With ANZAC day falling on a Thursday this year I took the opportunity to take the Friday as annual leave and have a four day weekend with the family at Moama. Most of the family wasn’t able to get there until Friday evening, so I got a leave pass from the xyl to get out and spend Friday morning playing radio.
Murray Valley National Park – VKFF-1178
First target of the day was the Murray Valley National Park. I had planned to get into the park via Coolamon Rd, but the gate at that entry was closed for some reason. Drove further up the Cobb Highway and found the next entry open. The sign says it’s Exchange rd, which isn’t laballed on Google maps.
From there followed the signs the Swifts Creek camp ground. The camp ground has a small number of camp spots which seemed most suited to caravans and which were all full. (According to the sign, bookings are needed.) That’s adjacent to a boat ramp and picnic area. I made use of table next to the river and set up the EFHW with a large gum tree to hold up the far end.
Got on air around 9:20am, giving me forty minutes before the UTC rollover into the new day. HF conditions prooved to be good and lots of people seemed to be out and about. I’d managed thirty five contacts on 40m in around twenty minutes, by which time I’d run out of customers. Went up to 20m and got another 14 in the space of ten minutes. Overall forty five contacts in thirty minutes!
Murray Valley Regional Park – VKFF-1785
Second target was the Murray Valley Regional Park. This park has lots of disconnected allotments. Access was via Picnic Point Road and then Boyeo Rd. Boyeo Rd has gates at both end that would be closed if the area is wet. Judging by some of the ruts in the road, it can get quite boggy when it’s wet.
This time I found an open area where I could pull the car off the main track and setup. HF conditions continued to be good. Managed thirty contacts on 40m in about thirty minutes before running out of customers. Moved to 20m and managed another fourteen contacts in the space of fifteen minutes.
Overall forty five contacts in under forty minutes. I was very happy with the result in both parks. I wasn’t expecting to get to forty four in either.
Weather was perfect too. Blue sky and just a breath of wind. To top it off, I spotted a couple of emu’s on the way out of the park.
Woady Yallock River, Pitfield Streamside Reserve, VKFF-3922
A couple of quick activations on a very pleasant Autumn afternoon. Both close to home. First up was Woady Yallock River, Pitfield Streamside Reserve, VKFF-3922. This is a rest stop off the side of the Skipton to Rokewood Rd. The area seems to be quite well maintained with tables and shelter. It’s down in a valley, which means there’s no phone coverage for spotting. There is some traffic noise from trucks going over the bridge. But the road isn’t that busy so it didn’t bother me. A couple of cars and vans pulled in while I was there. None of them paid any attention to what I was doing.
Band conditions have continued to be good and quite a few people were out and about which helped me get 47 contacts in 47 minutes. Much better than I’d expected when heading out.
Warrambine Flora Reserve, VKFF-2479
Second site was Warrambine Flora Reserve, VKFF-2479. Site of the old Warrambine Shire Hall. The building is all boarded up these days. It is on the Victorian Historic Database. Maybe it’ll get restored one day.
Managed 45 contacts in just under an hour, including ten on 20m and one 10m.
By the end of the hour the battery had pretty much had it. Might be time for an upgrade.
Second push bike outing for the Easter weekend. This time following the Castlemaine to Maldon rail trail. This isn’t a typical rail trail as the train line is still active. Rather it follows along beside the track used by the Victorian Goldfields Railway line which runs a train a couple of days a week. Castlemain is 100m lower than Maldon. I’d prefer to have the first half of the ride be harder than the return journey, so I started at Castlemaine. The bike track has more climbs than the actual rail line and is fairly rough in a few spots. I was a little bit concerned about the poor radio being bounced around in the pannier bag. It was well packed. But being on the rear pack rack, it was still being bounced a lot.
The track runs past Muckleford I136 Bushland Reserve, VKFF-4282, about 5km out of Castlemaine. Rode up to Maldon and enjoyed a couple of sandwiches and a drink before riding back and stopping in the reserve.
