Also received a few days ago, was the WWFF Hunter 2,544 certificate, issued for having worked a total of 2,544 different WWFF references.

Thank you to all of the WWFF Activators and thank you to Karl Dl1JKK the Awards Manager.

A few days ago I received my latest WWFF Activator certificate, issued for having activated a total of 418 different WWFF reference areas and obtaining at least 44 QSOs during each activation.

Thank you to all of the WWFF Hunters and thank you to Karl Dl1JKK the Awards Manager.

In the past couple of days, I received my latest VKFF Hunter Honour Roll certificate, issued for having worked 1,975 different VKFF references.

Thank you to all of the VKFF activators and thank you to Adam VK2YK the VK5 VKFF State rep for the certificate.

The certificate features a photograph I took of the view of Adelaide from the Cleland National Park.

Our final activation for Tuesday 31st October 2023 was the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary VKFF-1880 and the Port Adelaide silo VK-PRD5. I used the special event call of VI10VKFF for this activation. 

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

Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, located about 14 km northwest of the Adelaide Central Business District. Before the settlement of Port Adelaide by Europeans, the area was covered with mangrove swamps, tidal mud flats and a narrow creek. The Kaurna aboriginal people inhabited the land and called the area Yartapuulti.

The creek was first explored by Europeans in 1834, when Captain Henry Jones entered the creek which was subsequently named ‘the port creek.’ The first harbourmaster at Port Adelaide was Captain Thomas Lipson in 1837. At this time the area was known as The Port Creek Settlement.

By 1840 the area had acquired the name Port Misery due to the port being plagued by mosquitos, its long distance from Adelaide, and its few amenities.

Above:- Port Adelaide, c. 1846. Image c/o Wikipedia.

Due to its rich maritime history, Port Adelaide contains numerous historic buildings dating back to the 1800s.

Port Adelaide is home to the Clipper Ship City of Adelaide. The City of Adelaide was built in 1864 to carry passengers from England to Adelaide, South Australia. A total of 23 return voyages were made. It is believed that about 250,000 Australians can trace their ancestry via the City of Adelaide. It is one of only 2 surviving composite clipper ships in the world.

Port Adelaide is also home to an inflatable dome used to store cement.

The Port Adelaide silos are located at Moonta in the Inner Harbour of Port Adelaide. They are run by Viterra. It is located 11km upstream of Outer Harbour. The silos have a loading rate of 800 tonnes per hour.

Above:- the activation zone of the Port Adelaide silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

Above:- An aerial view showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Maps.

It was quite noisy on the 40m band due to the industrial nature of the area that we were operating from.

Above:- An aerial view of Port Adelaide showing the location of the silos. Image c/o Google Maps.

I logged a total of 12 contacts, all on the 40m band. I was pleased to be the very first amateur radio contact for Andreas VK5AKB.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK2IO/m
3. VK3MDC
4. VK5HAA
5. VK5JOS
6. VK5AKB
7. VK3APJ
8. VK3AN
9. VK3CNC
10. VK3UAO
11. VK3ZGA
12. VK4KLA

References.

1. City of Adelaide, 2023, <https://www.cityofadelaide.org.au/about>, viewed 19th December 2023.
2. Vitera, 2023, <https://viterra.com.au/Storage-and-handling#Port%20terminals>, viewed 19th December 2023.
3. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Adelaide>, viewed 19th December 2023.

Our next activation for Tuesday 31st October 2023 was the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary VKFF-1800 and the Osborne silo VK-OSE5.

Osborne is a suburb on the LeFevre Peninsula in the west of Adelaide, about 21 km northwest of the Adelaide Central Business District.

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

It appears that Osborne was initially known as Brooklyn. In 1878 it was named Brooklyn by Alfred Jones, a hay and corn merchant of Port Adelaide. Three years later in 1881, James Gartrell (b. 1846. d. 1925) and Captain Robert W. Osborne (b. 1834. d. 1920) created Brooklyn, in current day Osborne and Wingfield.

On the 10th day of May 1945, the name Osborne was formally submitted by the City of Port Adelaide at a council meeting and was formally adopted in 1951 by the Nomenclature Committee.

Above:- Captain R.W. Osborne. Image c/o https://www.flickr.com/photos/paelocalhistory/14768611130

In about 1922 the Osborneville Post office was opened. It was renamed Taperoo in February 1964 and then North Haven in 1989.

Osborne is the home of several industrial employers, including the Adelaide Submarine Corporation, a naval shipbuilder – Royal Australian Navy’s Collins class submarines and Hobart-class destroyers.

The Osborne silos are located on the southern side of Veitch Road, Osborne.

