Black Range Natural Features Reserve VKFF-3601

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Our next activation for Saturday 2nd December 2023 was the Black Range Natural Features Reserve VKFF-3601.

The park is about 14 km (by road) south of Stawell and about 246 km northwest of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of Black Range NFR. Map c/o Google Maps.

The Black Range Natural Features Reserve comprises three separate sections.

Above:- An aerial view of the Black Range NFR. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 527 hectares in size and was established on the 22nd day of November 1983 (CAPAD 2022)

Within the park is Bunjil Shelter. Bunjil is a principal legendary hero, the creator who provides for all and remains a protector of the natural world, his people and their beliefs. When Bunjil finished his creation works he transformed into an eagle, flying high in the sky, where he still lives today. This is the only knock rock art painting of Bunjil. The age of the painting is not known.

We set up on a wooden table and benches. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I used the special call of VI10VKFF.

Marija and I started on the 40m band, but just as we started calling CQ, 2 cars arrived and our noise floor went from strength 0 to strength 7-8. The minute the engines of both vehicles were switched off, our noise floor dropped to zero again.

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK1AO
  2. VK2MET

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3SQ
  2. VK2BD
  3. VK5LA
  4. VK5KAW
  5. VK5HS
  6. VK5MK/p (Wapma Thura – Southern Flinders Ranges National Park VKFF-3189)
  7. VK2EXA
  8. VK3CLD
  9. VK5FANA

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK1AO
  2. VK2MET

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3SQ
  2. VK2BD
  3. VK5LA
  4. VK5KAW
  5. VK5HS
  6. VK5MK/p (Wapma Thura – Southern Flinders Ranges National Park VKFF-3189)
  7. VK2EXA
  8. VK3CLD
  9. VK5FANA
  10. VK2YK
  11. VK5GA
  12. VK3FRC
  13. VK2USH
  14. VK3PF
  15. VK3KAI
  16. VK5AKB/p (Monarto Conservation Park VKFF-0828)

References.

  1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022 [Accessed 2nd May 2024].‌

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