It was now day six, Wednesday 21st November 2018.  Marija and I headed out for breakfast to Fraga’s Cafe in Marysville and enjoyed some nice poached eggs on toast with bacon, and some refreshing coffee.  It was a cloudy morning, with occasional light drizzle, and it provided some more opportunities for a bit of bird photography.

We then headed to Mount Gordon VK3/ VN-027, our first activation for the day.  Mount Gordon is situated about 6 km (by road) west of Marysville, and about 96 km north east of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of Mount Gordon VK3/ VN-027.  Map courtesy of Google maps.

Mount Gordon is 764 metres above sea level and is worth 4 points for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program.  This would be a first time activation of this summit by Marija and I.  It had been activated a total of 55 times previously, so it is a popular summit.  Most likely due to its easy access and relatively close proximity to Melbourne.

Above:- Mount Gordon, c/o Open Topo Map

We drove south out of Marysville on the Marysville Road, with the summit soon coming into view.  Fortunately the rain was holding off.  It had rained quite heavily the night before, and Marija and I were hopeful that it would remain relatively clear for the day.

A short distance out of Marysville we turned right onto Mount Gordon Road.  This is a dirt track, but in good condition, and easily passable in a conventional vehicle.  We soon reached the summit which was dominated by a number of communication towers.

Maps showed that the Mount Gordon Track formed a loop up to, and down from the summit.

But this was not the case.  The road was closed.  It was one way up and one way down.

On the way up to the summit there were some reasonable views through the trees of the surrounding countryside.  But once up on the summit, the only clear view was north back down Mount Gordon Road.

There was the occasional view through the trees to Marysville, which was partially clouded over.

There weren’t a huge lot of options here on the summit for operating spots.  We were hoping that as it was a chilly morning there wouldn’t be too many visitors to the summit.  We set up on the side of the track, below the fire spotting tower.

Marija threw up a spot for me on parksnpeaks and I started calling CQ on 7.098.  There was a net on 7.093, so we couldn’t get on to the normal SOTA frequency of 7.090.  First in the log was Karl VK2ADB, then Gerard VK2IO, Peter VK3PF, and then Paul VK3HN.  I had qualified the summit.  I logged 1 more station, Adam VK2YK, before handing the microphone to Marija.

Marija’s first contact was with John VK2YW, followed by Barry VK5KBJ/m mobile, Les VK5KLD, and then Tony VK4FAAT.  Marija had also qualified the summit.  Marija logged a further 3 stations, before I jumped back on the mic again, ramping the power back up from 10 watts to 40 watts.

I logged a further 6 stations on 40m from VK4 and VK5, before heading to 3.610 on the 80m band.  There I logged 4 stations, all Victorian (VK3) stations.  To complete the activation I moved to 14.310 on the 20m band where I experienced strength 5 noise.  However, I managed to log 9 stations on 20m including two New Zealand stations: Andrei ZL1TM, and Daniel ZL4DVG.

We had quite a few things planned for the day, so with the summit qualified, Marija and I packed up and headed off.

Marija worked the following stations:-

I worked the following stations:-

But before leaving the summit we drove to a point near the Woods Lookout Track.  This offered the best views of the surrounding countryside.

References.

Summits on the Air, 2018, <https://www.sota.org.uk/Summit/VK3/VN-027>, viewed 11th December 2018

After leaving Mount Wombat, Marija and I drove to the little town of Strathbogie, which was named after the Strathbogie pastoral run (1843) which was subdivided from the Seven Creeks run (1838).  The town is surrounded by the Strathbogie Ranges, once a notorious hideout for Ned Kelly and his gang of bushrangers.  Wool production has become the main industry in the area.

We stopped to have a look at the Merino Sheep monument.  The model was presented to the Strathbogie community by Toyobo Co Ltd of Japan, and C. Itoh & Co Ltd of Japan, in recognition of production by local farmers of high quality fine merino wool bought and process by the Japanese to manufacture quality wool material.

Above:- The Merino Sheep monument.

Marija and I then headed to the Seven Creeks Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2435, for a quick activation from the vehicle, as it was continuing to drizzle with rain.  The reserve is located about 4 km south east of Strathbogie, and about 122 km north of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Seven Creeks Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2435.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

The park is located in the scenic Strathbogie Ranges, and features a unique system of granite outcrops, and year-round cascading waterfalls and deep pools.  Seven Creeks, which originates on the Strathbogie plateau above the township of Strathbogie, flows through the reserve.  The river is the habitat of numerous native fish species, including the nationally endangered Trout Cod, and Macquarie Perch.

