My next activation for Wednesday 21st August 2024 was the Tiega I81 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4205.

The reserve is about 11 km west of Ouyen in northwest Victoria.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Tiega I81 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

Tiega is an aboriginal word for ‘sister’. Tiega was once a thriving community having its own school, a tennis club, and a football club. (Blake 1978)

Above:- Article from the Sunraysia Daily, Thu 30 Dec 1937. Image c/o Trove.

Above:- Article from the Ouyen Mail, Wed 11 Oct 1939. Image c/o Trove.

Today, little remains at Tiega, other than a sign to let you know that you are entering the district.

The Tiega I81 Bushland Reserve is located on the northern side of the Mallee Highway at the junction with Le Couteur Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the Tiega I81 Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 16 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. (CAPAD 2022)

I drove down to the railway line and I accessed the northern section of the park. I ran the Yaesu FT857d, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2IO
2. VK2GEZ
3. VK6LK
4. VK6LMK
5. VK3PF
6. VK2VH
7. VK4AAC
8. VK2VW
9. VK2HFI
10. VK2AKA
11. VK2BUG
12. VK6DS
13. VK2SLB
14. Vk2BRN
15. VK2KBT
16. VK7AZ
17. VK3TKK/p (Rocky Point Bushland Reserve VKFF-4303)
18. VK5QA
19. VK3CLD
20. VK2DBF
21. VK4EMP
22. VK4TI
23. VK4GKO
24. VK4HNS
25. VK7XX
26. VK2NCS

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3TKK/p (Rocky Point Bushland Reserve VKFF-4303)
2. VK7AB/p (Mount Stronach Regional Reserve VKFF-3377)
3. VK7ZPE/p (Mount Stronach Regional Reserve VKFF-3377)
4. VK3SMW
5. VK6XL/5
6. VK5PL
7. VK3XL/p
8. VK7XX
9. VK3ENI
10. VK3APJ
11. Vk5AAF
12. VK2SLB
13. VK2BRN
14. VK2KBT
15. VK3PF
16. VK5IS/m
17. VK3MTT
18. VK3PWG
19. VK3TTK
20. VK3EJ
21. VK3HJW
22. VK5TUX
23. VK5DC
24. VK3DCQ
25. VK5CZ
26. VK5JK
27. VK3MBW
28. VK3IK/m
29. VK3MGM
30. VK3KRL
31. VK1AD
32. VK1NAM
33. VK3DJC
34. VK5AYL
35. VK2VAR
36. VK2GOM
37. VK3UAO
38. VK3CEO
39. Vk3BBB
40. VK2CCP
41. VK3CA
42. VK3WSG

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

My third park for Wednesday 21st August 2024 was the Kia I242 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4229.

It was just a short drive from the Kia I242A Bushland Reserve to reach this park which is located about 23 km north of Ouyen in northwest Victoria.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Kia I242 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The reserve is located in the southern side of Box Flat Road.

Above:- AN aerial view of the Kia I242 Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 20 hectares in size and was established on the 8th day of May 1990. (CAPAD 2022)

This was another park that was not easy to string out the 20/40/80m dipole. So much so that the 80m sections were lying on the ground amongst the mallee scrub. But the antenna still seemed to perform okay.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5HS
2. VK5MOS
3. VK3WSG
4. VK3PF
5. VK5AYL
6. VK2EXA
7. VK3CEO
8. VK3UAO
9. VK3PWG
10. VK3TTK
11. VK5PL
12. VK5UV
13. VK3TKK/p (Ararat Bushland Reserve VKFF-4300)
14. VK3APJ
15. VK2HAK
16. VK2SLB
17. VK2BRN
18. VK2KBT
19. VK3CA
20. VK3HM
21. VK2MOE
22. VK1MO
23. VK3MTT
24. VK3KRL
25. VK2IO
26. VK2GEZ
27. VK2YAK
28. VK4YAK
29. VK3HJW
30. VK3EJ
31. VK2HMV
32. VK3MGM
33. VK2XD
34. VK2STO

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2IO
2. VK2GEZ
3. VK2SLB
4. VK2BRN
5. VK2KBT
6. VK2VW
7. VK2HFI
8. VK2AKA
9. VK2BUG
10. VK6DS
11. VK5HS
12. VK6LK
13. VK6LMK
14. VK4EMP
15. VK4TI
16. VK4GKO
17. ZL1KVA

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 12 Nov. 2024].‌

My second activation for Wednesday 21st August 2024 was the Kia I242 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4230.

