Impressed by SA National Parks maintenance

[Onestepmore]

I have just returned from 3 weeks working in Port Lincoln, on the Eyre Peninsula of SA, and on my weekends off duty I did some circuit day walks in both Lincoln NP and Coffin Bay NP. Unfortunately my provided car was not a 4 WD so I wasn't able to venture deeper into the parks and just stuck to the hard dirt roads. I was pleasantly surprised by the trackmarking, track maintenance and clean toilet facilities I encountered. Oddly though, in the pit loos, there are signs asking you to keep the lid open - quite the opposite from NSW where they want the loo lid shut to stop blowies breeding! I wore a bug net over my cap one day as the slow sticky little flies were truly bad.

Is the Investigator Trail a polular walking track?

I have to say I was a bit over-engineered - the first day's walking I came equipped with gaiters, walking poles, GPS, PLB, light waterproofs and even a super light down jacket. I guess I've walked in too many places like the Blue Mountains and Snowies and Nattai, and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I confess I did feel a bit silly. A couple of people made funny comments about my walking poles 'going skiiing are we?' and similar. Do people in SA not usually use poles?
PS swimming on Almonta Beach in Coffn Bay NP was sublime. And so were the oysters - $12.50 a dozen , opened as they sell them to you!

[photohiker]

Sounds like fun! Didn't know there were walking trails over there, will have to investigate next time I'm over.

People around Adelaide would be used to seeing walking poles, but on the west coast of SA, not so much

[GPSGuided]

People around Adelaide would be used to seeing walking poles, but on the west coast of SA, not so much

"West Coast" of SA! LOL

[icefest]

I haven't seen the walking tracks in coffin bay, only sailing.

[Onestepmore]

This is a pic of Almonta Beach
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/LocationP ... ralia.html

And yeah, Coffin Bay is a watersport paradise

[photohiker]

People around Adelaide would be used to seeing walking poles, but on the west coast of SA, not so much

"West Coast" of SA! LOL

Well, that's what it's referred to locally You might have noticed there is a rather large gulf called Spencers Gulf between the east and west coastal regions of SA.

[Cowell_boy]

franklin harbour conservation park on the eyre peninsular. Excellent camping areas and totally unknown

[Hallu]

Oddly though, in the pit loos, there are signs asking you to keep the lid open - quite the opposite from NSW where they want the loo lid shut to stop blowies breeding! I wore a bug net over my cap one day as the slow sticky little flies were truly bad.

Well, keeping the lid down prevents the insects from accessing the pit, so it also slows down decay, while keeping it open allows the insects to do their work, and it diffuses the stench. Otherwise when you open the lid it's a veritable assault on your nose.