SOTA Mt Coolum VK4/SE-114

After stopping overnight at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, headed to Mt Coolum to activate it for both SOTA VK4/SE-114 and Mt Coolum National Park VKFF-0334.

The summit is only 207 m high but as the Sunshine Coast is fairly flat it dominates the landscape, not hard to find. Drove to the car park off Jarnahill Dr in Mt Coolum, found it full, such is the popularity of this walk. Parked on the side of Jarnahill Dr nearby and started the walk.

Sign for the park at the start of the walk. The 2 hours return is for slow walkers, it took me about half an hour up and about 20 minutes down.

The walk starts off fairly easily, then becomes fairly steep with steps.

Still climbing. Need to stop to let walkers past, and have a rest...

Once clear of the trees lower down, it becomes quite rocky and open as you approach the summit.

Some of the views. Looking to the South.

Looking to the North

At the top a repeater/mobile phone tower, nothing special... No trig or Cairn. The track continues to the South a bit to get some views.

As the summit area was very crowded, I dropped down a bit into the scrub on the SW side of the summit to find a tree stump suitable for squid pole support. This area was burnt out at some time so fairly open for the dipole. View to the West.

Shack on the tarp. Not the most comfortable spot to operate but away from most of the crowds. Still got a few people wandering down to see what I was doing.

Got on 40 m. Worked the following chasers

VK5IS
VK2IO
VK4TJ, VK4/AC8WN, VK4/VE6XT
VK2UXO
VK3WAR
VK3ANL

Tried 20 m. Worked

ZL1SKL
VK3ANL
VK3PF

The contacts with VK3ANL Nick gave him and myself SOTA complete, as he had been the first to activate this summit in 2013 and I had worked him then. Actually the SOTA summit details show only 3 others have activated here before me.

As had 11 contacts qualified the park for VKFF as well as qualifying for SOTA, headed back down.