2022 National Wattle Day Red Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0860

1st September is National Wattle Day, with an award for activating a VKFF park from Paul VK5PAS. Afternoon headed to one of the Canberra Nature Parks, Red Hill Nature Reserve, VKFF-0860. Sign for the park off Gowrie Dr, with a wattle nearby...

Drove to the first lookout, overlooking Parliament House and walked West until reaching and jumping over a gate into the reserve.  Some nice wattle displays out now

Set up the squid pole on a disused telephone access point, quite old as marked "PMG" for Post Master General, this has not existed for many years...

Looking back the other way. Used a small wattle tree for one of the dipole legs support.

Looking down the hill at the station. Note Parliament House below, also the Australian War Memorial and Mount Ainslie in the distance.

Operating spot. Map from Openstreetmap. Parliament house just down the hill.

Station on the telephone junction access cover. It was flat but not that comfortable after sitting a while...

Got on 40m. Band quite good. Worked VK2YAK Gavin in VKFF-1410 Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park

Spotted myself on 7.110. Worked VK1VIC/p Tony in VKFF-0164 Eurobodalla National Park

VK3SQ Geoff. Then a couple more P2Ps

VK3BEZ in VKFF-0764 Moondarra State Park

VK2MET in VKFF-0490 Tomaree National Park

VK4HAT. Then VK2IO in VKFF-3198 Western Sydney Regional Park

VK2LEE, VK2MES, VK2HMC

A couple more P2Ps, with

VK4MGL in VKFF-1663 Toohey Forest Conservation Park

VK5PL in VKFF-0900 Lake Frome Conservation Park

VK3AMO, VK3UH, VK2BYF.

Went quiet on 40m so moved to 20m. Worked VK2DA, then a couple of EU stations, IK4IDF and PD2BA. 

VK4NTL/m in Townsville.

Saw a spot for VK4KC Marty in VKFF-0080 Cape Palmerston National Park, so called him and got his other calls too, VK4MAD VK4DOG in the log.

Packed up and headed home before peak hour traffic started, still busy at 4pm.

National Wattle Day award from VK5PAS Paul, thanks Paul.