The Seven Creeks Wildlife Reserve forms part of the traditional land of the Taungurung aboriginal clans.  The people of Yaran-yilam and Yiran-yilam bulock clans occupied the vast area around the Sven Creeks region prior to European colonisation.  The rich resources of the permanent rivers, creeks, tributaries, and assocated floodplains of the area enabled the Taungurung people to access an abundance of fish and other wildlife.

We activated the reserve from the Polly McQinns Weir picnic area.  Polly Mcquinns Weir is one of Euroa’s five water storages.  In 1933 the tender was accepted for the construction of the 30 million gallon weir.

Above:- Map of the Seven Creeks Wildlife Reserve, showing our operating spot.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

It is from here that Seven Creeks descends a steep granite escarpment, and eventually cascading over Gooram Falls, which we would later visit.  Sven Creeks then flows through a confined valley to the town of Euroa, emerging onto the riverine plain.  It then joins the Goulburn River south of Shepparton.

Who was Polly McQuinn?  There is much local folklore as to how this area was named.  The most commonly accepted version is that the name derives from a nearby resident who was named Polly because he did not have a beard.  Apparently McQuinn accidentally drove his wagon and team of horses into the watering hole whilst attempting to cross the rocks, prior to the construction of the first bridge.  It is said that McQuinn and his horses all tragically perished in the 9m deep water.

Despite the shower activity and our disapointment that we could not operate from outside of the vehicle, the rain did work in our favour as the water was running well across the granite outcrop.  It was a beautiful spot.

It was also an opportunity for me to take a few bird photographs.  The park is also home to a variety of native wildlife including microbats, possums, gliders, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, snakes, and lizards.

Unfortunately we had no internet access in the park, so we were unable to place a self spot on parksnpeaks.  I called CQ on 7.144, competing with the strength 9 + static crashes, due to the unstable weather.  After a few minutes, Dave VK7LG came back to my call with a strong 5/9 signal.  This was followed by Grant VK2LX , Rod VK7FRJG, and then Al VK7AN.  But that was the extent of callers on 40m.  It wasn’t looking good, getting to my 10 contacts.

I then moved to 3.610 on the 80m band and called CQ.  Peter VK3PF came back to my call, and kindly gave me his 2 other calls of VK3KAI and VK3GV.  Geoff VK3SQ then called in from Beechworth, but as quick as 40m, callers on 80m dried up.  Sadly the rain wasn’t though.

I was now just 1 short, so I headed back to 40m and called CQ on 7.144.  Gerard VK2IO was my saviour, being contact number 10.  I then logged Andy VK5LA, and it was at this time that the heavens really opened up and we started to experience some lightning.  It was time to go QRT and hit the road.

Sorry to anyone else who would have liked this park.  It is one that Marija and I will definitely be re-visiting.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK7LG
2. VK2LX
3. VK7FRJG
4. VK7AN
5. VK2IO
6. VK5LA

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3KAI
3. VK3GV
4. VK3SQ

We then drove along Galls Gap Road and then south on the Euroa-Mansfield Road.  Although it was drizzling, Marija and I decided to do the walk at Gooram Falls, which features a system of granite outcrops, year round cascading waterfalls and deep pools.  The name Gooram is derived from the Taungurung aboriginal word for hunting ground, spelt Guram in the Taungurung language.

And despite getting totally soaked, it was a very rewarding walk, with terrific views of the gorge and the cascading waterfalls.

We then drove into the town of Alexandra, which was settled during the late 1860’s.  Our first stop here was to have a quick look at the Monument for explorers Hume and Hovell, who passed through the area on 3rd December 1824.

We then had a look at the replcia of The Red Gate.  The town of Alexandra was originally known as the Red Gate by early settlers and Red Gate Diggings by gold miners in late 1866.  The Red Gate situated on the banks of the Ultima Thule Creek marked the break in the boundary fence between two pastoral runs.

We then stopped to look at the Princess Alexandra marble statue, the work of English sculptor Charles Somers, commissioned in 1878.  It was originally located in the National Gallery in Melbourne, until offered to and accepted by the Shire of Alexandra in 1939.

