Our final activation for Saturday, 18th October 2025, was the Yanga Nature Reserve VKFF-2773.
Above: Map showing the location of the Yanga Nature Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps
As we travelled along the Sturt Highway to the park, we saw dozens of emus and several kangaroos adjacent to the highway.
The Yanga Nature Reserve is about 1,939 hectares in size and was gazetted on the 28th day of April 1972. It was previously known as the Yanga State Forest. (CAPAD 2024) (NSW National Parks, 2025)
Above: the boundaries of the Yanga Nature Reserve. Image c/o Protected Planet.
We ran our normal portable station for this activation, the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.
Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK1AO/p (VKFF-1312)
- VK2MET/p (VKFF-1312)
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-3247)
- VK2GEZ/p (VKFF-3247)
- VK3PF/p (VKFF-3878)
- VK3KAI/p (VKFF-3878)
- VK1AO/p (VKFF-1312)
- VK2MET/p (VKFF-1312)
- VK3APJ/p (VKFF-0213)
- VK1CHW
- VK2CHW
- VK2XGB/p (VKFF-0023)
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK3SX
- VK4GRZ
- VK4TM
- VK4JT
- 3D2MP
- SP8DR
- RV6ANI
- HA0IS
- VK1AO/p (VKFF-1312)
- VK2MET/p (VKFF-1312)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-3247)
- VK2GEZ/p (VKFF-3247)
- VK3PF/p (VKFF-3878)
- VK3KAI/p (VKFF-3878)
- VK1AO/p (VKFF-1312)
- VK2MET/p (VKFF-1312)
- VK3APJ/p (VKFF-0213)
- VK1CHW
- VK2CHW
- VK3WSG
- VK3BWS
- VK2YK
- VK5GA
- VK3GJG
- VK3CLD
- VK5QA
- VK2DBF
- VK3MCK
- VK3MGM
- VK2PKT
- VK2KFT
- VK3JV
- VK3MCA
- VK3ACZ
- VK2USH
- VK2MAB
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK3HJW
- VK1DI
- VK5KVA
- VK5WY
- VK2HRX
- VK2KAD
- VK3VIN
- VK3GP
- VK3YLV
- VK3AIW
- VK2LDJ
- VK3FS
- VK3ATT
- VK7KT
- VK3PI
- VK3KLI
- VK2MOE/m
- VK1MO/m
- VK2XGB/p (VKFF-0023)
- VK7PJM
At the conclusion of the activation, we headed north to the little town of Penarie, where we planned to have dinner at the historic Homebush Hotel. On the way, we stopped off at Burke and Will Road.
The Burke and Wills expedition of 1860, organised by the Royal Society of Victoria, passed through this location.
The Homebush Hotel is located about 27 km north of Balranald and was established in 1878.
In July 1877, Michael Dowdican made a conditional purchase of land located at the junction of the Balranald-Ivanhoe-Oxley Road. He built the Homebush Hotel. Dowdican was born in c. 1834 in Sligo, Ireland. He married Honora Meagher in 1874. Dowdican died in 1913 and is buried at the Coburg Pine Ridge cemetery, Victoria. I found a few newspaper articles indicating that Dowdican had been arrested on several occasions for drunk and disorderly offences on his licensed premises. He sounds like one interesting publican. (ancestry.com.au 2016) (Wikipedia 2024)
Above: Article from The Riverine Grazier, Hay, Fri 16 Apr 1897. Image c/o Trove
The hotel features a shearer’s mural and a novel motorcycle out front. We were really impressed with the meal and the atmosphere of the hotel.
We then headed back to Balranald and visited a few more of the Funky Frog sites.
I also had a quick look through the window at the Southern Cross museum.
We then headed back to our motel room.
References.
- ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/.
- Dcceew.gov.au. (2025). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database 2024 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2024.
- NSW National Parks. (2025). Yanga Nature Reserve. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/yanga-nature-reserve [Accessed 9 Dec. 2025].
- Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Penarie, New South Wales. Wikipedia.
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