Eurobodalla National Park VKFF-0164

Spending a few nights down at Narooma, popped in to activate Eurobodalla National Park in the way. Drove to Moruya Heads. Sign for the park.

I decided to try another spot to activate the park from, Shelly Beach. This had picnic tables and being winter not much demand for them, so used one for the shack. Close to the water. Had a few surfers go past in wet suits, even in winter still some water activity here.

Shack on the table.

Shelly Beach nearby

Operating spot. Map from Google Maps Satellite view

Spotted on 40m on 7.144 and got several callers.

VK2XSE, VK3WSG, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK3PF/VK3KAI, VK3APJ, VK3DL, VK3ZSC, VK1AD/VK1NAM, VK3VIN, VK2IO/VK2GEZ, VK2EXA, VK2MOE/VK1MO, VK2BYN, VK3CEO, VK2HBG, VK7PJM, VK3CM, VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK3BEC.

Tried 30m, worked a few more

VK7EE, VK3PF/VK3KAI, VK3ZSC.

Packed up and continued the drive to Narooma.

 

Eurobodalla National Park VKFF-0164

With some cold weather predicted in Canberra over the next few days, decided to take a break from the cold and head down to Narooma on the NSW South Coast, activating some of the WWFF parks nearby.

The first park to activate was Eurobodalla National Park VKFF-0164. The park is in several areas on the South Coast, stretching from Moruya Heads in the North to Mystery Bay in the South. I decided to access the park to the North of Potato Point, a short drive East of Bodalla. Drove along Blackfellows Point Rd. After crossing Potato Creek a sign for the park on the left.

Drove North looking for a nice open area for activating from. On the point to the North of Piccaninny Beach found a dirt track lookout with a nice grassy open area. Set up here. Squid pole supported by my table.

Operating spot. Map from Google Maps

One of the local kangaroos keeping the grass short.

Shack on the table. Quite pleasant with no wind today, a lot warmer than Canberra around 16c or so.

Got on 40m, FT857D set to 40w. Band quite good, plenty of callers.

VK3PF, VK2VH/VK4AAC, VK3SQ, VK2EXA, VK3VIN, VK5AYL, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK2HHA, VK2BKO, VK3SG, VK3SMW, VK3UAO, VK2IO, VK2XIC, VK2ALU, VK5PAS

A park to park with VK2OKR Richard in VKFF-1778 Blue Gum Hills Regional Park

VK2AUS, VK3CWF, VK3UH, VK3MCK, VK4KTW, VK2XGB.

After 40m callers stopped switched the linked dipole to 20m. Worked

VK5NHG, VK3APJ, IK1GPG.

I have worked IK1GPG Massimo before, a regular caller from Europe.

As still a bit of a drive to Narooma packed up. Had activated this park before and made up over 44 total contacts for a WWFF point.

WWFF Eurobodalla National Park VKFF-0164

After staying at Batemans Bay over the June Queens Birthday long weekend decided to do another WWFF park activation before going home. Activated Eurobodalla National Park, VKFF-0164.

This park is made up of several fragments of bush land from Moruya Heads down to Mystery Bay to the North of Bermagui. Map from Protected Planet.

I chose to activate from the nearest point to Batemans Bay, Moruya Heads, at the mouth of the Deua River.

You enter the park on Coronation Drive, a one way loop around the headland. There was a lookout and historic graveyard on the right, parked in front of this and walked along a secluded track on the left to an enclosed park in the middle of the heads, with the Trig for the headland.

Nameplate on the trig, Toragy

I could have operated off the trig, however there was a more comfortable picnic table nearby... Set up the squid pole on the table. One dipole leg was fine, running out into the reserve, however the other leg was a bit of a scrub bash to set up. There were some branches touching the wire, but the dipole still seemed to load up okay on 40m.

Radio, my IC-7300 set up on the table, running off LifePO4 batteries. Wound the power down to 15W to conserve the batteries.

Got on 40m. Could see from the scope only 3 signals on the whole band, they were all park activations...

Worked VK3XV/p Tony in VKFF-0752 Broken-Boosey State Park. Mark VK5QI/m in VKFF-0892 Hogwash Bend Conservation Park. Then VK5PAS/p Paul and VK5FMAZ/p Marija in VKFF-0797 Glen Roy Conservation Park.

Also worked Gerard VK2IO/p in VKFF-1170 Goolawah National Park. Lots of park hunters called me from VK2, VK3, VK4 and VK5. I had problems with deep QSB, some callers were strong and then faded right out, some solar disturbance on the band.

I also had problems on my frequency 7.130. The frequency 7.125 is used by AM enthusiasts, some strong AM station came up and splashed over me.

Finished with another park to park contact with Stef VK5HSX.2 in VKFF-0410 Paroo-Darling National Park.

Packed up after 19 contacts and had lunch, headed home. A nice National park that I will enjoy returning to for completing the 44 contacts for WWFF sometime, maybe picking another location.