The area is open enough that I could easily ride the bike into the bush and set up 50m off the main track.
Managed 21 contacts on 40m over the space of about 25 minutes. Tried going to 20m but the band was wall to wall with contest stations. So I didn’t bother and instead packed up and finished the cycle back to Castlemaine station.
TRACK STATISTICS
distance travelled: 39.31 km
time: 4:39:39
elev. min/max: 269 m/361 m
elev. gain/loss: 641 m/-640 m
There’s quite a few parks in the Castlemain area. I’ll have to come back for a weekend visit I think.
I’ve been looking at how I can add some physical activity to portable radio use. There’s a pretty limited range of SOTA summits nearby, but there are a couple parks that are next to cycling trails. Smysdale Streamside Reserve seemed like a good target. Just outside the nearby township of Smythesdale which the Ballarat to Skipton rail trail passes through. Packed the radio gear, sun protection and water into a pannier bag and headed out to Nimmons Bridge with a plan to cycle the 10km back to Smythesdale.
The weather was ideal with clear blue skies and just a breath of wind. Didn’t take long before I arrived at the park. Set up in a clearing beside the creek making use of the EFHW.
Managed 15 contacts on 40m. Tried 20m and wasn’t expecting much given the 5 watts out on the FT-817. Was pleased to get 6 contacts, including a 5×7 both ways from VK4HNS.
Finished up with a couple of park to park contacts on 40m. First with Gerrard, VK2IO in Mount Buffalo National Park, VKFF-0339. And then Stewart, VK7FADZ in Mount Barrow State Reserve, VKFF-1818.
All up managed 23 contacts in the space of about 40 minutes.
Packed and cycled back to the car. Worked well. Though I’d packed everything in a single pannier bag which meant the weight on the bike was a bit lopsided. Next time I’ll use two bags and spread the load. Â
Back in 2022 I socialized the idea of a trip down to King Island with my XYL, who was pretty clear that wasn’t happening. Somewhere along the way I suggested to Peter, VK3WPG that the island would be an interesting parks target that we might try in the new year (Which would have been referring to 2023). Time went by and nothing more was done until we travelled together to the 2023 VKFF Parks Get Together at Renmark in October 2023 where PWG raised the idea again and a plan was hatched.
First challenge was accommodation. The Island has some great looking 5 star places, with prices to match the star rating. PWG and I were more after 2 or 3 stars, also with prices to match. At the suggestion of the local tourist centre, PWG put a post on the King Island Community Notice Board which resulted in a very reasonably priced house in Naracoopa on the East coast. The only issue was that we needed to move the dates by a week, which later proved to be quite fortunate.
Next was car hire. None of the big companies operate here. We got an older Subaru Forester from Island Car Hire. The hire conditions stated we couldn’t take it on the beach or bush bashing, everything else was okay. That suited us just fine.
Waiting for departure
Last detail was the flight. The main carrier seems to be Sharp Airlines. Rex flies here but they don’t seem to have advertised schedules. There’s also a smaller company that flies out of Moorabbin called King Island Air, which is who we went with. They had the benefit of free parking and a schedule that worked slightly better for us. King Island air operates a couple of eight seaters. On both the trip down and back there was only three passengers and the pilot. We travelled down on milk and frozen goods day. Once we’d boarded every square inch of the remaining space on the plane was filled with perishable freight.
Radio related kit prep
The airline had a 15Kg weight limit on the bags which we worked hard to stay within. Our weigh in at home suggested both being a little over. Not sure what the airline scales said, either way nothing was said to us. Excess baggage was only $3 per Kg. So it really wasn’t an issue. We could have taken a 20Kg flight case there and back for $120.
I took a 7m squid pole which I packed in a couple of mailing tubes joined together for protection. In hindsight that would have been fine on it’s own. This was an invaluable piece of equipment. We used it on all bar one activation.