We continued south on the Maroondah Highway, and soon reached our destination of the town of Marysville, where we had booked in to stay three nights.

Our accomodation was the Vibe Hotel in Marysville.

After freshening up we headed out for tea to the restaurant at the Vibe, and enjoyed a nice (but expensive) meal.

References.

Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, 2018, <https://www.gbcma.vic.gov.au/projects/macquarie-perch/seven-creeks>, viewed 11th December 2018

Parks Victoria, 2018, <https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/seven-creeks-w.r>, viewed 11th December 2018

Victorian Places, 2018, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/strathbogie>, viewed 11th December 2018

After leaving Arcadia, Marija and I continued south on the Euroa-Shepparton Road, heading for the town of Euroa.  We stopped briefly to have a look at the Major Thomas Mitchell Expedition monument.  It marks the site where Major Mitchell and his expedition party passed on their ‘Australia Felix’ expedition in 1836.  Australia Felix is Latin for ‘fortunate Australia’ or ‘happy Australia’, and is the name given by Mitchell to the lush pasture area of western Victoria he explored in 1836.

We then drove in to the historic town of Euroa.  Urowa, or Euroa, is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word meaning push or joyful.

Our first stop was the Victoria Cross Memorial which was opened in 2014.  It commemorates three Victoria Cross recipients from Euroa, Leslie Maygar, Fred Tubb and Alex Burton.  Eurioa is the only town in the Commonwealth, to have this many citizens granted the Victoria Cross.

Nearby is a memorial for the site of James Kirkland’s Euroa Station Homestead  on the Urowa Pastoral Run(1844-1851).  Kirkland was the resident squatter at the time that the original town survey was made in 1850.

We had hoped to visit the museum in Euroa, however it was closed.  The museum is contained within the old Farmers Arms Hotel.  In 1876 John Shelswell was granted the first licence for the hotel.  It served as a hotel with various licences for about 40 years, after which is became a boarding house run by the widow of a local policeman.  Edith Smith ran it as such for about 50 years before the then Shire of Euroa purchased the building for the Historical Society.

We then had a look at the Hume and Hovel monument which stands opposite Burton’s Bridge.  Who were Hume and Hovel?  In 1824, Hamilton Hume and William Hovell led an expedition of discovery to find new grazing land for the colony.

We also stopped to have a look at the locally named Swaggy Tree, which is a large River Red Gum hundreds of years old.  It is believed people sheltered here during the 1930s Depression. Major Thomas Mitchell passed nearby in 1836 during the Australia Felix expedition and, not long after, the township of Euroa was established on the banks of the Seven Creeks.

We then undertook a section of the Euroa Heritage Trail.  A Trail Guide can be downloaded from http://euroa.org.au/heritage/.  Euroa contains many historic buildings dating back to the late 1800’s.

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One of the more infamous sites in Euroa, is the former site of the second Euroa National Park.  This is the bank which was robbed by the notorious Ned Kell Gang in 1878.  The bank no longer stands, but there is an information board here. The present day building was built in 1974 with bricks from the original bank building.

After a bite to eat, we left Euroa and headed to our second activation for the day, Mount Wombat VK3/ VU-002, which is located in the Mount Wombat-Garden Range Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2403.  We drove out of Euroa, south east on the Euroa-Strathbogie Road, and then turned right onto Mount Wombat Road.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Mount Wombat-Garden Range Flora and Fauna Reserve.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet

We soon reached the park, which was signposted as Mount Wombat Native Plants Reserve.  Presumably this was its previous name and no-one has bothered to change the sign.

The Mount Wombat-Garden Range Flora & Fauna Reserve is 14.23 km2 in size and consists of Messmate Euc. obliqua forest.  Parks Victoria only have a map of this park on their website, and I was unable to find a lot of descriptive material on the internet about this park.

There were numerous small wildflowers in bloom during our visit to the summit/park.

We followed the Mount Wombat Road up to the summit.  The road is dirt, but is in good condition, and is easily passable in a conventional vehicle.

Mount Wombat is 802 metres above sea level and is worth 4 points for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program.  Prior to our activation, the summit had been activated a total of 19 times, first by Wayne VK3WAM in May 2012.

