Three teenagers were rescued unharmed on Sunday after becoming lost on the Sundew Track at Onkaparinga River National Park, located near Adelaide's southern suburbs. This incident underscores how quickly hikers can encounter difficulties on these scenic but challenging trails.

Rod Quintrell, director of Walking SA, described the peri-urban conservation parks around Adelaide as deceptively tough. While the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park features flat, easy terrain with a river running through it, the adjacent national park includes steep gorges and rock climbing areas that can surprise visitors.

The Onkaparinga site has been the scene of multiple search and rescue operations over the years, including a 60-year-old rock climber injured after a 15-metre fall in October last year. Similarly, Morialta Conservation Park to the east saw a 20-year-old hiker rescued with hypothermia in 2021 after failing to return from a walk.

Further south, in 2020 at Deep Creek Conservation Park, a paramedic had to undertake a seven-hour round trip hike and camp overnight with a group after one hiker injured their ankle.

Quintrell attributes some of the increased incidents to a surge in bushwalking during COVID-19 lockdowns, when trails were "flooded" with people. He also noted that many social media photos of hikers in beautiful locations are often taken after a rest period, once exertion has subsided.

"I've been a guide for years. I still do tour groups. I still do training," Quintrell said, emphasizing the need for hikers to take these parks seriously and be prepared.

Sources