YatteYattah Nature Reserve VKFF-2779

Staying a few nights at Ulladulla, headed off to activate WWFF park YatteYattah Nature Reserve VKFF-2779. I had activated it before, needed several more contacts to reach 44. Also wanted to check how its recovering after the 2019-2020 summer bushfires.

Drove North of Milton on the Princes Hwy, parked near the entrance gate to the reserve. Noted there is now a National Parks NSW sign for the park. Not sure if a typo with their sign, the park is spelt Yatte Yattah with a space. 

Walked down the hill to a gate, and a stile for walkers to access the park.

Further walking down the hill reached a new sign for the park. 

Set up the squid pole on a nearby stump.

Radio on the tarp in the grass.

Set the power at 25w as only had the 4.3Ah Lifopo4 battery. Got on 40m on 7.144. After spotting got a steady stream of hunters.

VK3HJW, VK2VW/VK2HFI/VK2AKA/VK2BUG, VK3SG, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK3ZSC, VK3PF, Vk3AMO, VK3SO/VK3SFG, VK1MF, VK1CHW, VK3WSG, VK2IO/VK2GEZ, VK2MOP, VK3CEO, VK2TER/VK2BM.

Tried 30m. Worked

VK3SQ/VK2BD, VK2IO/VK2GEZ

Tried 20m. Worked

VK2VW/VK2HFI/VK2AKA/VK2BUG, VK3SQ/VK2BD, VI60IOTA, op Paul VK5PAS, VK5KFB.

A park to park with VK6DS in VKFF-3330 Wyvern Road Nature Reserve.

More than enough contacts to get over 44. Packed up and headed back to Ulladulla for the evening. A word of warning, traffic late afternoon in Milton is heavy...

SOTA Mogood Lookout VK2/SC-049

Headed down the NSW South Coast to Ulladulla for a few days to escape the Canberra cold. Decided to activate a SOTA summit on the way,  Mogood Lookout VK2/SC-049. Been a while since I last activated it in 2019, wanted to see what happened to it after the 2019-2020 summer bushfires.

After driving down to Batemans Bay and lunch headed along the Princes Hwy to Ulladulla, turning off onto the Old Princes Hwy, an unsealed road but still an easy drive. Turned left off onto Barkshed Rd, then the River Rd. Crossed over Shallow Crossing, a large water ford over the Clyde River. Luckily the river level was low so no issues. After crossing the river turned right onto Backhouse Rd, which becomes Clyde Ridge Rd. Reached the Cattlemans firetrail, a sign here for the lookout.

A short steepish climb up to the lookout. The large tree on the summit had died in the fire, but the trig was still okay, if a little beat up. The name plate Mogood no longer readable.

Still good views here. Looking North to the Budawang ranges

Looking South East to the coast. 

Set up the squid pole on the trig. As had a table and chair a very comfy SOTA activation.

FT857D on the table.

Got on 40m on 7.090Mhz, SOTA call frequency.  Easy to spot, good mobile signal here. Worked

VK1AO, VK2IO/VK2GEZ, VK1AD,

VK2TER in VKFF-2783 Parramatta River Regional Park

VK2VAR/VK2GOM, VK5TUX, VK7XX, VK3PF, VK3SG.

A summit to Summit with VK7FADZ Stuart on VK7/WC-013 Mount Field East.

VK2MOE in VKFF-1320 Goodiman State Conservation Area

Tried 30m. Worked VK2YW/mobile, VK3PF/VK3KAI, VK3ZPF.

Tried 20m, no answers to my calls. Packed up and headed to Ulladulla for the night. Took about an hour on dirt roads even though not that far away.

10 Arab League Prefixes Award

 An award from the FT8DMC, for working 10 Arab League Prefixes

100 Spanish stations award

After working a few Spanish stations on 15m FT8 qualified for an award, for working 100 stations from Spain. From the YB6DXC group.

300 Asean stations Award

Another award from the FT8DMC, for working 300 Asean stations on FT8 mode.

1425 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

Award for working 1425 different VKFF parks. Thanks, park activators.

WWFF 1444 Parks Award

Latest award for working WWFF 1444 parks.

  

Biamanga National Park VKFF-0031

After having lunch at the Central Tilba bakery drove to Bermagui, then South to Baragoot Beach. As a weekday and not swimming weather set up in the car park. Almost the same spot as last time here. My last activation had poor conditions and only made a dozen contacts. 

  Another view of the shack. Was just enough gap in the trees to put up the squid pole and dipole.

Got on 40m. Luckily the band was good this time and got lots of park hunters.

VK3PF/VK3KAI, VK2VH/VK4AAC, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK3CEO, VK7PJM, VK3SQ/VK3BD, VK3ZSC. A park to park with VK2IO Gerard in VKFF-3515 Murrays Environmental Nature Refuge

Changed links to 30m. The band was good.

VK3SQ/VK2BD. Another P2P with VK2IO in VKFF-3515 Murrays Environmental Nature Refuge

VK3ZSC, VK3CEO, VK4EMP/VK4TI, VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK2VW/VK2HFI/VK2AKA/VK2BUG, VK7XX, VK3PF/VK3KAI, VK3BEL.

Went to 20m. As midafternoon the band was open to Europe nicely on the long path.

UT5PI, VK2IO in VKFF-3515, IK4IDF, SQ9CWO, IZ5JMZ, ZL3MR, ZL3ENG, OH1MM, F1BLL, VK4KC/VK4MAD/VK4DOG, VK4EW.

As getting late in the day and still had to drive back to Narooma packed up with 43 QSOs. With the dozen last time exceeded the 44 to qualify the park. Before leaving checked out the beach. To the North

To the South

Kooraban National Park VKFF-0267

Stopping a few nights down at Narooma on the South Coast of NSW, on Tuesday had a fine sunny day so set off to activate a few parks. After morning coffee at Central Tilba set off for my first park, Kooraban National Park VKFF-0267. Headed South on the Princes Hwy. After crossing Digmans Creek bridge turned off onto Dignams Hill Fire Trail on the left. A bit muddy with some large puddles to drive through. Reached the sign for the park.

Just past the sign a turnoff for Reserve Fire Trail on the left. Dignams Hill Fire Trail continued on the left.

Parked the car off Reserve Fire Trail and set up using the road sign for squid pole support. Enough room for traffic to pass me.

Another view of the shack from Reserve Fire Trail.

Got on 40m. Band sounded quiet. After spotting on 7.144 got a few calls. Signals not strong, suspect the antenna has some intermittent fault as high swr would show now and then.

VK3PF/VK3KAI

VK3OAK/VK3GUM Malcolm in VKFF-3076 Murraguldrie Flora Reserve

As not trusting the 40m antenna changed the links to 30m. It loaded up well on this band. Worked several stations, strong signals.

VK3IFR, VK3OAK again in VKFF-3076 Murraguldrie Flora Reserve. 

VK2VW/VK2HFI/VK2AKA/VK2BUG.

VK1AD Andrew with an odd multi path echoing signal, some strange, reflected signal on 30m.

VK4JAZ Grant in VKFF-1525 Daisy Hill Conservation Park

VK3PF/VK3KAI, VK1AO/VK2MET.

Moved to 20m. Found VK2GOM Colin on 14.310 in VKFF-3227 Cullunghutti Aboriginal Area. Not strong but workable. A bit close for 20m to work.

After spotting worked VK2VW/VK2HFI,/VK2AKA, VK2BUG, VK4EMP/VK4TI.

Lunch time, headed back to Central Tilba and had lunch at the Tilba bakery.