Yesterday (Wednesday 31st July 2019) was World Ranger Day, and after finishing work a little earlier, I headed out to one of my local parks, the Mount George Conservation Park 5CP-147 & VKFF-0784.

I have activated and qualified this park many times over.  However, it was close to home and handy, as I did not finish work until after 3.00 p.m. local time.

Mount George is located about 26 km east of Adelaide in the Mount Lofty Ranges ‘Adelaide Hills’.

World Ranger Day is observed annually on the 31st day of July and commemorates Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and celebrates the critical work Rangers do to protect the worlds natural and cultural treasures.

Believe it or not, about 149 rangers were lost in 2019 alone.  Amazing.

Below are a few videos on World Ranger Day.

The Mount George Conservation Park is located on the northern side of the busy South Eastern Freeway.  The park was proclaimed on the 7th November 1996 and conserves 85 hectares of important native vegetation in the Mount Lofty Ranges ‘Adelaide Hills’.  The park was originally 67 hectares in size before the boundaries were extended in 2003, adding a further 18 hectares.

The park is characterised by steep slopes adorned with Stringybark Open Forest.  The State endangered Mountain Gum can be found in the park.  The park also contains creeks, wetlands, and freshwater bogs.  The Mount George summit, 520 metres, is located within the park.  Sadly it does not have the required prominence for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program.

I set up in the picnic ground area at the end of Mount George Road.  I used one of the wooden tables and benches and stretched out the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

My only gripe with this location is the fact that people visit this part of the park with their dogs which run amok, piddling and pooing and running off-leash.  Dogs are permitted in this section of the park, but they are required to be kept on a lead.  I have never seen this occur and have never seen it policed.

And this activation did not disappoint.  I had one dog piddle on my squid pole and my battery, with the owner hardly blinking an eye.

I was set up and ready to go by about 0610 UTC (3.40 p.m. local time).  First in the log was Ade VK4SOE/p in the Sundown National Park VKFF-0471.

I logged a total of 35 stations on 40m from VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK6, VK7, and New Zealand.  This included the following Park to Park contacts:-

• Ade VK4SOE/p (Sundown National Park VKFF-0471)
• Peter VK3PF/p (Callignee Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2287)
• Rob VK4AAC/3 (Dandenong Ranges National Park VKFF-0132)
• Rob VK2VH/3 (Dandenong Ranges National Park VKFF-0132)
• Gerard VK2IO/5 (Lake Eyre National Park VKFF-0276)
• Brett VK3FLCS/p (Lerderderg State Park VKFF-0763)
• Steve VK4JSS/p (Daisy Hill Conservation Park VKFF-1525)

This was Steve VK4JSS first ever park activation.  It was great to get Steve in the log Park to Park.

I then moved to 20m where I logged Hans VK6XN who was activating the Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve VKFF-2940.  This was followed by Rick VK5VCR who was quite low down but very readable and then Peter VK6RZ.

I then moved down to the 80m band where I logged 12 stations including the following Park to Park contacts:-

• Brett VK3FLCS/p (Lerderderg State Park VKFF-0763)
• Adrian VK5FANA/p (Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park VKFF-1755)
• Mike VK6MB/3 (Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2236)
• Peter VK3PF/p (Gormandale Flora Reserve VKFF-2325)

I then moved back to 40m where I logged Hans VK6XN/p in the Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve VKFF-2940 for a second band, and then Brett VK2VW

It was now around 5.15 p.m. and my wife Marija VK5FMAZ arrived at the park.  Marija’s first contact was with Brett VK2VW, followed by Hans VK6XN/p in the Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve VKFF-2940.

Marija logged 10 stations on 40m from VK2, VK4, VK5, VK6 and VK7 before callers dried up.  It was late afternoon and the 40m band had fallen out to Victoria.

We then moved back down to the 80m band where Marija logged 9 stations including a Park to Park with Mike VK6MB/3 in the Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2236.

It was now freezing cold.  The temperature had dropped to about 3 deg C and the local time was about 6.30 p.m.  We packed up and were about to drive out of the park when I found Andrew VK1DA calling CQ on 7.144 from the Red Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0860.  After we logged Andrew, he was called by Phil VK6ADF/p who was in the Burma Road Nature Reserve VKFF-2800.  Andrew kindly allowed Marija and I to log Phil Park to Park.

Together we made a total of 86 QSOs on 20, 40, & 80m SSB. This included 19 Park to Park QSOs.

Thanks to everyone who called us and thanks to all of the activators who took part in the 2019 World Ranger Day activation event.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2VW
2. VK6XN/p (Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve VKFF-2940)
3. VK2YK
4. VK7OTC
5. VK6GLX
6. VK4SMA
7. VK5BJE
8. VK4TJ
9. VK4/AC8WN
10. VK4/VE6XT
11. VK1DA/p (Red Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0860)
12. VK6ADF/p (Burma Road Nature Reserve VKFF-2800)

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5BJE
2. VK5FANA
3. VK5LA
4. VK3SQ
5. VK3NBL
6. VK5VCR
7. VK5SFA
8. VK6MB/3 (Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2236)
9. VK2YK

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK4SOE/p (Sundown National Park VKFF-0471)
2. VK3PF/p (Callignee Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2287)
3. VK4AAC/3 (Dandenong Ranges National Park VKFF-0132)
4. VK2VH/3 (Dandenong Ranges National Park VKFF-0132)
5. VK2KNV/m
6. VK3MCK
7. VK2IO/5 (Lake Eyre National Park VKFF-0276)
8. VK4SMA
9. VK4FDJL/8
10. VK2LEE
11. VK4FARR
12. VK3SQ
13. VK2KYO
14. VK2NP
15. VK5BJE
16. VK3ATO
17. VK2YMU
18. VK2EXA
19. ZL1TM
20. VK3FLCS/p (Lerderderg State Park VKFF-0763)
21. VK4HAT
22. VK4NH
23. VK4DXA
24. ZL4TY/VK4
25. VK2PKT
26. VK4RF
27. VK4HA
28. VK4JSS/p (Daisy Hill Conservation Park VKFF-1525)
29. VK2ADB
30. VK3FIAN
31. VK4COA
32. VK3ZLT
33. VK6RZ
34. VK4VXX
35. VK4/AG7WB
36. VK6XN/p (Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve VKFF-2940)
37. VK2VW
38. VK6KJ
39. VK1DA/p (Red Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0860)
40. VK6ADF/p (Burma Road Nature Reserve VKFF-2800)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK6XN/p (Stinton Cascades Nature Reserve VKFF-2940)
2. VK5VCR
3. VK6RZ

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3FLCS/p (Lerderderg State Park VKFF-0763)
2. VK5FANA/p (Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park VKFF-1755)
3. VK5VCR
4. VK2LEE
5. VK3VKT/m
6. VK5WG
7. VK7ROY
8. VK6MB/3 (Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2236)
9. VK3SQ
10. VK5AYL
11. VK2YK
12. VK3PF/p (Gormandale Flora Reserve VKFF-2325)
13. VK5BJE
14. VK3SQ
15. VK7ME
16. VK5LA
17. VK3PF
18. VK3MPR
19. VK7FJFD
20. VK2TTP
21. VK3HN
22. VK3NRG/4

 

 

References.

Department for Environment and Heritage, 2006, Mount George Conservation Park Management Plan.

The Thin Green Line, 2019, <https://thingreenline.org.au/world-ranger-day/>, viewed 1st August 2019