It was now Monday 11th November 2019 and our two nights at Murrayville had come to an end.  Our plan for today was to try to activate as many parks as possible and also to fit in quite a bit of sightseeing.  With respect to the parks, we intended just to qualify them for VKFF with 10 contacts, and to come back another day for the 44 QSOs required for WWFF global qualification.

We enjoy our trips to Murrayville.  It is just a little town, but we always find the locals very friendly and the accommodation at the Murrayville Caravan Park is top-notch.

Murrayville was named after John Murray (1851-1916) the Premier of Victoria from 1909-1912.

The town is a shadow of its former self.  Many of the shops in the town’s main street are closed.  In its heyday, it was largest of several settlements west of Ouyen.  In 1933 the town’s population was 603.

The Murrayville Hotel dates back to 1911.  We have always enjoyed our meals there.  The old fruit and vegetable shop which is now the Cobb & Co Cafe is also one of our regular haunts when we visit Murrayville.  At the eastern end of the town, you can view some old rusting army tanks.

Our first park of the day was the Yetmans Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2502, which is located about 440 km north-west of Melbourne.

This was to be only the second time that this park had been activated for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.  It was the first time for Marija and I.

We travelled east on the Mallee Highway and then turned left onto the Hopetoun-Walpeup Road to travel south.  Along the way, I spotted a Wedge-tailed eagle in a gum tree about 300 metres off the road.  The photos below were captured as it was flying off.

The Yetmans Flora and Fauna Reserve is about 593 hectares in size and was established in 1986.  It was clear from the park sign that the authorities have not been out to this park for a long time.

We accessed the park on its northern boundary on Woollards Road.  We found a gap in the scrub with enough room to pull off the road and set up our station.

There were a couple of VK6 stations talking on 7.145 so I headed down to 7.140 and called CQ.  Brenton VK3CM came back to my call with a very big 5/9 plus signal.  This was followed by Adam VK2YK and Rod VK7FRJG.

The 40m band was in poor shape and it took me 15 minutes to get 10 contacts in the log, qualifying the park for VKFF.  I logged 11 stations before swapping the mic with Marija.

Marija called CQ on 7.140 and this was answered by Alan VK3ARH, followed by Lee VK2LEE, and then Adrian VK5FANA.  It took Marija only 6 minutes to get her 10 contacts.  QSO number ten was with Rob VK4AAC/2.  Marija logged a further two stations before handing me back the mic.

I then logged a further 4 stations on 40m before heading down to the 80m band.  Unfortunately, I was only able to log the single station on 80m, that being David VK5PL.   To conclude the activation I moved up to the 20m band where I logged two stations, Lee VK2LEE and Brett VK2VW.

With the park qualified for VKFF, Marija and I packed up and once again hit the road, heading for our next park.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3ARH
2. VK2LEE
3. VK5FANA
4. VK4NH
5. VK4DXA
6. ZL4TY/VK4
7. VK4HNS
8. VK2YK
9. VK2VH
10. Vk4AAC/2
11. VK3PF/m
12. VK5CZ

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. Vk3CM
2. VK2YK
3. Vk7FRJG
4. VK5FANA
5. VK3SQ
6. VK3VEL
7. VK2UXO
8. VK4NH
9. VK4DXA
10. ZL4TY/VK4
11. VK2IO
12. VK5CZ
13. VK4HNS
14. VK2LEE
15. VK3PF/m

I worked the following station on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5PL

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2LEE
2. VK2VW

 

References.

Protected Planet, 2019, <https://www.protectedplanet.net/search?q=yetmans>, viewed 13th November 2019

Victorian Places, 2019, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/murrayville>, viewed 13th December 2019