Received yesterday…..VKFF Activator Honour Roll 600 certificate.

Thank you to all of the WWFF Hunters and thank you to Adam VK2YK the VK5 VKFF State Rep for the certificate.

I am slowly uploading my logs from my recent VK3 trip and that will take me over the 625 VKFF parks activated.

I received this certificate in my email Inbox today.

North American NACFF award certificate – issued for having worked WWFF activators in 7 different USA States or Canadian Provinces.

Thank you to all of the North American activators and thank you to Linda VE9GLF the Awards Manager.

My next activation for Tuesday 20th August 2024 was the Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2353. The reserve is located about 30 km east of Ouyen in northwest Victoria.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

This park is not to be confused with the Kulwin Flora Reserve VKFF-2353 which is located on Boland Road.

I travelled east along the Mallee Highway and soon reached the area of Kulwin. Kulwin is an aboriginal word meaning throwing stick. (Black 1978)

The Kulwin Post Office opened on the 16th day of August 1920 following the arrival of the railway. The Post office closed in 1974. The Kulwin State School (No. 4375) opened in the Kulwin Soldiers’ Hall on the 8th day of January 1929. In April 1933 a standalone building, formerly at Nowingi State School, was re-erected and occupied. In 1934 an additional workroom was erected by parents in 1934. The school closed in 1950, with the building being removed to the Robinvale Consolidated School. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above:- Plan of the town of Kulwin. Image c/o State Library Victoria.

Kulwin once had a hall that held dances and other functions. Kulwin also had its own cricket team and football team.

Above:- An article from the Ouyen Mail, Wed 25 May 1927. Image c/o Trove.

Today little remains at Kulwin. I visited the site of the old tennis courts which today are in a state of disrepair and covered with weeds.

The Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve is located on the northern and southern sides of the Mallee Highway.

Above:- An aerial view of the Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 170 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. (CAPAD 2022)

I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK7XX
2. VK2IO
3. VK2GEZ
4. ZL3MR
5. VK5QA/4
6. VK3CLD/4
7. VK6DS/p (Westralia Conservation Park VKFF-1442)
8. F5PYI
9. UT5PI
10. VK2VW
11. VK2HFI
12. VK2AKA
13. VK2BUG
14. VK7AAE
15. F1BLL
16. DL2ND
17. SQ9CWO
18. OH1MM
19. OH2CGU
20. VK4HNS

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2LQ/p (Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area VKFF-1353)
2. VK3PF/m
3. VK2KA
4. VK2EXA
5. VK5LA
6. VK5KAW
7. VK5FANA
8. VK3CA
9. VK3APJ
10. VK2SLB
11. VK2KBT
12. VK2BRN
13. VK2VW
14. VK2HFI
15. VK2AKA
16. VK2BUG
17. VK3NBL
18. VK2IO
19. VK2GEZ
20. VK3SO
21. VK3SFG
22. VK3TV
23. VK3HJW
24. VK3CEO
25. VK3CJN
26. VK3QHU
27. VK3ZPF
28. VK3JW
29. VK5NHG
30. VK3UAO
31. VK5WU
32. VK5MSA
33. VK5GY
34. VK3MGM
35. VK3BCM/p (SOTA VK3/ VN-007)
36. VK3PXS/p (SOTA VK3/ VN-007)
37. VK5IS

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 7 Nov. 2024].‌
2. Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
3. Wikipedia Contributors (2023). Kulwin, Victoria. Wikipedia. [Accessed 7 Nov. 2024].‌‌

My next activation for Tuesday 20th August 2024 is the Wagant Bushland Reserve VKFF-4249. The park is located about 25 km northeast of Ouyen in northwest Victoria.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Wagant Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The reserve is located on the northern and southern side of Edwards Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the Wagant Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The park is about 48 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. The park was also signposted as Latimer’s Bushland Reserve. The sign was broken and it was clear that authorities had not been to the park for years. I am not sure when the name of the park was changed. Wagant is an aboriginal word meaning ‘hail’. (Blake 1978) (CAPAD 2022)

As I arrived at the park there was a Wedge Tailed eagle soaring way above me in the thermals. Unfortunately, he/she was too high up for a good photograph.

I drove into the park and set up in a clearing amongst the mallee scrub. I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3BEL
2. VK3HJW
3. VK3ZDK
4. VK1AD
5. VK1NAM
6. VK2VW
7. VK2HFI
8. VK2AKA
9. VK2BUG
10. VK2IO
11. VK2GEZ
12. VK3VIN
13. VK2SLB
14. VK2BRN
15. VK2KBT
16. VK3STV
17. VK3CEO
18. VK3ZPF
19. VK3JW
20. VK3APJ
21. VK3SO
22. Vk3SFG
23. VK5AAF
24. VK2EXA
25. VK5WU
26. VK3PF/m
27. VK2YW
28. VK5VK
29. VK5FANA
30. VK2EG/p (SOTA VK2/ MN-103 & Ngambaa Nature Reserve VKFF-1981)
31. VK5KVA
32. VK3CA
33. VK1ARQ
34. VK3WRD
35. VK3UAO

I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

1. VK3CA
2. VK3HM

I worked the following stations on 40m FM:-

1. VK3CA
2. VK3HM

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2EG (SOTA VK2/ MN-103 & Ngambaa Nature Reserve VKFF-1981)
2. VK7XX
3. VK2VW
4. VK2HFI
5. VK2AKA
6. VK2BUG
7. VK2IO
8. VK2GEZ
9. VK2TM
10. VK4EMP
11. VK4TI
12. VK4GKO
13. VK4HNS
14. VK6DS/p (Westralia Conservation Park VKFF-1442)

References.

1. Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
2. 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 7 Nov. 2024].‌