Marija and I drove down to the bottom of Vietch Road and parked in the carpark right alongside of the Port River.

Above:- An aerial view showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Maps.

Above:- the activation zone at the Osborne silo showing our operating spot. Image c/o SiOTA website.

It was a lovely warm and sunny evening and we had a nice view up and down the Port River.

Above:- Aerial view showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Maps.

Unfortunately, we had a strength 8-9 noise on 40m. This was not unexpected as this is a highly industrial location.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5BJE
2. VK3APJ
3. VK3PF
4. VK2IO/p (Pooginook Conservation Park VKFF-0929)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK7ZA
2. VK4HAT
3. F1BLL
4. PA5WK
5. F4WEC
6. F5LML
7. ZL4NVW
8. F4DSK
9. SP2GWH
10. EA5JMN
11. F6DZU
12. EA3MP
13. ON5RKN
14. W1OW
15. IZ2IHO
16. IK4JPK

References.

1. A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia, 2023, <https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/>, viewed 19th December 2023.
2. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne,_South_Australia>, viewed 19th December 2023.

Our next activation for Tuesday 31st October 2023 was the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary VKFF-1880. I ran the special call of VI10VKFF for this activation.

The Sanctuary is located on the east coast of Gulf St Vincent. It adjoins the north-western part of Adelaide and includes the Port River estuary and north of St Kilda. 

Above:- Map showing the location of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Image c/o National Parks SA.

The sanctuary is 118.75 km² and was established on the 4th day of June 2005. It was established for the protection of the resident population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.

Marija and I parked in the Outer Harbour 4 carpark and operated from the vehicle for this activation. We ran the Icom IC7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 with the 1.5 stainless steel whip mounted on the rear of the Toyota Hi-Lux.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5FANA
2. VK3SG
3. VK3PF
4. VK5MK
5. VK1TTY
6. VK5FB
7. VK5HS
8. VK5GY
9. VK2IO/p (Pooginook Conservation Park VKFF-0929)
10. VK5ZNP

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5FANA
2. VK3SG
3. VK3PF
4. VK5MK
5. VK1TTY
6. VK5FB
7. VK5HS
8. VK5GY
9. VK2IO/p (Pooginook Conservation Park VKFF-0929)
10. VK5ZNP
11. VK5FIVE
12. VK3GJG
13. VK3CWF

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK4EMP
2. VK4TI
3. IK4IDF
4. IK1GPG
5. VK6LMK
6. VK5HAA
7. I4RHP
8. VK4NH
9. VK4DXA
10. KG5CIK
11. ZL3MR
12. UT5PI
13. IW2BNA
14. IW2NXI
15. OH6GAZ
16. VK5JDS
17. OH1MM
18. VK7AAE

References.

1. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Dolphin_Sanctuary>, viewed 18th December 2023.

After leaving Fort Glanville, Marija and I headed to the Outer Harbour silo VK-OTR5 for an activation for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program.

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

Marija and I drove along the picturesque Esplanade and Lady Gowrie Drive to get to the silo. This took us along the beautiful Adelaide coastline and magnificent beaches and passed the historic suburb of Semaphore.

We then stopped by the old Police Academy at Fort Largs, where I had spent 2 years (1982-1984). I had heard that most of the Academy had been bulldozed and that a housing estate was going in, but what I saw really surprised me. Only some of the historic buildings remain, including the Fort itself. I had mixed feelings. I know that everything cannot last forever and there is progress. But I had spent a significant time here and have lived in the dormitories, now bulldozed. It was a little sad to see.

We then made our way to the Outer Harbour silos. The silos are operated by Viterra and are located in close proximity to the mouth of the Port River. Outer Harbor is 11km downstream of the Inner Harbour grain berth. Outer Harbour was custom-built to allow larger vessels to load. A belt leads from the silos to the loading berth. It can handle 2,200 tonnes per hour.

Outer Harbour is located at the northern tip of the Lefevre Peninsula about 22 km northwest of the Adelaide city centre. Outer Harbour includes the headland of Pelican Point. It is bounded to the east by the suburb of Osborne, to the southwest by the suburb of North Haven, and in all other directions by the Port River.

Outer Harbour was established in the early 1900s due to the increasing size of ships visiting Port Adelaide, and the time it took to sail up the Port River to the inner harbour of Port Adelaide. The first ship to dock at Outer Harbour was the RMS Oruba in January 1908. 

Above:- Departure of South Australian Infantry from Outer Harbour, South Australia on S.S. Ascanius – 20 October 1914. Image c/o https://www.flickr.com/photos/70994841@N07/52661858542

The harbour can now accommodate Panamax-size ships with the harbour depth being 14.2 metres. Outer Harbour contains a major container berth and the Overseas Passenger Terminal.

