SOTA Activation Wandera Mountain

With cold stormy weather forecast for the weekend in Canberra, decided to check out the South Coast forecast. Considerably warmer, 18 c for Batemans Bay instead of 10 c at home so set off down the coast.

Plan was to activate a summit driving down to stop overnight at Narooma, then activate Mt Dromedary Sunday morning and head home. Wandera Mountain, VK2/ST-042 looked like a good choice.

After driving down to Batemans Bay via the Kings Highway, followed the Princes Hwy to just before Moruya, then turned off at Larrys Mountain Road. Then turned off onto Ridge Road.

Followed this for a while. Unsealed but not requiring 4WD. This ends at a junction with Heffernams Road. This heads towards Wandera Mountain

At the base of the mountain came to a stop sign, advising authorized vehicles only. As only a 500 m walk from here parked and walked up the mountain. Some good views to the West through the trees.

At the top the road joins a junction, Wandera Trig Road. Turned right and up.

Reached the top. Lots of communications towers.

A good view from this point to the North, can see as far as Pigeon House Mountain near Ulladulla

Headed for the top and the trig

Wandera Trig name plate

Set up the squid pole on a nearby stump. It was a howling gale! As the squid pole had a crack in one of the sections I didn't want to stress it too much, so extended it to only 4 m.

One leg running up to a pole near the compound.

The other leg down the slope to a tree. Both legs flapping about like crazy in the strong wind!

I found a log offcut that made a hand seat. Got on 40m, found noisy from the nearby transmitters on 7.090 Mhz, so dropped down to 7.085 Mhz. Worked a couple of stations but they didn't spot me, eventually got Matt VK1MA to spot me and the pace picked up a bit.

Managed to make 17 contacts, with some good signals from VK5 stations. Tried 20 m but no luck. Couldn't even hear that many signals on this band, poor conditions.

Packed up and headed down to the car. Found I had a puncture...so eventually got going with the spare tyre and headed off to Narooma for the night.

SOTA Activation Mt Foxlow

Mt Foxlow is an 8 point summit close to the town of Captains Flat. It is also in Yanununbeyan National Park, VKFF-555, so counts towards the VKFF/WWFF awards.

There are a few ways to reach it, I chose from the West via Woolcara Lane as looked about the shortest route at around 6 Km.

Drove from Canberra to Queanbeyan, taking the Kings Highway and turning off onto the Captains Flat Road, until coming to the turnoff on the right.

The road is unsealed but okay for 2WDs. The road heads for Woolcara station, pass this and continue heading South.

From the topo map I had it looked like there was a turnoff off Woolcara Lane onto McFarlanes Fire trail, but when I got to this spot on the map could see no sign of it...

Instead of walking up the fire trail I had a "Plan B", I had downloaded the track log created by local Canberra bushwalker John Evans. Check out his blog. Continued past Silverton property and parked just past the entrance to Yanununbeyan State Conservation Area

On the left was a rough overgrown vehicle track. This went East then South, at this point left the track crossing Primrose Valley Creek

The creek is quite small and easy to step over in an erosion gully. Once over the creek crossed a fence into Yannununbeyan National Park.

Then followed John Evans route, basically he just followed ridges up through the forest. Found the forest nice and open, actually quite enjoyable to walk through as the scrub was light and the gradient not too steep.

Continued heading up through the forest for over an hour, up to and over minor peaks, until eventually reaching McFarlanes Fire Trail, about 1.7 K from the summit.

The road was steep in places. Mc Farlanes Fire Trail joins Foxlow Fire Trail coming in from the North.

Continued along Foxlow Fire Trail to the East, until reaching a cleared area where the road headed South and down, and the summit was nearby in the scrub.

Reached the trig. It is similar to some of the others in the area, like Mt Palerang, a giant rock pile with a wooden trig pole. They built them well on the old days...

At this point at was past my posted alert time of 10:30am as it had taken me 1.5 hours to get here. Got an SMS from Andrew, VK1MBE on nearby Mt Cowangerong, VK2/ST-001. Advised his was setting up. Picked a stump near the trig and set up the squid pole and linked 20/40 m dipole.

Due to the overhead trees only able to put the squid pole up to about 5 m. Set up the shack on a log at the base.

Worked S2S with Andrew VK1MBE on VK2/ST-001 on 40 m, then chased several other activators for more S2Ss.

- VK3EK Robbie on VK3/VG-127
- VK3DAC Fred on VK3/VC-006
- VK1RX Al on VK1/AC-027
- VK3MRG Marshall on VK3/VN-001
- VK2JOS Josh on VK2/HU-080
- VK2IB/3 Bernard on VK3/VE-242

Plus the usual bunch of chasers from VK2, VK3 and VK5, many with strong signals, band in good condition. Tried changing links to 20 m, only worked my regular chaser VK6MB Mike with a low signal. 24 contacts all up.

Packed up around noon. Near the trig was an interesting guyed climbable pole, an old fire tower? The nearby trees made it not worth climbing...Looks like the summit used to be a lot more open in the past.

Headed back down the same way as up, Foxlow trail, then McFarlanes trail

Then the same ridge walk back. Track log of walk

Track profile of the return walk. 6 Km with a 400 m climb.

SOTA Reactivation Mt Cowangerong

After activating Mt Foxlow drove to Captains Flat then on to Mt Cowangerong. I have activated this peak before as have several others, a nice easy 8 pointer, with winter bonus points now as well.

