After packing up at Lakes Powell & Carpul, we drove a short distance west along the Hattah-Robinvale Road and reached our next park, the Bannerton Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2261. The park is located about 14 km south of Robinvale.
We found that the park was well signposted on the Hattah-Robinvale Road. This was to be a first time activation of the park by myself and Marija, and only the second time the park had been activated for the World Wide Flora Fauna program (Mike VK6MB in 2019).
Bannerton Flora & Fauna Reserve is a relatively small park, comprising about 2.0 km² of mallee scrub. It is located on the southern side of the Hattah-Robinvale Road and on the eastern and western side of the Robinvale-Sea Lake Road.
The park takes its name from the locality of Bannerton. The Post office at Bannerton was opened in February 1924 as Banner. It was renamed Tol Tol in 1924 and then Bannerton in 1926. It closed in 1974.
To our great pleasure, band conditions on 40m were much better during this activation compared to our earlier park activation. First in the log was Ron VK3AHR, followed by Geoff VK3SQ, and then Greg VK4BXX. It took just7 minutes for contact number 10, a QSO with Nigel VK5NIG who was portable at the Buy and Sell in Adelaide for the North East Radio Club.
I logged 28 contacts before swapping operator positions with Marija. Marija’s first contact was with Peter Vk3PF. Contact number ten was with Steve VK5KSW on the Yorke Peninsula.
Marija logged a total of 30 stations and was satisfied that she had qualified the park for VKFF, so we swapped chairs once again.
I logged a further 23 stations on 40m. Contact number 44 was with Rob VK4AAC/2.
We decided at this point to pack up and try to squeeze in another 2 parks, and stay one night at Renmark on the way home.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3PF
- VK4HNS
- VK3SQ
- VK4VCE
- VK5FANA
- VK2YK/5
- VK5GA
- VK2HHA
- VK5STU
- VK5KSW
- VK5AYL
- VK2PKT
- VK5CZ/m
- VK5BJE
- VK4FDJL
- VK3FRC
- VK2IO/m
- VK7QP
- VK2KYO
- VK2VK
- VK2LAX
- VK3ALA/p
- VK2BYF
- VK3AHR
- VK3MPR
- VK7ME
- VK3CRG
- VK5KLV
- VK4SYD
- VK3CJN
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3AHR
- VK3SQ
- VK4BXX
- VK4/NN3Z
- VK5CZ/m
- VK2HHA
- VK3MCK
- VK4HMI
- VK5STU/p
- VK5NIG/p
- VK3PF
- VK4SMA
- VK4HNS
- VK2VK
- VK4CZ
- VK5FANA
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK4FDJL
- VK2LAX
- VK5HS
- VK2MET
- VK2KYO
- VK5IS
- VK2YK/5
- VK5GA/m
- VK3TKK/m
- VK3MPR
- VK3CRG
- VK4SYD
- VK5WU
- VK3AWA
- VK5GY
- VK2DJP
- VK7VZ
- VK3ZLT
- VK5KSW
- VK5WG
- VK7DIK
- VK1DI
- VK2BYF
- VK7JFD
- VK2VH
- VK4AAC/2
- VK3CWF
- VK2IJS
- VK2FWFT
- VK2LEG
- VK5KKT
- VK4VCE
- VK3OHM
References.
Protected Planet, 2021, <https://www.protectedplanet.net/314712>, viewed 13th May 2021.
Wikipedia, 2021, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bannerton,_Victoria>, viewed 13th May 2021.
VK5PAS 