Marija and I spent all day Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th, and Sunday 5th March 2023, at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon. We lashed out and had Gold tickets and were in a grandstand right in front of the runway. It was a brilliant three days.
The highlights for me were the South Korean Black Eagles aerobatic team, the B52 bomber, and the Spitfire.
Below is a small selection of photos that I took.
With three days at the Air Show now over, it was Monday 6th March 2023. We had booked in to do a tour of the old Queenscliff Fort on the Bellarine Peninsula. It was a beautiful sunny morning, so Marija and I headed to the Queenscliff Marina and had a beautiful breakfast overlooking the marina.
After breakfast, we still had a little spare time before our tour, so we drove around Queenscliff admiring some of the beautiful architecture in the town.
We then headed to Fort Queenscliff, one of Victoria’s most important historic sites and one of the largest and best-preserved forts in Australia. The Fort dates from 1860 when an open battery was constructed on Shortland’s Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip. During the 1870s and 1880s, the Fort underwent major redevelopment and became the headquarters for an extensive chain of forts around Port Phillip Heads.
We had a brilliant volunteer guide who took us around the Fort and explained its fascinating history.
Marija and I then drove back to Geelong and visited the old HM Prison Geelong. The prison was constructed in stages from 1849 to 1864. The prison was officially closed in 1991 and prisoners were moved to the newly built HM Prison Barwon in Lara.
We took a self-guided tour around the old gaol. We can highly recommend a visit here if you are in Geelong.
After leaving the old Geelong Gaol, Marija and I drove to Barwon Heads, a coastal township on the Bellarine Peninsula. It was originally known as Point Flinders. We went for a short walk along the walking trail which sits above the magnificent coastline.
We then headed to the Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2276. We had arranged to meet our friend there, Craig VK3CRG, for a park activation for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Breamlea Flora & Fauna Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve is divided into two sections. The first is located just to the west of the Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant stretching to Thompson Creek. The second part is located on the western side of Point Impossible Road and stretches to Point Impossible Beach.
The park is divided into these two sections by Thomsons Creek, also known as Bream Creek. At the mouth of the creek is Point Impossible which is a well-known longboard surfing break. The park was declared on the 1st day of May 1979 and is 214 hectares in size.
The critically endangered Orange Bellied Parrot can be found in the park. We were fortunate to see these parrots in captivity at the Werribee Zoo. There are fewer than 50 left in the wild. The Orange Bellied Parrot migrates annually to winter in South Australia from Tasmania, passing through Victoria en route.
Other than Bream, Thompsons Creek is home to Big Headed or Flathead Gudgeon, Greenback Flounder, Long-snouted Flounder, Tommy Ruff, Yellow-eyed Mullet, and Australian Salmon.
The Breamlea area was once inhabited by the Mon Mart Clan of the Wathaurong aboriginal people. The area was rich in seafood for the aboriginal people. Large middens of discarded shellfish can be seen on the headland between Buckleys Bay and Stingray Bay.
The escaped convict William Buckley lived in the Breamlea area, and a well which is located across the road from the caravan park is reputed to have been used by Buckley.
In 1891 the SS Bancoora ran aground off Buckleys Beach. The crew came ashore and camped in the dunes at Breamlea. The area was known from that time on as Bancoora. The area was also known as Bream Creek due to the large number of Yellow Fin Bream located in Thompson Creek (formerly known as Bream Creek).
In 1912 the Committee of Management of the Bream Creek Recreation Reserve was formed. A campsite on the Crown Land could be acquired for a year for the price of two shillings and sixpence. Three years later in 1915, shacks commenced to be built. Many of these shacks were built with whatever could be found in the area, including debris from shipwrecks that had been washed ashore on the beach. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, these huts became home to numerous people who could not afford to rent premises in nearby Geelong.
The Surveyor General subdivided the land at Breamlea for sale at a public auction. This included a Recreation Reserve of 5 acres (today the Breamlea Recreation Reserve), and a Municipal Reserve (Cahir Park).
It was not until October 1941 that the town of Breamlea was proclaimed in the Government Gazette.
Above:- Article from The Argus, Fri 17 Oct 1941. Image c/o Trove.
The Surveyor General subdivided the land at Breamlea for sale at a public auction. This included a Recreation Reserve of 5 acres (today the Breamlea Recreation Reserve), and a Municipal Reserve (Cahir Park).
Above:- Article from The Herald, Melbourne, Tues 24 Mar 1942. Image c/o Trove.
We set up at the end of Horwood Drive, on the banks of Thompsons Creek. There is a small narrow piece of land here which is within the park boundary.
Above:- Aerial view showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.
We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
Myself, Marija, and Craig had all qualified the park, and it was starting to get cold as the sun set. So we decided to pack up after a successful and very enjoyable activation.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2CPH
- VK3PF
- VK3VIN
- VK2MOE
- VK5HS
- VK3APJ
- VK2IJS
- VK4VAW
- VK5GY
- VK3FTOM/p
- VK5TN
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2CPH
- VK3PF
- VK3VIN
- VK2MOE
- VK5HS
- VK3APJ
- VK2IJS
- VK4VAW
- VK5GY
- VK3FTOM/p
- VK5TN
- VK2LRD
- VK5HW
- KG5CIK
- VK3AWA
- VK3DL
- VK2IO
- VK3GJG
- VK3SMW
- VK5KRX
- VK5MOS
- VK2HJW/p
- VK3SKT
- VK3NIK/p
- VK7HOB
- VK3BEL
- VK7DIK
- VK3DA
- VK2HOC/4
- ZL4CEL
- VK5FB
- VK7AAE
- VK3DX
- VK3UAO
- VK2BDS
- VK3TDK
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK2CDB
- VK2VMG
- VK1RF
- VK2BED
- VK5KKT
- VK2AMF
- VK2LQ
- VK2PCT
- VK7ZPE
- VK2WE
- VK3NP
- VK7PSJ
- VK4TJ
- VK7PAL
- VK3MCK
- VK3PDB
- ZL2SP
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- KG5CIK
- VK6NU
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
- VK3CWF
- VK3BBB
- VK2CCP
- VK3CMC
- VK3PF
- VK3ANL
- VK5LKJ
- VK5VK
After leaving the Breamlea Flora & Fauna Reserve, Craig, Marija, and I went to get a bite to eat. We then drove back into Geelong where Craig took us for a tour around Bay FM where he works as a radio announcer. Thanks so much Craig, we really appreciated the tour which was extremely interesting.
References.
- Fort Queenscliff, 2023, <https://fortqueenscliff.com.au/>, viewed 27th April 2023.
- Mount Duneed History Group, 2023, <https://mdpa.weebly.com/blog/breamlea>, viewed 27th April 2023.
- The Breamlea Association, 2023, <https://breamlea.com.au/>, viewed 27th April 2023.
- Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Queenscliff>, viewed 27th April 2023.
- Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Geelong>, viewed 27th April 2023.
- Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barwon_Heads,_Victoria>, viewed 27th April 2023.
- Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breamlea,_Victoria>, viewed 27th April 2023.
VK5PAS 