Above:- Aerial shot of Mount Wombat’Garden Range FFR.  Image courtesy of google maps

At the top of the summit you will find a fie spotting tower (which was manned during our visit), various communications towers, and a trig point.  The original timber fire spotting cabin was destroyed by fire in 1980, as a result of a lightning strike.  The current tower was built during the 2010-11 fire season.  The VK3RGV repeater is located on the summit.

The summit offers sensational 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside.  Despite is being overcast during our visit, we still enjoyed the magnificent views.  The Waranga Basin and Goulburn Weir at Nagambie are both visible from the lookout.

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We set up to the south of the trig point and fire spotting tower, alongside one of the enclosures for one of the telecommunications towers.  There was just enough room here to stretch out the 20/40/80m linked dipole, without encroaching on the carpark.

The weather was quite threatening on the summit, with dark and stormy conditions, and as a result strength 9 static crashes on the band.  And it was humid and warm.  So I was just hoping that we would beat the rain, and qualify the summit for SOTA, and hopefully the park for the VKFF program.

Marija placed a spot up for me on parksnpeaks, and I started calling CQ on 7.147.  First in the log was Craig VK3WAR, followed by Peter VK3PF, Barry VK5KBJ/m mobile, and then Alan VK2MG.  I had qualified the summit.  I pushed on and soon had contact number 10 in the log, qualifying the park for VKFF.  QSO number 10 was with Fred VK3DAC.  I logged a further 2 stations, Grant VK2LX and Compton Vk2HRX, before swapping the mic with Marija.

Marija’s first contact was with Compton VK2HRX, followed by Marc VK3OHM, and then Ray VK4NH/VK4DXA.  Marija had qualified the summit as well.  Marija was proving to be quite popular, and soon had contact number 10 in the log, a QSO with Grant VK2LX.  A further 5 stations were logged before Marija, before handing the mic back to me.

I continued to log stations on 7.147 until callers dried up.  With 25 stations in the log, I decided it was time to try the 80m band.  I called CQ on 3.610 and this was answered by Geoff VK3SQ in Beechworth, followed by Peter VK3PF/VK3KAI.  Unfortunately they were my only callers on 80m.  I suspect it was just too noisy with the static crashes for some people to hear me.

I then lowered the squid pole and removed the links, and headed to 14.310 on the 20m band.  Despite Peter placing a spot up for me on 20m (Thanks Peter), I had no callers and just started to experience a few drops of rain.  So it was quickly back to 40m and more CQ calls on 7.147.  I moved through the callers quickly, and within 14 minutes I had the magical number 44 in the log, a QSO with Gary VK2ZKT.

The rain was starting to get a little heavier, and rather than deploy the bothy bag, we packed up hurriedly.  Marija and I had both qualified the SOTA summit, the park for VKFF, and I had qualified the park for WWFF.  I’m sorry to anyone else who might have been there, but we were getting wet.

Marija worked the following stations:-

I worked the following stations:-

References.

Business Enterprise Euroa, 2018, <http://euroa.org.au/honouring-our-heroes/>, viewed 11th December 2018

Fire Lookouts Australia, 2018, <http://www.firelookoutsdownunder.com/Victoria/mtwombat.html>, viewed 11th December 2018

Monument Australia, 2018, <http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/landscape/exploration/display/100708-major-thomas-mitchell-expedition>, viewed 11th December 2018

Protected Planet, 2018, <https://www.protectedplanet.net/mount-wombat-garden-range-f-f-r-nature-conservation-reserve>, viewed 11th December 2018

State Library New South Wales, 2018, <https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/hume-and-hovell>, viewed 11th December 2018

Summits on the Air, 2018, <https://www.sota.org.uk/Summit/VK3/VU-002>, viewed 11th December 2018

Victorian Places, 2018, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/euroa-and-euroa-shire>, viewed 11th December 2018

It was quite amazing how quick the holiday was going, and it was now already day five, Tuesday 20th November 2018.  Our time in Shepparton had come to an end and it was time to head south to Marysville, a journey of about 153 km.

Above:- Map showing our travel route on day give, from Shepparton to Marysville.  Map courtesy of Plotaroute.

Before leaving Shepparton, Marija and I paid a visit to Monash Park to view the ‘Mooving Art’, a public art exhibition of life size 3D cow, painted in various costumes and colours.  In 1999, Shepparton’s CBD marketing committee Shepparton Show Me introduced Moooving Arts predecessor – the Merry Moos, for a Christmas campaign.  The Merry Moos were so successful it was decided to expand the concept and Moooving Art was born.  They certainly are a very interesting attraction in Shepparton.

