Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve VKFF-0847

After lunch at home drove to my 2nd WWFF park for the day, Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve VKFF-0847. I last activated this park 4 years ago in November 2016. For a change set up in another part of the park, a car park off Dairy Rd in Fyshwick.

Sign for the park off the car park.

Not far from the car park a descriptive sign for the park.

At the back of the sign a short walk to a bird hide overlooking a lagoon. The wetlands is a popular bird watching spot.

Another view of the lagoon, taken from inside the bird hide.

I decided to set up just off the car park, using one of the metal posts for squid pole support, and on the tarp on the grass.

Dipole legs to a small bush and to a picnic table support behind me. Antenna showing a good match on 40 m on 7.082 Mhz.

Shack on the tarp on the grass

Got on 40 m. Started with park to park contacts with Maria VK5MAZ and Paul VK5PAS in VKFF-0934 Scott Conservation Park, good S8 signals.

A contact with VK3PF, at which point noticed a few spots of rain. I could see a band of rain moving towards me, so announced going clear. I still had callers though, so quickly worked 

VK3LF in VKFF-0965 Crossover Regional Park

VK3MPR

VK3YV in VKFF-0840 Tarra-Bulga National Park

VK4NH, VK4DXA, ZL4TY/VK4

At this stage the rain was coming down heavy, so quickly bundled all the gear up and threw it in the boot of the car. The radio wasn''t too wet so should be okay. Drove home in the rain.

Apologies for the short activation to other callers. Managed to quickly get 9 contacts before cut off by the rain.

Jerrabomberra Wetlands VKFF-0847 Revisited

With a sunny, warm Saturday afternoon decided to get out and do another WWFF parks activation. Picked Jerrabomberra Wetlands, VKFF-0847 as I knew it had some shade and would be a bit cooler with a breeze off the lake. Temperature was 30c so not wanting a long activation, only 6 more contacts needed to get the 44 contacts required to complete this park.

As per last activation drove through Kingston then Eyre St in The Causeway suburb. This time wanted some shade from the hot sun, so picked a different spot, a gate on the left with a path going to a bird hide. Map from ProtectedPlanet.net website

Sign here for the park. just near the gate. The park is well known by bird watchers, it has its own website https://jerrabomberrawetlands.org.au/

Just past the gate was a track junction with a steel post in the shade of a large gum tree. Ideal spot as out of the sun and nice and open. Set up the station here. Looking to the West.

Looking the other direction.

Shack on the table. Using my TS480 running 50w. Entry gate on the left.

Got on 40m. Started by working another park activation, Rob VK4AAC/3 in VKFF-0769, Mount Napier State Park.

Spotted myself on 7.144 and worked Geoff VK3SQ, Brett VK2VW, Peter VK3PF, Nick VK3ANL, Ken VK2KYO and Joe VK3SRC.

Went to 20m for a while but no answers to my calls, depite hearing ZL and Hawaii coming in. Returned to 40m to work another park activation, Mick VK3PMG portable in VKFF-0767 Mount Granya State Park.

After working Mick worked Gerard VK2IO/p in Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area.

A few more chaser contacts, Peter VK3ZPF and Rick VK4RF/VK4HA.

As now getting quite warm and had made 12 contacts had enough to qualify the park decided to pack up. Before heading home wandered down to the bird hide, which is where the track on the right went.

Windows for observing birds.

View of water birds from the hide in Jerrabomberra Creek.

A zoomed in shot of some of the birds on a log on the right. Pelicans, a black swan and cormorants.

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve VKFF-0847

For the VKFF Activation weekend on Sunday decided to activate a couple of previously unactivated parks, Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Molonglo Gorge Nature Park.

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Park is near the suburb of Kingston, at the Eastern end of Lake Burley Griffin and only a few Km away from Parliament House. It is an important water bird sanctuary, and has its own website http://www.jerrabomberrawetlands.org/

Drove to the end of Newcastle Street in Kingston and parked.

There is a gate and cycling path here. I would not recommend operating near the cycle path, it is very busy with joggers and cyclists...

A sign nearby about the Jerrabomberra Wetlands

To the left of the gate was a grassy area, ideal for setting up the station. Found an old fence post in the grass that provided support for the squid pole. Ran one leg of the dipole to a nearby tree and tied the other end to a concrete block in the grass.

Initially set up the shack table near the squid pole.

Once the sun came out later found this spot a bit hot, moved the table into the shade of a nearby tree

Got on 40 m. Started with a park to park contact with Tony VK1VIC/P in VKFF-0865. As per yesterday lots of park activations on air. Worked lots of chasers and park activators in VK1, VK2, VK3 and VK5.

Later tried 20 m, managed to work Paul VK5PAS/P in VKFF-0936 again with a good signal. Also worked VK4RF/VK4HA Rick and VK5YX Hans.

Returned to 40 m and worked VK5EE Tom in VKFF-0927. Packed up after 38 contacts and 12 parks. Before leaving visited one of the nearby bird hide buildings.

Looking out one of the windows at the Jerrabomberra Pond. A few pelicans in the distance on the far side of the pond. There are several of these hides in the park.