We spoke to the airline about batteries. Ours were less than 100Wh which is fine for domestic travel. We did need to hand carry them. (Also fine.)
As we had an early start we elected to stay overnight in Moorabbin. This is where the date change helped a lot. The weekend prior was the Taylor Swift concert and Melbourne was fully booked. Even hotels in Moorabbin were starting at $400 plus for a single room. About three times what we managed.
Coming into King Island
For radio gear, we did all activations with PWG’s IC-705. I had an FT-817 as backup, happily not needed. We had a small 35W amp which we used a few times where conditions were ordinary. Most activations were done with an EFHW. We did a couple with a linked dipole.
When we originally started planning the trip there was five VKFF parks on the island and one SOTA summit. As luck would have it, Paul, VK5PAS was working on adding a batch of VK7 parks. He was aware of our plan and reached out asking if there were any other sites we’d like him to add. PWG and I received the email and after a bit of rapid research replied independently. PWG thought having an additional one or two might be good. At almost the same time I wrote back to Paul asking if another ten could be added, which was basically all the publicly owned parks that seemed as though they would be accessible by car.
I’m sure Peter was wondering what I was thinking. As it turned out the fifteen parks fitted perfectly to the five days we had on the island.
There’s warnings of limited phone coverage on the island. We printed out a few copies of this map on A3 paper and found it to be a very usefull resource. Phone coverage wasn’t as poor as I was expecting.
Day 1 – Monday 26th February
7:30 flight out of Moorabbin saw us on the ground and into the hire car around 9am. First stop was Currie for supplies. We’d been warned that everything on the Island was expensive, including the supermarket. From there we navigated to Naracoopa to find the house and extract the radio gear. First radio target was the Southern tip of the Island, VKFF-4418, Stokes Point Conservation Area.
This was also our first experience of the islands gravel roads and abundant wildlife with a wallaby, or wobbly as they became known, bouncing out onto the road around every corner. Both contributing to us traveling at much lower speeds than we would typically travel.
Sealers Wall
After slowly making our way down to the Stokes Point lighthouse where it was rather cold and windy on the exposed coast, we came back past Sealers Wall which was built by early settlers as a barricade to help when trapping seals to harvest their skin and oil.
Setup the linked dipole and made our first calls from the island. First to come back was VK3PF with 5×5 both ways. Managed 31 contacts over the space of 45 minutes. All on 40m. We considered trying to push on for 44 to qualify for WWFF but we had a fair drive to get back to the house and it’d already been a long day. 31 seemed a good result anyway.
Operating position at Stokes Point
Next was VKFF-1148, Seal Rocks State Reserve, this was just up the road on the West coast. Setup the EFHW in a picnic shelter and got 21 contacts over the space of 40 minutes. From here we checked out the Calcified Forest and the Seal Rock Boardwalk before making the drive back to Naracoopa.
Seal Rocks Boardwalk
That evening we drove into Currie and had dinner at the Currie Hotel before coming back and setting up in the Northernmost tip of VKFF-4410, City of Melbourne Bay Conservation Area. We had a go with PWG’s vertical. Managed six contacts on 40m and none on 20m before heading back to the house for a well earned rest.
City of Melbourne Bay at Naracoopa
Day 2 – Tuesday 27th February
Today we headed North, with the first target being VKFF-1134, Cape Wickham State Reserve, site of the tallest lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere. Setup again in a picnic shelter using the linked dipole and and the amp to boost the power a little. Conditions early in the day were better suited to DX contacts with many of of our usual VK3 contacts giving pretty ordinary reports. We did get three VK4’s in the log with good reports both ways. After 10 contacts in 30 minutes we decided to move on as we had a lot of ground to cover for the day.
Next was VKFF-1796, Disappointment Bay State Reserve. Driving into this site we passed a couple walking out. It turned out that they had paddled sea kyacks from Melbourne, around Flinders Island, down to Tassie, and were now padding back to Melbourne. They’d setup camp on the beach and wanted to hitch hike into Currie. We didn’t see them again but did wonder how they’d gone. They might have gotten a ride into town. We didn’t like their chances of getting a ride back. At 45 Km, it’d be a bit of a walk.
