Earlier this year I’d organised for a group activation of VK3/VS-001, Mt William. In the days prior to the trip I suffered an arm injury, meaning I wasn’t able to go. I was still keen to get up there and activate the summit. 11th of November was the Keith Roget National Parks activation weekend so the Grampains was the target for me. Headed off from home early arriving at the car park about 8:30am. There was a few people walking the Grampians Peaks Trail so I didn’t look out of place with the pack on as I headed off up the steep roadway to the peak. There’s a couple of large comms sites up on the peak requiring a sealed road to the top. The first 100m is quite steep, the next few hundred isn’t too bad, the final 2km is a more gentle climb.
After checking out the view from cairn at the peak looked for a spot to setup that would be a bit out of the way. The western end of the comms facility seemed like it was the go. After working out where to erect the squid pole for the pole, I realised the pole was still sitting on the back seat of the car. Doh!
Happily I’d brought along the EFHW. Draped that over the nearby trees which got it about 2m off the ground. Not much local height, but I was on the top of a rather large peak.
Managed a dozen contacts over 30 minutes before the responses dropped off. Packed up and headed off to Mt Boroka
Mt William operating position
Robert, VK3ARM, lives 20 minutes away from Halls Gap and had mentioned Mt Boroka VK3/VW-007 as a possible activation target a few times. Sent him an SMS to say I was heading up there, if he’d like to join. He’d surveyed the site and was struggling to see a way to the rocky summit that’s behind the car parking area. I didn’t have any trouble spotting a goat track that others had made up to the top with minimal scrambling. This time I had the squid pole so put the dipole up. Managed 20 contacts over thirty minutes before Robert arrived. After a quick chat put Robert on the mic and he quickly managed 10 contacts also.
Stopped by The Balconies before heading down to Halls Gap for an ice cream and then the drive back to Ballarat.
Robert, VK3ARM, on the micMt Boroka carpark from the peak
Given the time it takes to drive there, I should have stayed overnight. It was still a good day out.
Mt Gorrin, VK3/VS-016, has been on the SOTA to do list for around five years. I walked up the mount once before, back in 2009, so I had an idea what it was going to be like. It’s more than a 400m climb up fronm the car park to the peak. Around 200m is on the track to Hidden Lagon with the second 200 being off track and requiring some rock scrambling. Parked at the start of the Hidden Lagoon track on Langhi Ghiran track and headed off around 9am. Left the track at the high point of the saddle between Gorrin and the smaller summit to the north. 50m off the track came accross a dumped front loading washing machine.
Saddly it’s not uncommon to see dumped stuff in the bush. But this thing is a long way off the vechile accessable track and it’d been painted and is alongside a star picket. Very strange?
On the way up spotted some wild goats which I initially thought was someone walking a dog. There was also lots of kangaroos.
After around two hours of walking and climbing I reached the summit. The views from the peak made the climb wortwhile. It was rather windy. Fortunetly it’s possible to get in behind some rocks and keep sheletered. Used the lighter FT-817 which limted me to 5w coupled with my old linked dipole. Managed a dozen contacts over the space of 20 minutes. All on 40m.
The return journey always seems to be faster. Made it from the summit to the car in an hour. Half the time to go up.
Mt Gorrin ClimbView on walk downMt Gorring Operating Position
Paused on the way to the next summit to visit to the Langi Ghiran rock art site. There’s not much information that I could find about this site. The best reference seemed to be from “The Art of the Australian Aboriginal” by A.S. Kenyon in the pamphlet Australian Aboriginal Art with texts by Charles Barrett and A.S. Kenyon (text reprinted from the 1929 exhibition), National Museum of Victoria, 1952, p. 30-31, which I found at https://artblart.com/tag/mt-langi-ghiran/
Second target was Mt Buangor, VK3/VS-003 I activated this back in 2016. Last time I was able to drive almost to the peak. This time I parked on the intersection of Dawson Rock Rd and Mugwamp track. I think the tracks I’d driven up last time have been closed since I was here.
It’s an easy walk from the car to the summit. Setup the dipole and managed 20 contacts in under 30 minutes. All on 40m The wind had picked up and temperature dropped a fair bit by the time I’d finished here so packed up and headed back to home.
Walking track is visable on the site map link below.
Mt Gorring Walking TrackMt Gorring Track Profilw=eSite Map and Track – Click to open
The VKFF team organised a ‘get together‘ for WWFF participants across VK land in Renmark, SA. Organisation was lead by national coordinator VK5PAS and VK5MAZ, assisted by a number of others. Twenty seven participants made there way there, with most activating parks on the way there and back.