We initially set up on Pelican Point Road and made two contacts before moving due to the noise floor. Our new location on Snapper Point Road wasn’t much better. This is a noisy RF location with Outer Harbour consisting of shipping and transport-related infrastructure. Unfortunately, we could not find a spot which was within the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary VKFF-1880.

Above:- The activation zone at the Outer Harbour silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5MK
2. VK5FANA
3. VK3PF
4. VK2IO/p (Pooginook Conservation Park VKFF-0929)
5. VK5ZNP

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5MK
2. VK5FANA
3. VK3PF
4. VK2IO/p (Pooginook Conservation Park VKFF-0929)
5. VK5ZNP
6. VK5FIVE

References.

1. Viterra, 2023, <https://viterra.com.au/Storage-and-handling#Port%20terminals>, viewed 18th December 2023.
2. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Harbor,_South_Australia>, viewed 18th December 2023.

After dropping off Hans VK6XN at his accommodation, Marija VK5MAZ and I pondered what we would do for the remainder of the day (Tuesday 31st October 2023). We decided to head north slightly and activate a couple of parks and silos.

Our first activation was a new park for us, the Fort Glanville Conservation Park VKFF-1031.

The park is located in Semaphore Park, a western seaside suburb of Adelaide. The park is 5 hectares (12 acres) in size and was established on the 1st day of January 1951. It consists of a 19th century fort which is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.  Interestingly it also includes some adjacent land which is used as a caravan park.

Above:- An aerial view of Fort Glanville Conservation Park. Image c/o Google Earth.

Construction of the fort commenced in 1878, with the fort officially opened in October 1880. Construction was not completed until 1882. Fort Glanville was the first colonial fortification in South Australia. It is the best preserved and most functional fort in Australia.

Fort Glanville was designed by Governor Major General Sir William Jervois and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Scratchley. When constructed, the fort was designed to defend both Semaphore’s anchorage and shipping entering the Port River from potential naval attack.

Above:- Peter Scratchley (left) and William Jervois (right). Images c/o Wikipedia.

During the 1900s the fort was used for various purposes including accommodation, a caravan park, and a boy scout campsite. In 1951 the fort was acquired by the South Australian State Government and it was declared a Conservation Park.

Marija and I parked in the driveway off Bower Road and operated from the vehicle for this activation. We ran the Icom IC7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.

Above:- An aerial view of the park showing our operating spot. Image c/o Location SA Map Viewer.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2IO/p (Loveday Reserve VKFF-4042)
2. VK5MK
3. VK5IS
4. VK5TN
5. VK3MTT
6. VK3PF
7. VK2RK
8. VK2ACR
9. VK5GY
10. VK3TBR

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2IO/p (Loveday Reserve VKFF-4042)
2. VK5MK
3. VK5IS
4. VK5TN
5. VK3MTT
6. VK3PF
7. VK2RK
8. VK2ACR
9. VK5GY
10. VK3TBR
11. VK3SG
12. VK3BBB
13. VK2CCP
14. VK3ZSC

References.

1. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Glanville_Conservation_Park>, viewed 18th December 2023.

Our next activation for Tuesday 31st October 2023 was the DB Mack Reserve VKFF-4032. This would be a first-time activation for myself, Marija VK5MAZ, and Hans VK6XN, and only the second time that the park had been activated for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

The DB Mack Reserve is located on the Sturt Highway at Stockyard Plain, about 165 km northeast of the city of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of DB Mack Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

D.B. Mack Reserve is owned by the National Trust of South Australia. It comprised about comprises about 265 hectares of mallee scrub and has been held by the National Trust since 1965. At that time the land was purchased from Mr. F.J. Fettke. It was initially held by the National Trust under perpetual lease, but since that time it has been converted to a freehold title.

Above:- An aerial view of the D.B. Mack Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is named in honour of Mr David Batten (D.B.) Mack (b. 1922. d. 2010), who was the District Officer for the Department of Lands during the 1960s. He was a strong supporter of the National Trust of South Australia.

The Reserve adjoins the 1,870-hectare Stockyard Plains area which is managed by SA Water.

About 109 native plant species have been recorded in D.B. Mack, with about 25% being of regional importance and three rated as significant at a State level. Birds SA have recorded about 76 native species or bird in the Reserve including Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Spotted Pardalote, Weebill, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Australian Magpie, Grey Shrike-thrush, and Jacky Winter.