Operating position at Cape WickhamSea Kayaks at Disapointment BayDisapointment Bay Operating PositionDisapointment Bay
After a short walk on the beach we set up the EFHW from a picnic table that overlooked the surf. Here we managed 48 contacts in just over an hour. All on 40m. The rate was assisted by rollover half way through. Probably the most successful park for the trip.
From there we made our way to VKFF-1142, Lavinia State Reserve. While this park is only just along the coast, easy access required us to drive inland before crossing the island and past Penny’s Lagoon to get to Lavinia Beach. Again there was a convenient picnic table overlooking the surf so the EFHW was put back into service. Managed 22 contacts over about 40 minutes before packing up and heading back to Currie.
Lavinia Beach
Third target for the day was the North end of VKFF-4409, Cataraqui Point Conservation Area. We accessed this via Neatherby Point, just off British Admiralty Beach. At the North end of the beach there’s a parking area overlooking the surf. Parked the car to act as a windbreak and ran the EFHW out over the rocks. Managed 25 contacts over 40 minutes.
Cataraqui PointCataraqui Point
Final target for the day was the Southern end of VKFF-4415, Porky Beach Conservation Area, just North of Currie. We accessed this via Loorana, which is the site of the famous King Island Dairy. There is a shop and I think they might do tours, but we just observed from the car.
Here the car made a good wind break from where we could have a sheltered spot and watch the surf roll in while calling CQ. This seemed to be a popular spot to go after work. About a dozen cars drove past us and onto the beach while we were here. None stopped to enquire what we were doing. After 20 contacts over 30 minutes we decided it was time to head back to the pub for dinner, and then onto Naracoopa for some rest.
Day 3 – Wednesday 28th February
Gentle Annie Operating Position
Back down South, this time on the East coast. First target was VKFF-4414, Gentle Annie Conservation Area. This is also the site of the island SOTA summit, VK7/NW-048, Gentle Annie, (162m, 1 point), which I would have liked to have done. However there’s no track to the summit and the bush was quite thick. I’m sure it would be possible to get through to the summit but it would be slow and even then wouldn’t have any sort of view. (The summit was activated by VK3XDM back in 2015. So it is possible.) Given we had more park targets, we elected to skip the summit.
Pulled the car off the track we’d accessed the park from, on the very unlikely possibility that another vehicle wanted to access the track that led up to a locked gate. Sure enough, 10 minutes later some 4WD’s and a large truck rumbled past on their way to the nearby comms tower. (Which is offset from the summit.)
Setup the EFHW in a small clearing in the scrub and managed 11 contacts in 40 minutes. Slow going.
Second target was VKFF-4411, Colliers Swamp Conservation Area, which is next door to Stokes Point. Checked out Grassy on the way. Looked into the large tungsten mine, drove down to the harbour and spotted a seal resting on the beach next to the Little Penguin colony. The penguin’s had already headed out to sea looking for food for the day so we didn’t see any.
Tungstan mine with Grassy in the backgroundColliers Swamp Conservation Area
There was a track into Colliers Swamp off South Rd. Set up the EFHW here only to turn the radio on and hear S7 of noise, which would make working this most unpleasant. Pulled the gear down and made our way down to Seal River Road. Once inside the boundary of Colliers Swamp we setup the linked dipole and started calling. There was a threat of rain. Happily we only had a few light drops while there. Managed 26 contacts over about an hour. All 40m.
Next was VKFF-4417, Seal Rocks Conservation Area. Access here was tricky. There aren’t any tracks that run into the park, at least none we could access. (Attrills Road may be worthwhile trying.) However the park’s Eastern boundary is on South Road.
