Burra Creek Nature Reserve VKFF-1902

Burra Creek Nature Reserve VKFF-1902 has never been activated before for WWFF, so set off to do it. The park is in 3 parts, northern, central and southern sections, I looked at a map and decided the central section would be the nearest to walk to. The closest point is the car park at London Bridge woolshed. London Bridge is a natural rock arch formation over Burra Creek. 

Drove to Queanbeyan and had lunch there. After lunch drove to Googong, then followed Burra Rd, turning off onto London Bridge Rd on the left. Followed this road to the London Bridge woolshed and picnic area. There were signs that the gate in is locked after 5 PM, so need to watch the finish time on this activation. Parked at the London Bridge Woolshed and picnic area. Looked quite nice. Signs for the walks from here.

Took the Queanbeyan River Walk along a fire trail. Burra Creek Nature Reserve visible in the distance.

Got to a turnoff to London Bridge Arch, this old track was closed now. Continued on the fire trail. Reached another turnoff to Gelignite Crossing and London Bridge Arch, took this track.

Reached Gelignite Crossing. The creek, Burra Creek, was low, able to cross using the large rocks on the right and stay dry. An amusing fact, Burra Creek does not flow through Burra Creek reserve...

After crossing the creek reached a track, left to London Bridge, and right, South towards the reserve. Headed South, spotted London Bridge homestead on the other side of the valley.

I took a track up the hill on the left, coming to a gate, with a sign Boundary Trail on the other side. This was in Burra Creek Nature Reserve. Hopped over the gate and used the gate post for squid pole support. On the left side Googong Foreshores Reserve, Burra Creek Reserve on the right.

Looking the other way, sign for Boundary fire trail on the left.

Checked the SWR, a bit high resonance in the 40m band but okay.

Radio against the fence. I sat on my pack, comfy. Able to spot okay on ParksNPeaks.

A bit of a pileup at first. Worked

VK3PF, VK2IO, VK1ARQ,

VK1AO/VK2MET Alan in VKFF-1410 Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park

VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK7ZA, VK3SQ, VK3VIN, VK3ZSC, VK3SG,

A park to park with VK2YAK Gavin in VKFF-1319 Glenrock State Conservation Area

VK2BYN, VK3PI, VK3DCQ, VK7STO, VK7AN, VK2TM, VK3MCK, VK1TTY

Tried 20m, no callers. Was worried about the time so headed back to the car park. The walk was about 2 Km, taking about 30 minutes. Track log of walk, from Alltrails map.

 

 

SOTA Durras Mountain VK2/SC-051

After activating Murramarang Aboriginal Area in the morning headed off to activate SOTA summit Durras Mountain, VK2/SC-051. As per previous activations drove off the Princes Hwy onto Bucks Rd, then Dam Rd, turning off onto Mountain Rd. Sign for the Durras Mountain walk car park

Murramarang National Park got burnt in the December 2019 bushfires. When I got to the car park the sign for the walk was gone. The walking track to Durras Mountain was still there, but overgrown. Looks like NSW National Parks are not planning to fix the track for a while, if at all. I was still able to follow the track, just needed to avoid fallen trees and vines.

The track joins the Old Coast Rd track, which was in better condition..

Old Coast Rd walking track.

Reached the trig, in good condition.

The wooden picnic table near the trig had also survived the fires, although looking a bit worse for wear now.

Set up the squid pole on the table, dipole legs out to some branches.

Shack on the table.

Radio on the table. As on a small battery set the power to 30w

Got on 40m. Able to spot easily on ParksnPeaks. Worked through the chasers

VK2IO, VK1CHW, 

VK3SGL in VKFF-2373 Lonsdale Lakes Wildlife Reserve

VK2LAX, VK2TM, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK1AD, VK2GWC, VK2DJL, VK2EXA, VK3SG

Tried 20m, worked

ZL4NVW

F4WBN, Christian a regular European SOTA chaser

ZL1SKL

Was packing up, heard another station start calling CQ parks on the frequency I was using, 14.310. It was VK4EW Greg in VKFF-1426 Wunaamin Conservation Park.

He was in a park almost on the exact opposite side of Australia to me, over 3000 Km away, so pleased to work him.

Packed up and headed back. Track log of walk, from Alltrails website. About a 1.5 Km walk each way.

Murramarang Aboriginal Area VKFF-3237

Drove down to accommodation in Batemans Bay, stopped overnight and left to activate WWFF park Murramarang Aboriginal Area VKFF-3237. Drove to Termeil, turned off to Bawley Point on the right. Drove South on Murramarang Road, just past the Bawley Point shops a car park on the left. Parked here. There was a walking track at the Southern end of the car park, with a sign for Racecourse Beach. Followed this for about half a Km until reaching Racecourse Beach. This is not in the park.

There was a track off to the left, followed this track.

After a short walk saw the sign for the park, had reached the park boundary.

Continued on into the park. A sign explaining about the area, used as a feasting, gathering place by aboriginals for thousands of years. Shellfish remnant piles, or middens in the area.

The tracks were designed to keep your feet dry and avoid damage to the middens.

A sign showing a map of the area.

A bit up the hill from the sign a nice sunny open area. Set up here, used a track sign as squid pole support. Dipole legs tied to bushes.

Operating spot and track in, walked about 800m. Map from Mapbox from the Alltrails app.

Radio on the tarp on the grass. As on a small battery set the power down to 30w.

Got on 40m. Able to spot myself easily on ParksnPeaks, got a small pileup of callers, most strong signals.

