Yesterday (Saturday 19th September 2015) my wife Marija and I went for a drive down the South Eastern Freeway to the small but interesting Mowantjie Willauwar Conservation Park, VKFF-919.  This would be my third visit to the park.   The first being in 2014, for an activation as part of the VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award, and then just over a week ago I made an attempt to get 44 contacts as part of the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program, but fell short at 14 (the bands were terrible).  So I decided to head back to pick up another 30 QSOs to qualify the park.

For more information on the activation about a week earlier, and some interesting information regarding the park, please see my previous post at…..

https://vk5pas.org/2015/09/10/mowantjie-willauwar-conservation-park-vkff-919/

On the way to the park I worked both Mick VK3PMG and Tony VK3VTH, who were out portable in Victorian parks as part of WWFF.  I had worked Mick and Tony from home, but as they had such terrific signals into my mobile, I decided to give them a shout.

After arriving at the park, we set up in my normal operating spot, which is about 600 metres in from the gate on the northern side of Placid Estates Road.  For this activation I ran the Yaesu FT-857d, and my 40m/20m linked dipole supported on a 7 metre squid pole.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon.  Local time was 2.20 p.m. and the temperature was about 22 degrees C.  I had been eaten alive by sand flies and mosquitoes during my previous activation here at Mowantjie Willauwar, but this time I had come prepared with a can of ‘Off’.

Prior to calling CQ I had a quick look around the 40m band and found Norm VK5GI and Greg VK5GY on 7.100, operating out of the Bullock Hill Conservation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula.  Norm and Greg were running QRP, just 4 watts, and had a nice signal coming in to the Murray Mallee.  After working Norm and Greg I found Mick VK3PMG calling CQ on 7.110 in Dergholm State Park, VKFF-756 with a beautiful 5/9 + signal.  I then tuned up to 7.142 and worked Tony VK3VTH operating portable from the Mount Granya State Park, VKFF-767, again with a 5/9 + signal from Victoria.  Not a bad start….four park contacts to kick off the activation.

I then headed for 7.150 and started calling CQ and this was immediately answered by regular park hunter, Rex VK3OF with his normal 5/9 + signal, followed by Les VK5KLV who was operating portable from the Winninowie Conservation Park, VKFF-820.  I was very happy…my 5th park contact in just 6 QSOs from Mowantjie Willauwar.

A steady flow of callers followed, and then came another park activator.  This time it was Gary VK5FGRY who was in the Morialta Conservation Park, VKFF-783.  And after about a dozen more contacts I was called by Greg VK5GJ and Norm VK5GI had moved to the Cox Scrub Conservation Park.

The band was getting very busy and I had a little bit of QRM from F8CHM in France on 7.151.  But I perservered and worked Brendon VK5FSCC who was portable in the Deep Creek Conservation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula.  It seemed that everyone was out enjoying the sunshine.  Many of the regular VK5 and WWFF park hunters called in, but it was also pleasing ti get a number of new calls in the log.  Many of whom struggled to get their tongue around Mowantjie Willauwar, which means ‘Native Pine forest’ in the local aboriginal language.

After working a total of 39 stations on 40m I headed over to 20m, and after lowering the squid pole and removing the links, I called CQ on 14.311.  This was immediately answered by the ever keen Albert S58AL.  He must have been there waiting for me.  I went on to work stations in Slovenia, Russia, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Slovak Republic, Japan, Poland, Czech Republic, Israel, Estonia, Belgium, VK4 & VK6.

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I worked a total of 47 stations on 20m, before heading back to 40m to see if I could pick up any of the die hard park stragglers.  The band was very busy with lots of European and North American signals coming in.  I found 7.130 clear and called CQ.  Peter VK3ABM came back to my call, and this was followed by Peter VK3PF who was operating portable from Ninety Mile Beach Marine National Park, VKFF-951.  I was Peter’s 44th contact to qualify the park for him.  Well done Peter.

Next up was Peter VK3YE and Scott VK5FSKS who was operating portable from Chelsea Beach as part of flag pole day.  Below is a video of Peter and Scott…..