Seal Rocks Conservation Area
After driving up and down South Road a few times, we decided on a spot near the Southern boundry where we could pull the car off the road and then bush bashed our way into the park for about 10m. There wasn’t room for the squid pole, so the EFHW was draped over the vegetation about as high as I could reach. This still seemed to work okay. We managed 19 contacts over about 40 minutes.
Our last target for the day was VKFF-4410, City of Melbourne Bay Conservation Area. We wanted to get into this at Yarra Creek, via Skipworth Rd, which was about half way along the length of the park. This site is next to a large farm house and owners have put some effort into maintaining the beach access area. There’s a well manicured grassed area with a picnic table overlooking the creek and surf. Probably one of the best spots we had to set up for the trip.
City of Melbourne Bay at Yarra Creek
As we set up there was distant thunder clap and black clouds coming over. We managed six contacts before it started raining. Worse, some sort of noise came up and completely wiped out the band.
Rapidly packed up, leaving the chasers wondering what happened to us, and headed back to Naracoopa.
Naracoopa
Lack of planning here meant we had to drive to Currie for dinner. Doh.
Naracoopa Jetty from City of Melbourne Bay operating position
Once back we headed down to the Northern end of VKFF-4410, City of Melbourne Bay Conservation Area, which is at Naracoopa where we managed 24 more contacts before packing up.
Day 4 – Thursday 29th February
Headed North again, this time on the East coast. First stop was VKFF-4413, Eldorado Conservation Area. Lots of very thick bush out this side of the Island. Eldorado is 1 Km off the coast. We found a small access track that seemed to most be used by the local beekeepers. Set the EFHW and managed 21 contacts in 30 minutes with generally good reports. The pace was pleasing as the conditions early in the day previously had made the rate pretty slow.
After a short diversion down Blowhole Rd, where we found the blowhole but the sea was flat so nothing to see today.
Top Pic: Sea Elephant River, home to hundreds of swans. Lower left: Operating position in Sea Elephant Conservation Area. Lower right: Blow Hole.
Next was VKFF-4416, Sea Elephant Conservation Area. Set up the EFHW to the amusement of a couple of wallabies that hung around the whole time we were there. We had thought we should be able to leverage roll over to get to 44 here. As it turned out we managed 33 contacts over 80 minutes, including 5 on 20m. Decided that getting another 11 contacts was going to take too long and packed up.
We had planned to go into the South end of VKFF-1142, Lavinia State Reserve which was right next to Sea Elephant. We’d been to the Northern end on Monday and got 22 contacts. Given the rate of contacts we decided to skip that and head for VKFF-4412, Counsel Hill Conservation Area, which was quite a long drive from where we were.
Counsel Hill
Counsel Hill is the site of a large comms tower with microwave dishes pointed back at Victoria. The peak of the hill didn’t have any good spots to set up and was quite windy. Just below that was an access track with bush either side acting as a windbreak. Set up the EFHW and managed 17 contacts in 50 minutes.
From here we headed to Currie to get supplies for the evening rather than eating at the pub. We also wanted to get on the BARG 80m club net later that evening.
PWG working the BARG 80m net
Back at Naracoopa we popped back to VKFF-4410, City of Melbourne Bay Conservation Area, where we need 8 more to get to 44 and qualify the park for the WWFF award. Managed that easily, ending up with 26 contacts over the space of 45 minutes while watching the sun set and surf roll in.
After some dinner we rigged up an 80m EFHW by adding some length to the 40 wire we’d been using. Joined the 80m ‘Clipboard’ net, hosted by VK3DLO and the BARG club net. Got good reports from all using 10w into the end fed.
Day 5 – Friday 1st March
Final day which also meant everything needed to be packed ready for the flight home. We’d already activated everything we could get into so the plan was to revisit Cataraqui Point and Porkys Beach which needed 19 and 24 respectively to get to 44. As conditions had been poor for the first park each day we planned to go to Porkys and get as many as we could in 30 or 40 minutes, then head down to Cataraqui Point and leverage rollover, then back to Parkys to finish the park off.
