Our second park for Sunday (1st December 2019) was Olivers Lake Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2418, which is located about 329 km northwest of the city of Melbourne, and about 29 km west of Horsham.

This was to be a first-time activation of the park for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

We travelled through the original settlement site of Polkemmet.  There is a monument for the Polkemmet Church of Christ which was established in 1866.

The park is about 1,000 acres in size and incorporates all of Olivers Lake.  The vulnerable Bead Glasswort, a small succulent plant can be found at Olivers Lake.

The lake is a world-renowned spot for bird watching.  The lake is home to thousands of birds each year during the migration periods.  EBird Australia has recorded about 75 species of native bird in the park including Whistling Kite, Eastern Rosella, Musk Lorikeet, Masked Lapwing, Black-tailed Nativehen, and White-faced Heron.

We drove down an access track which ran off the western side of Lake Road.  This took us right down to the edge of the lake.

We set up right on the edge of the lake, which was bone dry during our visit to the park.

It was absolutely blowing a gale so we positioned the Toyota HiLux so that it shielded us somewhat from the westerly wind blowing across the lake.  The 7-metre telescopic squid pole certainly flexed and danced during this activation.

Marija and I started the activation with a Park to Park contact with Peter VK3PF/p who was calling CQ on 7.144 from the Merrimans Creek Flora Reserve VKFF-2384.  I then moved down to 7.139 where I called CQ.  This was answered by Rob VK4AAC/3 who was in the Boxwood Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2053.

Contact number ten for me, thus qualifying the park for VKFF, came a few minutes later with a QSO with Stuart VK3STU.  This was followed by another Park to Park, this time with Peter VK3ZPF/p who was activating the Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094.  A few QSOs later I was called by Liz VK2XSE/p and Peter VK2KNV/p who were in the Bemboka National Park VKFF-0025.

Despite the weather conditions being poor, the bands conditions were quite good.  I logged a total of 40 QSOs including two further Park to Park contacts with Nik VK3ZK/p in the Lower Goulburn National Park VKFF-0741, and Gerard VK2IO/p who was in the Pitt Town Nature Reserve VKFF-1984.

I was now just 4 QSOs short of the 44 required to qualify the park for the global WWFF program.  It was time for Marija to jump into the operator’s chair.  Marija called CQ on 7.139 and this was answered by regular park hunter Ray VK4NH who became Marija’s tenth contact with his second call of VK4DXA.

Marija logged a further 10 stations before handing the mic back to me.  It was time to head off to the 20m band.  I logged 13 stations there including a Park to Park with Gerard VK2IO/p for a second band.  Contacts on 20m were into VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, and VK7.

I then moved to 80m and logged 5 stations, including Park to Park contacts with Peter VK3ZPF/p in the Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094, and Peter VK3PF/p in the Stradbroke Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2443.

To conclude the activation we lowered the squid pole and hoisted the 15m dipole.  I made a total of 11 contacts on 15m including Park to Park contacts with Peter VK3ZPF/p in the Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094 (for a 3rd band) and Gerard VK2IO/p in the Pitt Town Nature Reserve VKFF-1984 (also for a third band).

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3PF/p (Merrimans Creek Flora Reserve VKFF-2384)
2. VK4AAC/3 (Boxwood Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2053)
3. VK2VH/3 (Boxwood Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2053)
4. VK3ZPF/p (Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094)
5. VK2XSE/p (Bemboka National Park VKFF-0025)
6. VK2KNV/p (Bemboka National Park VKFF-0025)
7. VK3ZK/p (Lower Goulburn National Park VKFF-0741)
8. VK2IO/p (Pitt Town Nature Reserve VKFF-1984)
9. VK4NH
10. VK4DXA
11. ZL4TY/VK4
12. VK3GRW
13. VK7ALH
14. VK5AYL
15. VK3ZIP
16. VK3ALA
17. VK5FMWW
18. VK7OT
19. VK7QP
20. VK2LEE

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3ZPF/p (Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094)
2. VK3PF/p (Stradbroke Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2443)

Marija worked the following stations on 15m SSB:-

1. VK3ZPF/p (Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094)
2. VK2IO/p (Pitt Town Nature Reserve VKFF-1984)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3PF/p (Merrimans Creek Flora Reserve VKFF-2384)
2. VK4AAC/3 (Boxwood Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2053)
3. VK2VH/3 (Boxwood Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2053)
4. VK3SQ
5. VK5WG
6. VK7QP
7. VK4NH
8. VK4DXA
9. ZL4TY/VK4
10. VK3STU
11. VK3ZPF/p (Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094)
12. VK5HS
13. VK3MPR
14. VK2XSE/p (Bemboka National Park VKFF-0025)
15. VK2KNV/p (Bemboka National Park VKFF-0025)
16. VK2EXA
17. VK7OT
18. VK3MCK
19. VK2LUV
20. VK3FRAB
21. VK5FANA
22. VK4TJ
23. VK4/AC8WN
24. VK4/VE6XT
25. VK4SSN
26. VK4FDJL/5
27. VK5FAAH
28. VK3KBC
29. VK3VRA
30. VK3ZK/p (Lower Goulburn National Park VKFF-0741)
31. VK2IO/p (Pitt Town Nature ReserveVKFF-1984)
32. VK7ALH
33. VK3KSK
34. VK3ZSG
35. VK3UH
36. VK3ZIP
37. VK3PWG
38. VK3LBW
39. VK7PAL
40. VK5PL
41. VK3GRW

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2LEE
2. VK7ALH
3. VK4NH
4. VK4DXA
5. ZL4TY/VK4
6. VK7QP
7. VK4RF
8. VK4HA
9. VK3SX
10. VK2LX
11. VK2IO/p (Pitt Town Nature Reserve VKFF-1984)
12. VK5KLV
13. VK7LH

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK7ALH
2. VK3ZPF/p (Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094)
3. VK3PF/p (Stradbroke Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2443)
4. VK7QP
5. VK5HS

I worked the following stations on 15m SSB:-

1. VK3ZPF/p (Glenmaggie Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2094)
2. VK7ALH
3. VK4RF
4. VK4HA
5. VK4VXX
6. VK4BXX
7. VK4/AG7WB
8. VK7QP
9. ZL1TM
10. VK2IO/p (Pitt Town Nature Reserve VKFF-1984)
11. VK7LH

 

 

References.

Environment Victoria, 2019, <https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/>, viewed 9th December 2019

Grampians Point, 2019, <https://www.grampianspoint.com.au/attractions/olivers-lake/>, viewed 9th December 2019