lot of work, becoming almost a full-time job for the retired pair. Since the beginning of 2019, volunteers have joined Chris and Zara at working sessions on the trail three times a week doing everything from putting in signposts and stiles (both designed by Chris) to removing olive trees and building the track itself. A $79,000 government grant helps pay for infrastructure but the volunteers do the work and there will soon be ongoing maintenance as well. Many of the volunteers come from a local walking group and the Willunga Basin Trail Inc. which incorporated separately from the original Friends group. So far, they’ve established 45 of the 130 kilometre trail. The goal is to complete the full track within the next eighteen months. If you keep an eye out, you’ll start to spot the unassuming signposts with their graphic blue and white logos (also designed by Chris) here and there. Among the walking community it’s certainly getting noticed. The group, and its two humble leaders, were recognised by Walking SA for their work in October 2019, while the Friends of the Heysen Trail have included it in its walks program. Chris and Zara hope the trail will be a place everyone can enjoy for recreation and that the community will feel a sense of ownership over it. A place where all can enjoy the freedom to roam. To find out more or get involved go to: www.wbt.org.au.