Peter, VK3PWG, mentioned that he’d heard of the event and thought it would be good to go. I shared that I was already booked in and he was welcome to join me. So that was the plan. We managed to activate five parks on the way there and another five on the way home. 350 QSO’s, of which 87 were P2P contacts.
VKFF-0977 St Arnaud Regional Park 17
VKFF-2462 Towma Flora and Fauna Reserve 28
VKFF-0967 Green Lake Regional Park 33
VKFF-0231 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 32
VKFF-0373 Murray-Sunset National Park 28
VKFF-1723 Loch Luna Game Reserve 44
VKFF-1729 Moorook Game Reserve 22
VKFF-0372 Murray River National Park 48
VKFF-1697 Chowilla Game Reserve 47
VKFF-2466 Turriff Flora and Fauna Reserve 47
It was a great trip. Really good to meet some of the people who I’ve spoke to often and hear their stories. The next get together is planned for Bendigo in central Victoria. I’m sure that’ll be a popular event.
Click to Open in Google Maps
Thursday 26th October
Plan was to drive around half way to Renmark, activating some parks on the way. 1st target was VKFF-0977 St Arnaud Regional Park. Parked at the boundary of the park near town and set everything up only to find a really high noise level on both 40 and 20m which made for unpleasant working conditions. Decided to stop at 17 and get a few more K’s under the belt. While packing up one of the two chairs I’d brought collapsed. Also forgot to take any photos here. Not the best of starts. Ooops.
Next was VKFF-2462 Towma Flora and Fauna Reserve. A non-descript little reserve on the Birchip to Sealake road. Setup off a turn out on the North West corner and managed 28 contacts before moving on. Again no photos.
Third for the day was VKFF-0967, Green Lake Regional Park. This looked to be a popular camping area and there was quite a few vans parked around the lake. I’d expect it’d be a super busy spot over Christmas. Set up on the West side of the lake by the water. Managed 33 contacts before deciding it was time to make our way to our overnight accommodation.
Green LakeGreen LakeGreen Lake Operating Position
Friday 27th October
Friday had a few hours of driving and we needed to be in Renmark for the opening dinner, leaving only enough time for two parks. First target was VKFF-0231, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. I’d visited this part back in 2020 on the VKFF activation weekend. (I’ve never completed the blog for that weekend. I musy fix that.) I needed 24 contacts to qualify the park. Access was via main entry off the Calder Highway. Being midweek there weren’t many people around, allowing us to get set up in a picnic shelter overlooking the lake. Easily managed 32 contacts including with Peter, VK3ZPF who was working from the other end of the park, meaning it wasn’t a P2P for either of us.
Second park was VKFF-0373 Murray-Sunset National Park. This was another park I’d activated in 2020. This time I needed 28. Access was via the Walla Walla Track off the Sturt Highway where there was an information sign board and small clump of trees that provided a small amount of shade. Peter, VK3ZPF must have been following us as he’d also moved to another site in the same park.
Saturday was filled with presentations and a dinner, so no time for activations. Sunday kicked off with a BBQ hosted by the Riverland Radio Club. After and egg and bacon roll and some farewells we headed off to VKFF-1723 Loch Luna Game Reserve. Access was off Morgan Road. Followed an access track round to camp site number 1 and setup on the waters edge. Sue, VK3AYL came up from the same park. To our surprise, also in campsite 1. After some confusion, realised her campsite 1 was in camping area at the other end of the park. Managed 44 contacts in just over two hours.
Second site was VKFF-1729 Moorook Game Reserve, which is on the other side of the Sturt Highway. Again setup by the side of the Murray River. Managed 22 contacts in around an hour before the contacts dried up. So packed up and headed back to Renmark where we had dinner on the deck at the Renmark club, overlooking the Murray river.
Moorook Game ReserveLoch Luna Game ReserveVKFF Get Together BBQ
Monday 30th October
Monday started at the VKFF-0372 Murray River National Park, across the road from the van park we’d stayed in for the last few nights. Pulled up up only to find Gerrard, VK2IO, already setup where we’d planned to go. Happily Gerrard was about to pack up and head on but was happy to firstly show us how he’d set the vehicle up with a focus on getting setup and being able to pull down quickly.
Managed 48 contacts before heading up to VKFF-1697 Chowilla Game Reserve. There was still visable evidence of the damage from the floods 12 months earlier at this park, with the camping and walking tracks still closed. Managed 47 contacts before heading to Mildura for the night.
Murray River NPGerrard at Murray River NPChowilla GR
Tuesday 31st October
Last day of the trip with five hours of driving required to get back home. That allowed enough time for one activation. VKFF-2466 Turriff Flora and Fauna Reserve was the chosen target. Access was via Roberts Rd, off the Sunraysia Highway. Managed 47 contacts before hitting the road for the final stretch home.
vk3oak 