My second park and Shire for the day was the Mount Billy Conservation Park 5CP-143 & VKFF-0912 which is located in the Victor Harbor Council area (VH5).

The park is located about 75 km south of Adelaide and about 14 km north of the town of Victor Harbor.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Mount Billy Conservation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide.  Map courtesy of Location SA Map Viewer.

To get to the park after leaving Scott CP, I travelled along Kokoda Road and on to the Goolwa Road.  I then travelled south on the Victor Harbor Road and then turned right onto Pambula Road.  This is beautiful countryside with rolling hills and sea views.

On my way to the park, I experienced irregular showers and it was looking as if I was going to get wet at Mount Billy.

Mount Billy Conservation Park is about 199 hectares in size and represents some of the best preserved mallee and forest, not only on the Fleurieu Peninsula, but also in the entire Mount Lofty Ranges.  Mount Billy summit is located in the southern section of the park, along with the Hindmarsh Valley Reservoir.  Sadly, Mount Billy does not qualify for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program.

The park is, as you would suspect, home to a large amount of native wildlife and native birds.  This includes Western Grey kangaroos, the Southern Brown Bandicoot and the endangered Bassian Thrush.

The scrub within the park is very thick and consists of Pink Gum, Blue Gum, Cup Gum, Woodland Sheaok, Banksias, flowering orchids, and ferns.

I set up in the eastern section of the park off Hindmarsh Tiers Road.  Again I ran the Yaesu FT-857d, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.  I waited a few minutes for some showers to clear and then started calling CQ, with the bothy bag close at hand.

Above:- Aerial view of the Mount Billy Conservation Park showing my operating spot.  Image courtesy of Location SA Map Viewer.

I found a quiet spot on the 40m band and started calling CQ.  First in the log was Catherine VK7GH, followed by Andrew VK3LTL and then Megan VK3TIN.  I logged a total of 44 contacts from VK2, VK3, VK4, VK6, VK7, and New Zealand.  This included three Park to Park contacts: Alan VK2MG/4 in the Kurwongbah Nature Reserve  VKFF-2868; Greg VK4VXX/2 in the Goobang National Park VKFF-0204; and Mark VK4SMA/p in the Mount Crosby Weir Nature Refuge VKFF-2873.

I then moved to the 20m band where I logged a total of 4 stations, all from Queensland, including a Park to Park with Mark VK4SMA/p in the Mount Crosby Weir Nature Refuge VKFF-2873.

To conclude this activation I called CQ on 80m where I logged 6 stations including a Park to Park with Peter VK3TKK/p who was in the Gobur Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2096.

I was now a bit pressed for time, and with 54 contacts in the log, I packed up and headed to the Myponga Conservation Park.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK4HH
2. VK7GH
3. VK3LTL
4. VK3TIN
5. VK5FANA
6. VK3AHR
7. VK3MAB
8. VK6POP
9. ZL2AYZ
10. VK3XV
11. VK2NP
12. VK7FJFD
13. VK6YTS
14. VK3MHZ
15. VK3ER
16. VK3PF
17. VK3SQ
18. VK4FBOL
19. ZL1TM
20. VK2LX
21. VK7KEV
22. VK4TJ
23. VK2MG/4 (Kurwongbah Nature Reserve  VKFF-2868)
24. VK3ATO
25. VK4VXX/2 (Goobang National Park VKFF-0204)
26. VK4FDJL
27. VK3ZNK
28. VK6XN
29. VK2VW
30. VK4RF
31. VK4HA
32. VK7JGD
33. VK3PDC
34. VK2JNA
35. VK7NET
36. VK4CZ
37. VK6TWJ/2
38. VK3NBL
39. VK2ADB
40. VK4CPS
41. VK5FMAZ
42. VK4SMA/p (Mount Crosby Weir Nature Refuge VKFF-2873)
43. VK2UXO
44. VK3GB

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK4TJ
2. VK4SMA (Mount Crosby Weir Nature Refuge VKFF-2873)
3. VK4PDX
4. VK4MGL

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3SQ
2. VK5FMAZ
3. VK3TKK/p (Gobur Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2096)
4. VK5FANA
5. VK5PL
6. VK3PF