We parked at the main gate on Sturt Highway and climbed through the fence. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

Other than the bands being in very poor condition, we also experienced very loud traffic noise, particularly from the trucks travelling along the Sturt Highway.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2GOM/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
2. VK2VAR/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
3. VK2BYF/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
4. VK2VT/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
5. VK3BBB
6. VK2CCP
7. VK3APJ
8. VK7XX
9. VK3MTT
10. VK5LA

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2GOM/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
2. VK2VAR/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
3. VK2BYF/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
4. VK2VT/p (Greens Beach Conservation Area VKFF-2906)
5. VK3BBB
6. VK2CCP
7. VK3APJ
8. VK7XX
9. VK3MTT
10. VK5LA
11. VK3APT
12. VK3UAO
13. VK2IO/m
14. VK5HS
15. VK2USH
16. VK3CEO

References.

1. Ancestry, 2023, <https://www.ancestry.com.au/>, viewed 18th December 2023.
2. Birds SA, 2023, <https://birdssa.asn.au/location/db-mack-reserve/>, viewed 18th December 2023.
3. National Trust South Australia, 2023, <https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/d-b-mack-reserve/>, viewed 18th December 2023.

It was now Tuesday 31st October 2023 and time for us to head home after a brilliant time in the Riverland. This included the 2023 VKFF National Get Together which was a resounding success.

After having breakfast in Renmark, we stopped at Wilabalangaoo Reserve which is owned by National Trust South Australia. Hans and I went for a walk through the Reserve which sadly does not qualify for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program. Wilabalangaloo covers 92 hectares on the western bank of the River Murray between Renmark and Berri. Some very impressive views can be had of the ochre-coloured sandstone River Murray cliffs which stretch for about 1 km at this location.

We then stopped briefly in Berri for Hans to enjoy some views of the mighty River Murray.

The Riverland is prime citrus and vineyard country. We stopped to get a bag of oranges.

Our next stop was Lake Bonney at Barmera, a freshwater lake that is fed and drained by the River Murray. The lake was named Lake Bonney by Joseph Hawdon, a pioneer settler and overlander, in honour of his friend, Charles Bonney in 1838.

On the shoreline of the lake, you can find a plaque that commemorates the 1964 attempt by Englishman Donald Campbell to break the world water speed record on Lake Bonney. Lake Bonney proved to be too small and the waves created were deemed to be dangerous. His boat Bluebird reached a speed of 347.5 kmh, however the world record was not broken at Lake Bonney. Later that year, Campbell was successful in breaking the world record at Lake Dumbyleyung, Western Australia, travelling at a speed of 444.7 kmh.

The video below runs for about 15 minutes and is extremely interesting.

We continued west along the Sturt Highway and stopped briefly at the police memorial. On the 7th day of May 1847, Police Corporal William Murray Wickham and Mounted Constable John Dunning Carter drowned while crossing the River Murray at Wigley Reach. They were en route to Overland Corner for police duty in response to disturbances in the area. Wickham and Carter were the first police officers to die in the course of their duty in South Australia.

We then took some time out at the Holder Bend lookout.

We then drove into Waikerie and had a quick look at the Waikerie Cliff Top Walk.

Just down the road is Nippy’s Waikierie, a very well-known South Australian family-run producer of fresh citrus fruit juices and flavoured milk products.

It was then time for a quick silo activation for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program at the Waikerie silo.

The Waikerie Silo Art is the work of Jimmy Dvate and Garry Duncan. They were the fifth silo in South Australia to feature silo art, and the 25th to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection. THey are unique in that they are the second silo to be painted on both sides, giving a land view and a river view. Various native flora and fauna appear on the silos, including the Rainmoth, which is the origin of the name of Waikerie – many wings in the aboriginal language.

The Waikerie silo art took about 16 weeks to complete along with almost 500 litres of paint. Garry Duncan used exterior enamel paints exclusively, while Jimmy Dvate mainly used aerosol spray cans.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3OAK/p (Turriff Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2466)
2. VK3PWG/p (Turriff Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2466
3. VK3PF

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3OAK/p (Turriff Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2466)
2. VK3PWG/p (Turriff Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2466)
3. VK3PF
4. VK5IS
5. VK3SQ

I worked the following station on 40m AM:-

1. VK3PWG/p

With silo qualified, we headed for the Waikerie bakery for some lunch.

References.

1. Australian SIlo Art, 2023, <https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/waikerie>, viewed 18th December 2023.
2. Monument Australia, 2023, <https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/sport/display/50429-donald-campbell%60s-water-speed-record-attempt>, viewed 18th December 2023.
3. National Trust South Australia, 2023, <https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/wilabalangaloo-reserve/>, viewed 18th December 2023.
4. Nippys, 2023, <https://nippys.com.au/>, viewed 18th December 2023.
5. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Bonney_Riverland>, viewed 18th December 2023.
6. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Hawdon>, viewed 18th December 2023.