Sunday 8 June 2014

SOTA Activation Galore Hill

After my activation of The Rock Hill continued heading West along Lockhart-The Rock Road to the Town of Lockhart, then took the Nerrandera Road North. On this road got held up briefly by a flock of sheep blocking the road, the farmers and their 2 dogs cleared them off the road and I continued. There is a turn off on the right down a dirt lane to Galore Hill, well marked, you can't really miss it as it is obvious rising out of the flat plains...

Entered the Galore Hill Scenic Reserve


After a short drive there is a road to the left up to the lookout


Got to the picnic area/lookout at the top. There is a good lookout tower here.


View from the lookout tower. Note the activation zone is quite large as the top is essentially flat. The Rock Hill can be seen on the far horizon.


To do the usual 25 m walk out of and into the activation zone, followed a walk down from the picnic area part of the way to 'Mad Dog Morgan's Caves (a local bushranger). Good views out over the plains.


The picnic area was in use so headed away from the crowd, found a disused BBQ near the communications towers that served as a handy base for a SOTA shack. Set up the squid pole and 40/20 m linked dipole. Looking out across the plains.


Towards the communications towers


The hot plate, which hadn't been used for years, made a nice shack seat.


Got on 40 m, busy with the Shires Contest stations but found a quiet spot and worked a good pileup of chasers. S2S contacts with Andrew, VK1NAM and Rod VK2TWR doing a dual activation of VK2/SM-052, and Ian VK5CZ on VK5/SE-003. Tried 20 m, band not great, made 1 contact with Mike VK6MB. Saw a spot for Nigel, VK5NIG on VK5/SE-013, so back onto 40 m for another S2S. 24 contacts all up.

Drove back to Wagga Wagga for the evening. A few more shots of Galore Hill, from the Nerrandera Road


And from the Lockhart-Collingullie Road.


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