Hiked a 28k section of the 1200k long Heysen Trail today. Section 9 from Mount Compass to Kuipto. Also could not resist a detour to the summit of Mount Magnificent and walked a little further into section 10 stopping at Kuipto Hall. Great to do a longer hike as it has been a while.
The Jodi Lee fund raising Trek will be along this route on Friday. I am not walking this year instead Trish and I will be volunteers helping out with the lunch stop on Friday and Saturday. I started my walk from the Mount Compass Caravan Park. Some road walking but it is not long before you are on farm tracks.
The pastures and dairy cows around Mt Compass and Nangkita provide the backdrop for the first section of this walk. Back roads then lead you through Finniss Conservation Park and into Mt Magnificent Conservation Park, where a short hike off the main trail rewards you with spectacular views from Mt. Magnificent over the southern Fleurieu Peninsula.
The Heysen trail passes through the Mount Magnificent Conservation Park. It is a short detour (1-2km?) off the Heysen trail to the summit of Mount Magnificent. The track is not to steep until the last 2-300 meters. Not difficult however the dirt and grass will be very slippery if it is wet. The view is worth the extra effort. Click HERE for a Mount Magnificent Loop pdf Map. Click for KML File of the route or GPX file for the route.
The forestry people were burning off over a large area and smoke was drifting over the track for a kilometre or so. A combination of native bushland, some back-road walking and tracks through the pine plantation forest completed the day. Trish was there to pick me up at Kuitpo Hall.
Burning off 
Download full-featured GPX and/or KML files of the Heysen Trail.
