Our final park for Boxing Day 2020 was the Eric Bonython Conservation Park 5CP-062 & VKFF-0877. The park is located about 100 km south of the city of Adelaide. Both Marija and I have activated this park previously on a number of occasions.

The Eric Bonython Conservation Park is only a small park, consisting of about 6 hectares of native scrub on the northern side of Rymill Road, Tunkalilla, on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Tunkalilla is a Kaurna aboriginal word meaning ‘place of many smells’. This was due to the whale carcasses that washed up on the 7 km sandy shore of Tunkalilla beach.

On the 9th day of November 1967, the park was proclaimed under the National Parks Act 1966 as the Eric Bonython National Parks Reserve. It was re-proclaimed on the 27th April 1972 as the Eric Bonython Conservation Park.

The park is named after Eric Glenie Bonython (b. 1910. d. 1971) who was an author, explorer, and conservationist. Bonython’s chief occupation was in landholding and grazing, however he had a very wide interest in history, geography and anthropology.  He became a well known explorer of the Lake Eyre Basin, at that time one of the most mysterious geological areas on earth.

Bonython died in 1971, aged just 60 years old. At the time he was living at his 1,600 acre property at Illawong on the Fleurieu Peninsula, close to the park. He is buried at the West terrace cemetery (images below c/o Find a grave).

Access to the park is via Rymill Road which runs off Tunkalilla Road. There are no amenities in the park and limited parking spots.

The park consists of Low Open Forest of Swamp Gum, Pink Gum, Cup Gum, Messmate Stringybark, and Brown Stringybark. The understorey plants include Tea-trees and Hakeas.

Birds SA have recorded a total of 43 native birds in the park including Adelaide Rosella, New Holland Honeyeater, Striated Thornbill, Grey Fantail, Australian Golden Whistler, Grey Shrikethrush, Brush Bronzewing, Pallid Cuckoo, Elegant Parrot, Dusky Woodswallow, and Red-browed Finch.

There are some sensational views to be enjoyed from the park of The Pages Conservation Park, the Southern Ocean, and Kangaroo Island.

Marija and I went to our normal operating spot in the park, a small clearing in amongst the scrub. As it was a very hot afternoon and there was very little shade on offer, we huddled against the side of the 4WD.

Once again we decided to kick off the activation on the 15m band and I am so pleased that I did. First in the log on 15m was Fred VK3DAC & VK4FE/3, followed by Deryck VK4FDJL, and then Ray VK4NH. It only took me 6 minutes and I had qualified the park for VKFF on 15m with 10 contacts.

Band conditions on 15m were excellent, and I ended up making a total of 38 contacts, almost qualifying the park exclusively on the 15m band. Contacts were made into VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK7, and New Zealand.

Marija also qualified the park for VKFF exclusively on 15m with a total of 15 contacts in the log into VK2, VK3, and VK4. This included Park to Park contacts with Gerard VK2IO/p in two different parks: Bouddi National Park VKFF-0049 and Cockle Bay Nature Reserve VKFF-1908.

To finish off the activation I called CQ on 7.144 on 40m and logged a total of 22 stations. Contact number 44 was with Robbie VK5MRS at Echunga in the Adelaide Hills.

We were getting tired and hot and hungry, so we decided to call if quits. I suspect if we had kept going, we would have had a lot more callers on 40m. That band was in great shape. Unfortunately we did not get to try 80m or 20m. We will save that for another day.

Marija worked the following stations on 15m SSB:-

1. VK2IO/p (Bouddi National Park VKFF-0049)
2. VK2BDS
3. VK4CZ
4. VK4FDJL
5. VK4NH
6. VK4DXA
7. ZL4TY/VK4
8. VK3DAC
9. VK4FE/3
10. VK3CU
11. VK2LX
12. VK2DWP
13. VK4SMA
14. VK4MGL
15. VK2IO/p (Cockle Bay Nature Reserve VKFF-1908)

I worked the following stations on 15m SSB:-

1. VK3DAC
2. VK4FE/3
3. VK4FDJL
4. VK4NH
5. VK4DXA
6. ZL4TY/VK4
7. VK2HRX
8. VK3ZPF
9. VK3MCK
10. ZL1TM
11. VK4KC
12. VK4SMA
13. VK3PI
14. VK3ANL
15. VK3BCM/p (SOTA VK3/ VC-037)
16. VK2LX
17. VK2VW
18. VK2HFI
19. VK2IO/p (Bouddi National Park VKFF-0049)
20. VK4CZ
21. VK2JCC
22. VK2PKT
23. VK2HHS
24. VK4MGL
25. VK3MDC
26. VK1XP/m
27. VK2IO/p (Cockle Bay Nature Reserve VKFF-1908)
28. VK2TEV
29. VK2CRF
30. VK4DX
31. VK3XXY
32. VK7RG
33. VK1CT
34. VK7DY
35. VK5MWW
36. VK3NBP
37. VK3MCO
38. VK2GOD

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5CZ
2. VK5AYL
3. VK5GY
4. VK5EMI
5. VK5HYZ
6. VK5MRS
7. VK5KLV
8. VK2FPAR
9. VK2YK/5
10. VK5GA
11. VK2HHA
12. VK5FANA
13. VK5MRD
14. VK4FDJL
15. VK3YV
16. VK3FIMD
17. VK3ZPF
18. VK5VST
19. VK3HJJ
20. VK5DW
21. VK5MWW
22. VK2XB/m

After packing up we stopped off briefly at Parawa on Range Road to enjoy the views.

We then headed into Victor Harbor, detouring slightly up to the Crows Nest Lookout where we enjoyed some beautiful views of Middleton, Goolwa, Currency Creek, the Murray Mouth, and the Coorong.

References.

Birds SA, 2020, <https://birdssa.asn.au/location/eric-bonython-conservation-park/>, viewed 28th December 2020.

Coast Lines, 2020, <https://www.coastlines.com.au/news/the-texel-ranger>, viewed 28th December 2020.

Terroir Selections, 2020, <https://www.terroir-selections.com.au/producers/tunkalilla-vineyard>, viewed 28th December 2020.

Wikipedia, 2020, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Bonython_Conservation_Park>, viewed 28th December 2020.