Despite the signs the summit is NOT in Tallaganda National Park, its only of the right hand side of the road, so can't claim it for WWFF points while activating.

Parked below the summit and walked into the activation zone. Approaching the BOM Canberra weather radar

This is known to be a noisy RF site, so set up in the scrub at the southern end of the clearing, in fact used the same stump as last time. Legs of the dipole end on to the radar to reduce noise.

Used the nearby log for a shack and seat. Caught the last of the sun for a bit of warmth, almost 3:20 pm when I finally got on air and temperature starting to drop as the sun set.

Started on 40 m with a couple of S2Ss, Marshall VK3MRG on VK3/VN-004 and Andrew VK3ARR on VK3/VC-022.

Then usual crowd of chasers from VK1, VK2, VK3 and VK5. VK5 signals coming in nicely. Switched to 20 m link, worked my usual chaser VK6MB Mike. Then called for a while with no luck, despite many strong signals from Europe on the band.

Gave it away around 4 pm and packed up and headed home before the sun set. 23 contacts.

VKFF Gold Hunter Award

During my weekend SOTA activations worked 3 new VKFF National Parks.

While activating The Rock Hill VK2/RI-026 worked:

- Tony VK3VTH/5 in VKFF-115, Coorong National Park, and
- Andrew VK1NAM/2 on SOTA summit VK2/SM-059 in VKFF-138 Deua National Park.

Then while activating Galore Hill VK2/RI-047 worked
- Andrew VK1NAM/2 SOTA summit VK2/SM-052 in Gourock National Park

This takes me to 33 VKFF Parks worked, enough to qualify for the VKFF Gold Hunter Award :)

List of Parks now worked

VKFF Gold Hunter Award from Paul, VK5PAS. Thanks Paul

SOTA Activation Gurkeroo Ridge

After stopping at Tumut for the night decided to try one more Tumut area summit before heading home. Picked Gurkeroo Ridge, VK2/SW-051, previously activated by Ben VK5TX.

Continued South along the Snowy Mountains Highway, along the Eastern side of Blowering Reservoir, then turning off just before Talbingo onto Yellowin Forest Road, which crosses Jounama Pondage dam wall. The road on the other side was unsealed with a warning about 4x4 vehicle access only, however I found it not that bad, would be okay in a 2WD as far as to the summit walk.

Followed Yellowin Road until coming to a junction with major high voltage power lines. Parked near here and set off walking up a steep 4WD only road starting from the base of the 1st set of power lines.

The road climbs and passes under a 2nd set of power lines. Blowering reservoir on the right.

And a 3rd set of power lines. The start of Gurkeroo Ridge visible on the right.

The track comes to a saddle before another side road heads straight up to Gurkeroo Ridge. A good view South from here to Talbingo and the Tumut 3 power station

A close up shot of Tumut 3 power station

Climbed up the steep access road. At the top the road head downs again, a walking track leads off along the ridge, this is part of the Hume and Hovell Walking track, although not marked as such.

Fairly easy walking along the track on the ridge. Approaching the summit.

The track passes close to the summit, really just a high point on the ridge. Looked for a suitable place to operate...

Found a tree stump with a nearby log for the SOTA shack

Shack on a nearby log

Got on 40 m. Being a work day not the usual mad pileup of chasers, a bit more orderly...Contacts into VK1, VK2, VK3 and VK5 with good signals. Switched the links to 20 m, worked Mike VK6MB and John VK6NU with good signals. All up 12 contacts, good for a week day activation.

Headed back down. GPS shows 1.4 Km walk with about a 160 m climb, took me about 40 minutes or so.
Track log of walk

SOTA Activation Wereboldera

After activating Mt Burngoogee in the morning, stopping for lunch at Tarcutta, continued driving down the Hume Highway. Turned off onto the Snowy Mountains Highway to Tumut.

Wereboldera rises above Tumut and can be accessed by driving through the town. I approached turning off the Snowy Mountains Highway onto Currawong Rd, then Boondaroo Rd, although you could also take Boondaroo Rd directly off the Highway.

After leaving Tumut town the road becomes unsealed, then enters Wereboldera State Conservation Area.

After this the road climbs steeply, very steeply... Although the road is not that rough I would recommend a AWD/4WD of some sort just because of the steepness. My Nissan Xtrail coped okay. Close to the top stopped where it was safe to pull off and walked. A suitable place to park would be at the top junction with Stoney Creek Trail and Trig Trail.

After about 800 m walk reached the top, a trig with Communications towers.

Wereboldera Trig

Wereboldera Trig nameplate

Strapped the squid pole to the trig and set up the 20/40 m linked dipole, using the fence as a support for one leg and a rock for the other.

 View from near the compound.

Shack at the base of the trig.

Got on 40 m and worked the usual pileup of chasers, including Paul VK5PAS in Grass Tree Conservation Park, see his blog entry at http://vk5pas.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/grass-tree-conservation-park/

Also a S2S contact with Nick VK3ANL/p on VK3/VS-003.

Switched to 20 m, and while tuning about looking for a spot to operate heard this CQ SOTA signal, from Herbert OE9HRV on OE/VB-397! Managed a S2S although I was quite weak, he was running a lot more power than my 5W. Called CQ myself and got John VK6NU, Mike VK6MB and Don G0RQL.

Light was starting to fade and didn't fancy a drive down the steep road in the dark so packed up. 26 contacts.

Track log of drive/walk