Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th November 2022 was the annual VKFF Activation Weekend. Marija VK5MAZ and I had planned to activate four parks on Saturday and another four on Sunday.

Our first park for Saturday 26th was the Nixon Skinner Conservation Park VKFF-0923, located near the town of Myponga on the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 63 km south of the city of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Nixon Skinner Conservation Park. Map c/o Google maps.

I have activated Nixon Skinner on four previous occasions, the first being in 2013.

Prior to European settlement, the Myponga area was the home of the Kaurna aboriginal people. The Kaurna name for Myponga was Maitpungga or Miappunga believed to mean vegetable food place.

One of the earliest European families to settle in the Myponga area was Con Polden and his wife and their children, from Wiltshire in England. They settled in the area in about 1840. In 1858 Myponga became a settlement as a series of land purchases.

We stopped briefly in Myponga for a coffee and some breakfast.

As we travelled to the park out of Myponga on Main South Road, we came to the Myponga Reservoir. It is fed by the Myponga River and other tributaries in the Myponga catchment area. The reservoir provides about 5% of the water supply for the city of Adelaide.

Construction of Myponga Reservoir commenced in 1958 and was completed in 1962. As a result of the reservoir,the area known as Lovely Valley was flooded.

The Nixon Skinner Conservation Park is 8 hectares (20 acres) in size and was established on the 1st day of January 1956. The park is bounded in the south by Main South Road and to the east by the Myponga Reservoir

Above:- An aerial shot of the Nixon Skinner CP. Image c/o Google maps.

In 1948 Mrs. Lucy Eleanor Page nee Skinner (b. 1870. d. 1960) donated 20 acres of land to the Field Naturalists Section for use as a natural history reserve. It was named as the Nixon Skinner sanctuary in memory of her grandfather.

Above:- Lucy Eleanor Page nee Skinner. Image c/o http://www.ancestry.com.au

On the 1st day of January 1956, ownership was transferred to the South Australian Government. On the 9th day of November 1967 the reserve was proclaimed as the Nixon Skinner National Parks Reserve. On the 27th day of April 1972 it was reconstituted as the Nixon Skinner Conservation Park.

Above:- Item from The Advertiser, Sat 16 Oct 1948. Image c/o Trove.

On the 24th day of February 1980, a memorial plaque was unveiled in the park by the Environment Minister David Wotton in the presence of Mrs. Page’s three surviving daughters.

Above: Article from the Victor Harbour Times, Wed 27 Feb 1980. Image c/o Trove.

The plaque is a little hard to find if you don’t know where to look. It is located in amongst the scrub off the main walking trail leading down to the reservoir.

The park consists of Messmate Stringybark, Pink Gum, River Red Gum, South Australian Blue Gum with an understorey of Erect Guinea-flower, Heath Tea-tree, Myrtle Wattle, Golden Wattle, Silver Banksia, Cross-leaved Honey-myrtle, and Silky Tea-tree. The rare Cherry helmet orchid can be found in the park.

Above:- Aerial view of the Nixon Skinner Conservation Park. Image c/o Google Earth.

Birds SA have recorded 81 species of bird in the park including Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairywren. Crescent Honeyeater, Brown Thornbill, Grey Shrikethrush, and Scarlet Robin.

Various native mammals can be found in the park including the Western Grey kangaroo.

The video below shows the park and the Myponga reservoir.

Marija and I set up in our normal spot, alongside of the walking trail leading from Main South Road down to the reservoir. It was a cold and dull day with occasional showers. During the day we had to deploy the bothy bag on a few occasions to keep out of the rain.

We spent about 1 hour & 45 minutes in the park and logged a total of 94 QSOs on 20, 40 & 80m SSB. This included a total of 61 Park to Park QSOs.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-

1. VK5AV/3 (Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2353)
2. VK1RF/p (Yatteyattah Nature Reserve VKFF-2779)
3. VK3BEZ/p (Traralgon South Flora Reserve VKFF-2465)
4. VK3TUN/p (Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198)
5. VK5DG/p (Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198)
6. VK2YAK/p (Copeland Tops State Conservation Area VKFF-1308)
7. VK4YAK/p (Copeland Tops State Conservation Area VKFF-1308)
8. VK4FDJL/p (Roundstone Conservation Park VKFF-1637)
9. VK1DI/p (Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve VKFF-0991)
10. VK2IO/p (Blue Mountains National Park VKFF-0041)
11. VK2MET/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve  VKFF-2740)
12. VK1AO/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve  VKFF-2740)
13. VK7QP
14. VK2VW
15. VK2HFI
16. VK3ANL/p (Greswell Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2104)
17. VK4FW/p (Tinana Island Conservation Park VKFF-1659)
18. VK3ZK/p (Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park VKFF-0747)
19. VK2YK/p (Hale Conservation Park VKFF-0889)

