I received this certificate in my email inbox this morning.

It is the WWFF Activator certificate issued for having activated 352 WWFF references (with 44 QSOs in each reference).

Thank you to all of the WWFF Hunter and thank you to the Awards Manager Karl DL1JKK.

The results are in for the 2023 CQ World Wide WPX Contest.

I came 1st in Australia for Single Op Low Power 28 MHz, and 2nd in Oceania in that category.

In the Tribander/single element overlay section I came 1st in Australia and 4th in Oceania.

Thank you to everyone who called me, and thank you to the Contest organisers.

Our fourth silo for Thursday 26th October 2023, was the Alawoona silo VK-ALA5. Alawoona is located about 221 km northeast of the city of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of Alawoona. Map c/o Google Maps.

As we approached Alawoona, the three of us worked Peter VK3ZPF from the mobile. Peter was activating Bridgewater Streamside Reserve VKFF-3609 and silo VK-LCE3. We let Peter know that we would soon be set up at the Alawoona silo.

Alawoona is a corruption of the aboriginal word ngalawuna meaning ‘place of hot winds’. The town of Alawoona was proclaimed on the 9th day of July 1914.

Alawoona was established as one of the original sidings during the construction of the Barmera railway line. The Alawoona school operated from 1915 to 1967 when it was consolidated with the Browns Well Area School. During the 1930s Alawoona had three churches, a railway refreshment hall, a school, a police station, a bank, a bakery, a butcher shop, two general stores, football clubrooms and a 400-person Institute/hall which held balls and dances.

Above:- the Alawoona Institute 1932 (left) and loading mallee roots (right). Images c/o State Library SA.

Today, many of the shops in Alawoona have closed. The beautiful stone Alawoona Institute remains and is in excellent condition.

The Alawoona silos are located on the northern side of the Karoonda Highway in the middle of town.

We parked on the Karoonda Highway, opposite the silos and operated from the 4WD for this activation. We ran the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna.

Above:- the activation zone at the Alawoona silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

Band conditions on 40m were awful, but all three of us managed to qualify the silo.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3ZPF/p (Bridgewater Streamside Reserve VKFF-3609 and silo VK-LCE3)
2. VK3AWA
3. VK3PF (Pirlta Bushland Reserve VKFF-4125)
4. VK3CLD
5. VK2USH
6. VK3SMW
7. VK3UAO (Koonwarra Flora Reserve VKFF-2350)

I worked the following stations

1. VK3ZPF/p (Bridgewater Streamside Reserve and silo VK-LCE3)
2. VK3AWA
3. VK3PF (Pirlta Bushland Reserve VKFF-4125)
4. VK3CLD
5. VK2USH
6. VK3SMW
7. VK3UAO (Koonwarra Flora Reserve VKFF-2350)

References.

1. A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia, 2023, <https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/>, viewed 7th November 2023.
2. ABC News, 2023, <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-15/alawoona-ghost-town-building-looking-for-a-saviour/11788728>, viewed 7th November 2023.

Our third silo for Thursday 26th October 2023, was the Wanbi silo VK-WNI5. Wanbi is a small town located about 202 km northeast of the city of Adelaide

Above:- Map showing the location of Wanbi. Map c/o Google Maps

Wanbi is an aboriginal word meaning ‘dingo’. The town of Wanbi was proclaimed on the 9th day of July 1914.

Sadly not much remains in Wanbi today. The old Wanbi Memorial Hall built in 1925 is in a state of disrepair, and the beautiful two-storey former hotel is closed.

The Wanbi silos are located on Francis Road, just north of the Karoonda HIghway.

We parked alongside the old tennis courts (see below) that have ‘seen better days’.

This was within the silo activation zone.

Above:- the activation zone at the Wanbi silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

The band conditions on 40m were terrible. However, all three of us managed to activate and qualify the silo with more than 3 QSOs each. This was the third SiOTA activation for Hans VK6XN.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3ZSC
2. VK2VH
3. VK4AAC
4. VK5TN
5. VK5KBJ

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3ZSC
2. VK2VH
3. VK4AAC
4. VK5TN
5. VK5KBJ

We then headed off to our next stop, the little town of Alawoona for another silo activation.

References.

1. A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia, 2023, <https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/>, viewed 7th November 2023.