26th to 31st October 2023
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.
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.
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.
Sunday 29th October
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.
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.
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 