Porky Beach
As it worked out, we didn’t need to do all that. At Porky’s Beach we had the place all to ourselves and got 32 contacts in 50 minutes. Then a quick drive down to Cataraqui Point where we got 22 contacts over 35 minutes.
Cataraqui Point
There was one park that we didn’t go to. VKFF-3366, King Island Conservation Covenant is a private reserve just outside Naracoopa. The sign on the gate calls it “Parenna Place Studio”. It’s mentioned on one of the tourist sites and also has a Facebook page. I tried calling the listed phone number, but it was disconnected. The website that the email is associated with no longer exists and the Facebook page hasn’t been updated since 2019. So sadly we had to skip it. Had we been here longer, I might have tried driving in and knocking on the door.
All that was left was to fuel up the car, make the flight home and then battle the Friday peak hour traffic across Melbourne to get back to Ballarat.
All up we drove around 600km over the five days on the island. (We drove about 300 Km to get from Ballarat to the airport and back.) The island was suffering a drought which meant the grass was all brown but also the tracks were all very solid.
We had great weather with a max of 32C and a minimum over the whole trip of 16C. There was a few drops of rain but not enough to worry us.
Currie harbour.
Our most frequent hunter was VK3PF, with whom we managed 19 QSO’s. Plus another 4 to VK3PF/M. Next was VK3EXA and VK3MCK with 14 QSO’s each. VK3APJ managed 13 QSO’s and VK3VIN with 12. There was 420 contacts in total over the 5 days
A big thankyou to Paul, VK5PAS for helping us add ten extra parks. It really allowed us to maximise the time on the radio and also resulted in taking us all over the island.
Also a big thankyou to our XYL’s for letting us head out for a week.
Left pic is Porky Beach as we flew out of Currie. Right is Cape Schank as we come back to Melbourne.
I hope this log is helpful for anyone who’s thinking of heading down there. We really enjoyed the trip. I’d recommend it to anyone else.
The first weekend in January has seen Buninyong host the Australian Road National Championships for the past twenty plus years. The race means the main access route up the mount is closed to traffic which in turn results in it being very quiet at the top of the mount. This is actually the third time I’ve activated the Mt Buninyong summit. The first time was back in 2016, then January 2020 and January 2023. Mt Buninyong reserve was added to the VKFF program as VKFF-3781 in July of 2023. (Contacts only count from the date the park is added to the program.)
Packed the radio kit into a backpack and walked from home up the mount, cheering on the cyclists as they rode past. Once at the peak, set up the radio in the rotunda using a squid pole to support my linked dipole. First contact was with VK3HSX/VK3 who was in VKFF-0405 with a signal report of 43. Not bad considering the radio was set at 1/2 a watt power out.
Went on to get 39 contacts over the space of 70 minutes, including two on 20m.
Three P2P contacts. VK5HSX, VK3PF in VKFF-0959 & VK3VE-189 before and after rollover of the UTC day. Also VK3ZPF on summit VK3/VC-028.
Lal Lal Falls VKFF-3746
Lal Lal Falls was the target for that afternoon. This park was added to the program in April of 2023 and only been activated once before. Set up in a corner of the car park at the start of the Moorabool Falls car park using the corner post to tie the squid pole as a support for the linked dipole. Managed 47 contacts including 13 on 20m and one on 10m with VK4FOX.
10m was hard work. I suspect that the FT-897 is a bit deaf on 10m. I never have much luck with that band.
Two Park to Park contacts. VK2EG in VKFF-1319 and VK3ZPF in VKFF-0753, also VK3/VC-037.
A number of cars came and went from the car park while I was there. Only one asked what i was doing and even they really took no interest. Sadly I forgot to take any photo’s while there.
Caught up with Peter, VK3PWG and headed back to Flax Mill Swamp where I still needed a few to qualify with 44 contacts. Made us of Peter’s IC-705 coupled with a QRP EFHW Peter had made up. Added an external battery to allow the radio to put out 10 watts. This was the third visit to this site, the first being in 2020 and the second more recently, in November just gone. Accessed the park again via the track between the rail line and the Mars factory then walked along the Mars factory back fence to the pin trees.