The reserve is located about 16 km north of Ouyen in northwest Victoria. This was the first time that I had activated the park for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Kia I242A Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The reserve is located on the corner of Calder Highway and Chapman Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the Kia I242A Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

This is just a small park comprising about 8 hectares of mallee scrub. It was established on the 8th day of May 1990. (CAPAD 2022)

I access the park via Chapman Road. There was just enough room amongst the scrub for me to string out the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I ran the Yaesu FT857d and 40 watts.

It was nice to pick up six Park to Park contacts from this park.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2GOM/p (Parma Creek Nature Reserve  VKFF-2698)
2. VK2VAR/p (Parma Creek Nature Reserve  VKFF-2698)
3. VK3BBB
4. VK2CCP
5. VK3PWG
6. VK3TTK
7. VK5HS
8. VK3CJN
9. VK3QHU
10. VK3APJ
11. VK3DWL/m
12. VK3PF
13. VK3MTT
14. VK3BEL
15. VK2IO
16. VK2GEZ
17. VK2EXA
18. VK5UV
19. Vk3GP
20. VK3FRC
21. VK2KYO
22. VK3EJ
23. VK5MOS
24. VK3WSG
25. VK3UAO
26. VK2SLB
27. VK2BRN
28. VK2KBT
29. VK1DI
30. VK3CEO
31. VK1AD
32. VK1NAM
33. VK5CZ
34. VK2VW
35. VK2HFI
36. VK2AKA
37. VK2BUG
38. VK3CA
39. VK3MGM

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2VW
2. VK2HFI
3. VK2AKA
4. VK2BUG
5. VK3PF
6. VK2IO
7. VK2GEZ
8. VK4HNS
9. VK6LK
10. VK6LMK
11. VK1DI
12. VK7EE
13. VK4EMP
14. VK4TI
15. VK4GKO
16. VK3KIM
17. VK2SLB
18. VK2BRN
19. VK2KBT
20. VK2USH/p (Lake Broadwater Conservation Park VKFF-1577)
21. VK6EH
22. VK2GOM/p (Parma Creek Nature Reserve  VKFF-2698)
23. VK2VAR/p (Parma Creek Nature Reserve  VKFF-2698)
24. VK3CEO
25. VK4JJ
26. VK2XD
27. VK3TKK/p (Noahs Ark Dam Natural Features Reserve VKFF-4301)

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 12 Nov. 2024].‌

My first activation for Wednesday 21st August 2024 was the Ouyen I34 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4210.

The reserve is located about 10 km north of Ouyen in northwest Victoria. This was the first time that I had activated the park for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Ouyen I34 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The reserve is located on the northern and southern sides of Dingo Tank Road on the Calder Highway’s eastern side. Presumably, there were dingoes or wild dogs in this area back in the day.

Above:- An aerial view of the park. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 36 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. (CAPAD 2022)

This was another park that was unfenced and I was able to drive in and set up amongst a clearing in the mallee scrub. I ran the Yaesu FT857d, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK2EXA
3. VK3CEO
4. Vk3MCK
5. VK2IO
6. VK2GEZ
7. Vk3CA
8. VK3HM
9. VK3VIN
10. VK5GY
11. VK2MOE
12. VK1MO
13. VK2VW
14. VK2HFI
15. VK2AKA
16. VK2BUG
17. VK5DC
18. VK2SLB
19. VK2BRN
20. VK2KBT
21. VK2MES
22. VK3APJ
23. VK3PWG
24. VK3TTK
25. VK3CJN
26. VK3QHU
27. VK5IS
28. VK3HJW
29. VK2AB
30. VK3UAO
31. VK4EMP
32. VK4TI
33. VK4GKO
34. VK1ARQ
35. VK3EJ
36. VK3AMO
37. VK1DI
38. VK2GOM/p (Parma Creek Nature Reserve  VKFF-2698)
39. VK2VAR/p (Parma Creek Nature Reserve  VKFF-2698)
40. VK3ANL
41. VK4HNS
42. VK3KIM
43. VK3BCM/p (SOTA VK3/ VE-144)
44. VK3PXS/p (SOTA VK3/ VE-144)
45. VK5AAF

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2VW
2. VK2HFI
3. VK2AKA
4. VK2BUG
5. ZL3QR
6. VK2SLB
7. VK2BRN
8. VK2KBT
9. VK4HNS
10. VK2IO
11. VK2GEZ
12. VK6NU

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 12 Nov. 2024].‌

Here are the latest FT8 award certificates for VI7POL.

Thankyou to all of the FT8 operators and to the various Award Managers.

My latest VKFF Hunter Honour Roll certificate, issued for having worked 2,125 VKFF references.

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