After leaving Nigretta Falls we drove the short distance to the Wannon Flora Reserve VKFF-2476, which is about 316 km west of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Wannon Flora Reserve. Map courtesy of Protected Planet.
Again, this is another park which is subject to some possible confusion. Do not get it confused with the Wannon Falls State Reserve, which at this time does not qualify for VKFF/WWFF. The Wannon Flora Reserve is located on the north western corner of the Wannon-Nigretta Road and the Glenelg Highway.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Wannon Flora Reserve (indicated by the arrow), and the nearby Wannon Falls Reserve (which is not VKFF). Image courtesy of Protected Planet
The Wannon Flora Reserve is about 20 acres in size and takes its name from the Wannon River. The The name ‘Wannon’ is believed to have been obtained by Major Mitchell from the local Jardwadjali people. The park does not contain the falls. They are located in the Wannon Falls Reserve, about 1 km to the south.
We found a narrow track off the Wannon-Nigretta Road, which followed the northern boundary of the park. We pulled slightly off the track and set up our station.
Once again I commenced the activation, calling CQ on 7.144. Gerard VK2IO was first in the log, followed by Linda VK7QP, Adrian VK5FANA, and Dennis VK2HHA. It took around 6 minutes for contact number 10. That being a QSO with Ray VK4DXA. I then logged Keith VK2PKT, and as I had qualified the park for VKFF, I got Marija into the operators chair.
Marija’s first contact was with Ray VK4NH, then Greg VK2EXA, Adrian VK5FANA, and then Dennis VK2HHA. It did not take Marija long to qualify the park for VKFF. She had contact number 10 in the log after 9 minutes, a QSO with Peter VK2KNV mobile. Marija logged a further 4 QSOs, and happy with having qualified the park for VKFF, handed me back the mic.
I called CQ again on 7.144 and logged a further 7 stations, before callers dried up. I then moved to 3.610 on the 80m band where I logged Peter VK3PF mobile, Hans VK5YX, and then John VK5FBBJ.
It did not look as through I was going to get my 44 from this park, as despite it being the first time the park had been activated, hunter traffic was fairly slow. I moved to the 20m band and called CQ on 14.310 where I logged 6 stations. John VK4TJ had mentioned that the 10m band was open, so I put out a few calls on 28.490 from the vehicle to finish off the activation. And as luck would have it I logged John, who was quite low down but very workable.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
- ZL4TY/VK4
- VK2EXA
- VK5FANA
- VK2HHA
- VK3JNL
- VK1DI
- VK2PKT
- VK2KNV/m
- VK4TJ
- VK4/AC8WN
- VK/VE6XT
- VK3SQ
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO
- VK7QP
- VK5FANA
- VK2HHA
- VK2EXA
- VK3SQ
- VK5KLV
- VK5PL
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
- ZL4TY/VK4
- VK2PKT
- VK3UH
- VK2VW
- VK2KNV/m
- VK4TJ
- VK4/AC8WN
- VK4/VE6XT
- VK2FADV
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
- VK3PF/m
- VK5YX
- VK5FBBJ
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK4TJ
- VK4/AC8WN
- VK4/VE6XT
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
- ZL4TY/VK4
I worked the following stations on 10m SSB:-
- VK4TJ
- VK4/AC8WN
- VK4/VE6XT
We packed up and headed off to the Wannon Falls which is located in the Wannon Falls State Reserve.
The Wannon Falls are a punchbowl style waterfall, meaning that water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool. The falls are fed by the Wannon River. They plunge over a basalt lava cliff dropping into a large plunge pool 30 metres below.
There are a number of information boards here detailing both the aboriginal and European history of the area.
We then headed off towards Coleraine along the Glenelg Highway.
References.
Australian Electoral Commission, 2018, <https://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/vic/wannon.htm>, viewed 22nd December 2018
Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wannon_Falls>, viewed 22nd December 2018
VK5PAS 