Managed 19 contacts over the space of 45 minutes with five on 20m. Two Park to Park contacts. One with VK3PF in VKFF-3826 and another with VK3ZSC in VKFF-2195. Also a summit contact with VK7ID in VK7/SC-068.
Black Lake VKFF-2269
From there we headed out to Black Lake wild life reserve. Access was via Stockyard Hill Rd. There’s a track that runs around the northern end of the lake. It does have a gate, though while we were there the adjacent farmer came by and assured us that it’s a public access area. It’s fine to drive in. The gate should be left as found. And watch the long grass on hot exhausts if it’s hot and dry.
Setup the EFHW using a post to hold up the squid pole at the mid point. Again utilised Pete’s IC-705 on 10w. Managed 21 contacts with only one on 20m. Three P2P contacts. VK5LA in VKFF-4122, VK3PF in VKFF-3825 and later VKFF-2135.
Revisit to Devils Kitchen where I made 32 contacts back on the 7th of May this year. Another 10 contacts needed to get the 44 required to qualify the park. With a couple of free hours later in the day it seemed like a good opportunity to pop out and get that knocked over. Set up in the same spot as last visit only to find zero phone coverage as it’s right down in the gully.
First contact was with Peter, VK3YE Who was activating the VK90AR callsign that celebrates 90 years of AR in Australia. A clip of the audio was captured at 3:50 in this YouTube clip.
Went on to get 27 contacts over the space of 45 minutes, including two on 20m.
When driving into this site there’s a blue stone cairn in a paddock to the left which I had assumed was part of the park. Stopped at the gate near the park entry and walked into to look. The cairn makes the site of the Piggoreet Common School that according to the Vic.gov website, ran from 1864 through to 1924 to support the children of the miners working in the area. At it’s peak there were around 300 students attending the school.
Nearby was a memorial for Joan Hunt, a prominent local historian who was very active in the area.
The gate I’d accessed had an old weather beaten sign which I wasn’t able to read. After processing this photo I think it once said “Keep Out”. And looking at the park boundary at home I can see it’s not actually part of the park. Ooops.
Late Spring Saturday with perfect weather meant I had to head out for a bit. Made my way over the nearby Creswick Regional Park, VKFF-0964. I’ve been here once before back in 2020. That time I only managed 17 contacts leaving 27 needed to get the 44 required for WWFF qualification. This park can be quite busy even though it’s rather large, so aimed for a spot well to the south, and away from the major roads that surround the park. Parked off the side of Petticoat Road and made use of the EFHW. The only traffic to go past in the time I was there were a couple of cyclists who were focused on getting up the hill.
Managed 49 contacts over the space of an hour this time, including a dozen on 20m. Also had three P2P contacts. Two with Chris, VK1CHW in Old Naas Travelling Stock Reserve and one with Peter, VK3TKK in VKFF-4296, Castlemaine H85 B.R. Natural Features Reserve.
VKFF-2314 Flax Mill Swamp
I’d wondered for some time if I’d be able to load enough gear onto the pushbike to be able to cycle to an activation site. (I was not thinking about using the radio on the bike!) The weather was good so loaded up the bike including strapping the squid pole to the cross bar and cycled out to Flax Mill Swamp, next the Mars factory in Ballarat. I’ve been to this park once before, back in October of 2020. On that occasion I parked in Gregory Street and walked in through the swap to a clump of trees that were on a small rise. This time I went around to the Mars / rail line boundary and found an access track that would be able to be driven easily in dry weather, and then along the back of the Mars factory where there are some old pine trees that provided some shade and a support for the EFHW.
Managed 29 contacts over the space of 45 minutes including two on 20m. By then the contacts seemed to have dried up, so packed up and cycled back home.
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.
vk3oak 