VK3PF, VK2IO, VK3MCK, VK2EXA, VK2YN, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK3BBB/VK2CCP, VK3VIN, VK1CHW, VK2LAX, VK3SG, VK4TJ, VK1AD, VK3CEO, VK4WC, VK2RK/VK2ACR, VK2BYF, VK1TTY, VK3UCD, VK2CDB, VK3TER/VK2BM, VK4FW/VK8MM, VK3UH, VK3RW, VK2HHA, VK2HRX, VK4NH/VK4DXA.

Changed the links on the dipole to 20m. Worked

ZL3MR, VK4NH/VK4DXA

And KG5CIK, Steve in Texas, one of the regular USA hunters.

As around noon packed up and walked back to the car. Drove to East Lynne garage for lunch.

Budjan Galindji Nature Reserve VKFF-3931

Sunday afternoon was nice and sunny, 15c and no wind, so decided to activate a park. Went to one of the newly added parks,  Budjan Galindji Nature Reserve VKFF-3931

The reserve is located in the Canberra suburb of Franklin, in fact there was a sign for the park off Christina Stead St naming it as Franklin Grasslands. Google Maps has the reserve named North Mitchell Grasslands. There was also another sign referring to the new name Budjan Galindji.

At the bend in Christina Stead St there was a small woodlands area in the park. Set up in the trees, using an old stump for squid pole support.

Location, satellite map from Google Maps

Shack on the table, FT857D set to 40w.

Not that far away from a block of apartments, plus Flemington Rd with the Canberra light rail nearby meant I had about an S7 of noise on 40m. At least the band was good with signals mostly over S9. I struggled with some of the weaker ones, may have missed a few callers.

First worked VK3PF Peter in park VKFF-3747 Lang Lang River, Topiram SS.R. Natural Features Reserve

VK1AO/VK2MET, VK3DWL, VK2IO, VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK1MA, VK1AD, VK2VH/VK4AAC, VK2HHA, VK3BBB/VK2CCP, VK2EXA, VK3CWF. VK2CDB, VK3SG, VK3MTT, VK4HMI, VK5FANA, VK4SMA, VK5PAS, VK4XAC, VK2DHN, VK4KLA, VK2LAX, VK3APJ, VK1NK, VK3MCA, VK3GJG, VK2PBC, VK2PKT, VK1ARQ, VK2WQ, VK1KAZ, VK2TRL, VK1CHW

Switched to 20m, thankfully the noise was gone on this band. 

VK5PAS,

Worked a park, VK5MN Michael in VKFF-0910 Montacute Conservation Park

VK4CZ, KG6CIK, VK5HAA, IW2NXI, OH1MM, AJ6RP.

Interesting to hear 20m open to both USA and Europe at once.

A total of 48 in the log so qualified the park. As the sun was setting packed up and headed home. 

SOTA Mount McDonald VK1/AC-048

The weather on Sunday was nice and sunny, without the strong cold winds that have been blowing lately. Decided to go activate a SOTA summit and get out in the sun. I enjoy Mt McDonald, an easy walk up, plus it would be too warm to do later in the year as no shade. Parked at the car park off Brindabella Rd and started the walk up. Track to the left of the sign.

The walking track joins the Mt McDonald road. I did a brief detour to the lookout over the Cotter dam.

Continued on up the road. View to the South over the Cotter and Bullen Range

Reached the summit. Usual trig and old fire tower remnant structure.

Track log of walk. Taken from Alltrails App. It's a couple of Km walk to the summit

First got up the 2m ladder line Jpole. Matched in well, resonant at 146.11 Mhz

2m antenna on the trig

Got on 2m FM, 146.500 Mhz. Ran 40w from the FT857D. Worked several local stations.

VK1MA, VK1AD, VK1BAR, VK1DVO, VK1ARQ, VK1CHW, VK1MIC

Set up the 40m dipole.

Worked a park first, VK4HRE Bob in VKFF-1526 David Fleay Conservation Park

Then some of the usual chasers.

VK1MA, VK2IO, 

VK3PF Peter in VKFF-3878 Tarago River, Neerim South SS.R. Natural Features Reserve

VK1AO/VK2MET, VK1ARQ, VK2WP, VK2GMC

Packed up and headed home for lunch.

1250 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

New award for me for working 1250 VKFF references.

SIOTA Coila silo VK-CLI2

I've often driven past the Coila silo on the Princes Hwy South of Moruya, and since had some time decided to stop and activate it.

As silos go it's not that big, about 7m high, but unusual as constructed from bricks instead of the usual concrete. Some googling shows it is quite old, dating back to the 1920s. Located in Neil Davis Reserve.

Photo of the silo

Around the back a doorway. Looking up there was an old ladder on the side, I would not risk climbing it though. Roof has long gone.

Around the back of the silo

For an operating spot, there was a picket stake in the ground on the other side of Coila Creek Rd. Used this for squid pole support.

Shack on the table. A bit noisy with traffic from the nearby Princes Hwy.

Got on 40m. A little bit of local QRM, but not too bad. First worked a park on 7.144, VK7ZPE Peter in VKFF-3381 North Scottsdale Regional Reserve

After spotting on 7.160 got a steady stream of callers.

VK2VH, VK2MES, VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK1AO, VK2IO, VK2DHN, VK3ZSC, VK3CA

Packed up and continued my drive down to Narooma.

Worked Italian Provinces Award

Another award from the FT8DMC club. Worked 50 Italian Provinces. As a matter of interest there are 107 provinces so still more to work.