A few calls later, in amongst the VK’s I heard a European accent.  I asked the VK’s to stand by, and sure enough, Danny ON4VT in Belgium came back to me with a 5/3 signal, and reciprocated with a 5/3 for me.  Wow, was I excited.  Just 40 watts and a meager little linked dipole, and I had Belgium in the log on 40m.  I’m sure I heard one or two more European callers, but the frequency was very busy and I was unable to pull out any more European call signs.

But I did work a handful of Kiwis including Lamont ZL2ALK, Willem ZL3CHE, Stan ZL1TWR, and Ken ZL4KD.

The ‘old’ road which cuts through the park. Now used as a walkway

So after 3 hours in the park, I had a total of 107 contacts in the log, including some nice DX contacts on both 20m and 40m.  Thanks to everyone that called, and thanks to those that took the time to spot me on the DX cluster, parknspeaks, and Facebook.

After the activation, Marija and I headed to ‘Fred’s landing’ where we watched the sunset over the Murray River.  We were also fortunate enough to observe two Whistling Kites who were in a nearby gum tree enjoying a late afternoon meal (a freshly caught fish from the river).  I tried to get as close as I could for a photo (didn’t have the zoom lens), and they both flew off, dropping their meal.

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The following stations were worked on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5GI/p (Bullock Hill CP)
2. VK5GJ/p (Bullock Hill CP)
3. VK3PMG/p (Dergholm State Park, VKFF-756)
4. VK3VTH (Mount Granya State Park VKFF-767)
5. VK3OF
6. VK5KLV/p (Winninowie CP, VKFF-820)
7. VK2LX
8. VK4RF
9. VK5ZRY
10. VK4HA
11. VK3TKK
12. VK2NEO
13. VK3XY
14. VK3YSP/p
15. VK3AKK
16. VK5AW/m
17. VK7FGGT
18. VK3ANL
19. VK5FGRY/p (Morialta CP, VKFF-783)
20. VK3ZMD
21. VK3FJIM
22. VK3SIM
23. VK5BC
24. VK3YAR
25. VK3ZPF
26. VK2JDW/m
27. VK3FINE
28. VK3AWG
29. VK7EK
30. VK3TXD
31. VK5GJ/p (Cox Scrub CP, VKFF-824)
32. VK5GI/p (Cox Scrub CP, VKFF-824)
33. VK3PI
34. VK3UCD
35. VK5PL
36. VK5FSCC/p (Deep Creek CP, VKFF-780)
37. VK5MCB
38. VK2YK
39. VK3UH
40. VK3ABM
41. VK3PF/p (Ninety Mile Beach Marine National Park, VKFF-951)
42. VK3YE/p (Chelsea Beach)
43. VK5FSKS/p (Chelsea Beach)
44. VK2AR
45. VK7CC
46. VK4AJB
47. ON4VT
48. VK2UW
49. VK4PHD
50. ZL2ALK
51. ZL3CHE
52. ZL1TWR
53. VK4SJD
54. VK3PLP
55. VK3FAPH
56. VK6NI
57. VK4SD/2
58. VK8GM
59. ZL4KD

The following stations were worked on 20m SSB:-

1. S58AL
2. S52KM
3. RA3PCI
4. DL2ND
5. F1BLL
6. HA6OB
7. IZ1UJE
8. DK4RM
9. IK1GPG
10. EA3MP
11. IZ1DXG
12. I5FLN
13. UT5PI
14. IW2NXI
15. IK4IDF
16. R7AY
17. IK8FIQ
18. RA3DAD
19. UA6NT
20. IZ5YHD
21. OM7OM
22. JA8XOK
23. DL5WW
24. VK4RF
25. VK4HA
26. IZ8EFD
27. Dk1RS
28. IZ8DFO
29. DL2NOM
30. SP6KEP
31. OK7WA
32. HA6NF
33. SP5APW
34. IK2ZJN
35. EA4DTV
36. VK4MWG
37. 4Z4OQ
38. ES5QD
39. DL3APO
40. ON4BB
41. DK2BS
42. F8DRA
43. JA8RJE
44. ON5SWA
45. ON4VT
46. F5IDJ
47. VK6NU