"Wait, what? You hiked the whole Heysen Trail? How did you survive?"

The question of supplies inevitably arises when discussing thru-hiking the Heysen Trail. Organising months worth of food and hiking essentials can be a complicated process. Everything from coordinating supply box deliveries, to calculating the life span of a fuel canister, to preparing, purchasing or dehydrating your meals needs consideration well before setting off on the trail. Your resupply method is highly personal and will largely depend on your walking pace, dietary requirements and hiking budget.

After coordinating my itinerary, I began organising supply boxes to be dropped and stored along the route. Pre-purchasing and delivering boxes full of toilet paper, fuel canisters, Heysen Trail maps and dehydrated food allowed me time, when I eventually arrived in each town, to concentrate on the important things like raiding pie warmers and locating the nearest parmy. Notwithstanding the box drops, I left enough room in my bag to stock up along the trail. You never know what you’ll crave after walking 100 kilometres.

Heysen Trail Resupply Plan (North to South)

Location
Km to next food stop
Overall
Km
Resupply
Options
My Box Drops
Prairie Hotel (13.9km from Parachilna Gorge Trailhead)

The restaurant at the Prairie Hotel is the nearest food stop from the northern end of the Heysen Trail.

65.53 N/A No No
Wilpena Pound

The IGA Xpress store at the Wilpena Pound Resort stocks a limited supply of food and essentials. Dining available in Captain Starlights Restaurant and Poddy Dodgers Bar & Bistro.

67.73 65.53 Limited No
Hawker (6.6km from the trail)

The Hawker Hotel Motel stored my box of hiking supplies. Various dining options available. Hawker General Store stock a limited supply of food and essentials.

107.95 133.26 Limited Yes
Quorn (2km from the trail)

The Austral Inn stored my box of hiking supplies. Various dining options available. Various dining options available. The Quorn IGA stock a moderate supply of food and essentials.

95.55 241.21 Yes Yes
Wilmington (4km from the trail)

Limited dining options available. SJ & JA Wild stock a limited supply of food and essentials.

56.63 297.84 Limited No
Melrose

The Mt Remarkable Hotel Motel stored my box of hiking supplies. Various dining options available. Store 54 stock a moderate supply of food and essentials.

88.62 336.76 Yes Yes
Crystal Brook

The Crystal Brook Caravan Park stored my box of hiking supplies. Various dining options available. Crystal Brook Foodland stock a moderate supply of food and essentials.

80.18 425.38 Yes Yes
Spalding

The Spalding Hotel (previously Barbed Wire Hotel) stored my box of hiking supplies. Limited dining options available. Spalding General Store stock a limited supply of food and essentials.

22.9 505.56 Limited Yes
Georgetown

The Georgetown General Store stock a limited supply of food and essentials.

104.85 528.46 Limited No
Burra

The Peppers Accommodation stored my box of hiking supplies. Various dining options available. Oppy’s IGA stock a moderate supply of food and essentials.

91.8 633.31 Yes Yes
Marrabel

Unfortunately, dining is no longer available at The Marrabel Hotel.

45.78 725.11 No No
Kapunda

The Kapunda Tourist Park stored my box of hiking supplies. Various dining options available. Kapunda Foodworks stock a moderate supply of food and essentials.

17.53 770.89 Yes No
Greenock

Limited dining options available. Greenock General Store stock a limited supply of food and essentials.

12.40 788.42 Limited No
Tanunda

A residential property stored my box of hiking supplies, however, numerous options should be available for box drops. Various dining options available. Tanunda Foodland stock an extensive supply of food and essentials.

103.45 800.82 Yes Yes
Norton Summit

Dining available at The Scenic Hotel.

19.81 904.27 No No
Woodhouse Activity Centre

Woodhouse Activity Centre stored my box of hiking supplies.

4.17 924.08 No Yes
Bridgewater

Various dining options available. Coles Bridgewater stock an extensive supply of food and essentials.

6.88 928.25 Yes No
Mylor

Mylor General Store stock a limited supply of food and essentials.

65.26 935.13 Limited No
Mt Compass (2km from the trail)

Various dining options available. Mount Compass IGA stock an extensive supply of food and essentials.

23.45 1000.39 Yes No
Heysen’s Rest Bed and Breakfast

Heysen’s Rest Bed and Breakfast stored my box of hiking supplies.

13.64 1023.84 No Yes
Inman Valley

Inman Valley General Store and Country Kitchen stock a limited supply of food and essentials; dining also available.

89.88 1037.48 Limited No
Cape Jervis

Dining available at Cape Jervis Tavern.

N/A 1127.36 No N/A

 

Remember, this is only a guide.

As always, do your own research when planning to walk the Heysen Trail. The details in the above list were recorded for my journey from August to October, 2018. Distances, routes, prices, shop opening times and hotels willing to stockpile hikers’ supply boxes, can change suddenly. The Friends of the Heysen Trail feature an online Service Directory for anyone planning to hike the trail.

Support SA’s regional businesses.

Whenever you make a purchase along the trail, you are supporting a community that helps maintain the Heysen Trail. If a hotel stores your supply box, order a beer and a meal from the bar (I can personally recommend all chicken schnitzels on the trail). If you walk past a local general store, go in and buy a chocolate bar. Every small gesture helps sustain these often remote South Australian regions.