Marija worked the following station on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2USA/mm (Saratoga Island Nature Reserve VKFF-2713)

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5FANA
2. VK5BJE
3. VK3BHR/p (SOTA VK3/ VW-025)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-

1. VK3BEZ/p (Traralgon South Flora Reserve VKFF-2465)
2. VK3OAK/p (VKFF-0742)
3. VK2MOE/p (VKFF-0111)
4. VK5AV/p (Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2353)
5. VK3ANL/p (Greswell Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2104)
6. VK2EXA
7. VK1DI/p (Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve VKFF-0991)
8. VK1RF/p (Yatteyattah Nature Reserve VKFF-2779)
9. VK2MET/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve  VKFF-2740)
10. VK1AO/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve  VKFF-2740)
11. VK1XP/m
12. VK7LTD/p (Eaglehawk Bay State Reserve VKFF-1797)
13. VK2LP/p (Edmondson Regional Park VKFF-2781)
14. VK2APC/p (Edmondson Regional Park VKFF-2781)
15. VK3ZPF
16. VK3SQ
17. VK3MCA/p (You Yangs Regional Park VKFF-0982)
18. VK2IO/p (VKFF-0041 & SOTA VK2/ CT-032)
19. VK5HAA
20. VK2VW
21. VK2HFI
22. VK3APJ/m

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-

1. VK5AV/3 (Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2353)
2. VK1RF/p (Yatteyattah Nature Reserve VKFF-2779)
3. VK3BEZ/p (Traralgon South Flora Reserve VKFF-2465)
4. VK3TUN/p (Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198)
5. VK5DG/p (Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198)
6. VK2YAK/p (Copeland Tops State Conservation Area VKFF-1308)
7. VK4YAK/p (Copeland Tops State Conservation Area VKFF-1308)
8. VK2PKT
9. VK3ZPF
10. VK3AMO
11. VK4FDJL/p (Roundstone Conservation Park VKFF-1637)
12. VK1DI/p (Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve VKFF-0991)
13. VK2IO/p (Blue Mountains National Park VKFF-0041)
14. VK2MET/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve VKFF-2740)
15. VK1AO/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve VKFF-2740)
16. VK3VIN
17. VK7QP
18. VK2VW
19. VK2HFI
20. VK3ANL/p (Greswell Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2104)
21. VK1TTY
22. VK2EXA
23. VK4FW/p (Tinana Island Conservation Park VKFF-1659)
24. VK2LEE
25. VK3ZK/p (Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park VKFF-0747)
26. VK2DHN
27. VK2YK/p (Hale Conservation Park VKFF-0889)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-

1. VK3BEZ/p (Traralgon South Flora Reserve VKFF-2465)
2. VK3OAK/p (Warby Ovens National Park VKFF-0742)
3. VK3VIN
4. VK2MOE/p (Abercrombie River National Park VKFF-0111)
5. VK5AV/p (Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2353)
6. VK3ANL/p (Greswell Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2104)
7. VK2EXA
8. VK1DI/p (Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve VKFF-0991)
9. VK1RF/p (Yatteyattah Nature Reserve VKFF-2779)
10. VK2MET/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve VKFF-2740)
11. VK1AO/p (Tilligerry Nature Reserve VKFF-2740)
12. VK7LTD/p (Eaglehawk Bay State Reserve VKFF-1797)
13. VK2LP/p (Edmondson Regional Park VKFF-2781)
14. VK2APC/p (Edmondson Regional Park VKFF-2781)
15. VK2IO/p (VKFF-0041 & SOTA VK2/ CT-032)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2LEE
2. VK2USA/mm (Saratoga Island Nature Reserve VKFF-2713)
3. ZL1TM
4. VK6AJP

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5FANA
2. VK5BJE
3. VK3BHR/p (SOTA VK3/ VW-025)

It was time to pack up and head to our next park, the Myponga Conservation Park.

References.

1. Birds SA, 2023, <https://birdssa.asn.au/location/nixon-skinner-conservation-park/>, viewed 9th January 2023.
2. Friends of Parks, 2023, <https://friendsofparkssa.org.au/members/members-directory/friends-of-nixon-skinner-conservation-park/>, viewed 9th January 2023.
3. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myponga,_South_Australia>, viewed 9th January 2023.
4. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myponga_Reservoir>, viewed 9th January 2023.