SOTA VK2/SM-059 Big Badja Hill

Big Badja Hill is an 8 point SOTA summit to the NE of Cooma on the Western edge of Deua National Park. From Canberra it can be reached via Captains Flat Road then Cooma Road, lots unsealed, or via the Monaro Highway to Cooma, Numerella Road, Countegany Road and Badja Road. Either way it is about 2 and three quarter hours drive... I chose the slightly longer but more comfortable way via the Monaro Highway.

Drove along Badja Road, entering Deua National Park

Badja Road rises up to a saddle called Pikes Saddle. Left the road on the right for Minuma Range Fire Trail. Note the road is not signposted.

A short distance along the Minuma Range Fire Trail is Badja Fire Trail on the right. This is also not marked...

There is a sign just past the junction though so you can verify you are on the right road.

Continued along the Fire trail, not too rough, until reaching a serious road block...

Just to the right of the tree block some 4WDs had created a bypass track through the scrub, narrow, but managed to negotiate this okay.

Continued on until reaching another road block...

Like the last block there was a rough bypass track going around it up the hill on the left, looked pretty rough to me...As only about 500 m from the summit decided to just park here and walk.

The road climbed up and to the East of the summit. As not that far off the summit here left the road and headed up through the scrub to the trig, joining the proper walking track just before the top. Trig now visible ahead.

Reached the trig. Usual rocky cairn with a disk on a post, ''Badga" stamped on the disk

Excellent views. Looking South to the Snowy Mountains

Looking East towards the coast. Euranbene Mountain to the left, Dampier Mountain to the right of it, Mt Dromedary on the right in the far distance in the clouds.

Zoomed in. Euranbene Mountain, VK2/SC-002 on the left, also called Tabletop by bushwalkers. Not yet activated. To the right of this "Mother Woila", a favorite tough bushwalking destination, very rugged area with cliffs. Above this on the right Dampier mountain VK2/ST-007 which can be reached by proper low range high clearance 4WDs.

Looking West to my next destination, Bald Mountain VK2/SM-052

Set up the squid pole on the trig

Shack on the tarp just behind the rock pile. Got on 40 m just past UTC. Many chasers from VK1, VK2, VK3 with good strong signals. After the 40 m pileup stopped went to 20 m. Worked VK5MDB Bill, VK5IS Ian, VK4JD Peter with great signals. Got a spot from Mike VK6MB who was just reading me, managed to work him okay. Went on to work VK4GSF George and VK5HP Paul, both very strong.

After lunch packed up and headed for my next summit. Bald Mountain VK2/SM-052 nearby.

Track log of drive and walk