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We then climbed the Shepparton Telstra Communications Tower which is located off the Maude Street Mall.  The tower was constructed in 1967-1968 and is 76 metres tall.  There is an observation deck at 35 metres high accessed by 160 steps, which offers magnificent views over Shepparton and the surrounding countryside.

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Marija and I were feeling a bit hungry and keen for some breakfast, so we headed for Noble Monks, which had been recommended to us by Jason VK3FNQS.  And we were not disappointed.  We enjoyed a great cooked breakfast, coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

We then hit the road and off to our first park activation for the day, the Arcadia Bushland Reserve VKFF-2036, which is located just 22 km south of Shepparton.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Arcadia Busland Reserve VKFF-2036.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

There are three parks by the name Arcadia.  There is the Arcadia Streamside Reserve, the Arcadia H59 Bushland Reserve, and the Arcadia Bushland Reserve which is also referred to as the Arcadia Nature Conservation Reserve.  This is the one park of the three, which at this stage qualifies for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.  The Parks Victoria website refers to the park as the Arcadia Nature Conservation Reserve, however the park sign indicates the Arcadia Bushland Reserve.

Above:- An aerial view of the Arcadia Bushland Reserve.  Courtesy of Protected Planet. 

The park is located at the intersection of Arcadia Road and the Euroa-Shepparton Road.   It is located about 12 km (by road) from the little town of Arcadia.   The name came from the Arcadia pastoral run, established in 1839 and consisting of about 32,400 hectares, on the Goulburn and Broken Rivers.  It is believed the run was named after Arcadia in Greece, a place with plentiful pasture and water.  In 1848 William Snow Clifton of the Arcadia Run had 5517 sheep, 28 head of cattle and 11 horses.

In 1869 Arcadia was recorded in Bailliere’s Victorian gazetteer as a small pastoral hamlet, set in rich grassy flats, well timbered with box, cherry and woolly gum.

After the area was opened for farm selection schools were opened at Arcadia (1877), Arcadia East (1883) and Arcadia South (1889).  Arcadia was described in the 1903 Australian handbook:

In about 1910, the town of Arcadia was at the height of its activity.  It had two stores, a hotel, wine shop, butter factory, butcher, bootmaker, blacksmith, Anglican, Presbyterian and Catholic churches and a railway station.  In 1926 a hall was constructed, but by the 1980’s very few of these buildings existed.  In 1924 Arcadia’s school population was 55, and by 1955 it was just 11.  In 1982 the school closed.  Arcadia South schools closed in 1892 and 1919 respectively.

For more information on Arcadia, check out the Arcadia District Progress Association website at……

http://arcadia.org.au/default.asp?ID=38

The park protects a small area (8 hectares) of Grey Box-Buloke grassy woodlands.

As we had a big day ahead of us, so we decided to operate from the vehicle for this action.  The gear used was the Icon-IC-7000 and the Codan 9350 self tuning antenna mounted on the rear of the Toyota Hi Lux.

I threw up a quick spot on parksnpeaks and started calling CQ on 7.144.  First in the log was Gerard VK2IO, then Ken VK3UH, Adrian VK5FANA, and Alan VK2MG.  Considering we were using the equipment from the vehicle, all signals were quite good, ranging from strength 5 to strength 9.

Within 8 minutes I had qualified the park for the VKFF program, with contact number 10 being a QSO with Kieran VK2QK.  I then spoke with Peter VK4CAL, and with the park qualified, I swapped the mic with Marija, lowering the power output down to 10 watts PEP.

Marija’s first contact was with Adrian VK5FANA, followed by Adam VK2YK, Grant VK2LX, and then Alan VK2MG.  Contact number 10 for Marija came 8 minutes into the activation, with a QSO with Kieran VK2QK.

Marija logged a further 4 stations on 40m, before I moved off to 3.610 on the 80m band.  I there logged just 2 stations, Geoff VK3SQ, and Peter VK3PF.

The park had been qualified for VKFF for both Marija and I, and it was time to hit the road once again.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5FANA
2. VK2YK
3. VK2LX
4. VK2MG
5. VK4TJ
6. VK4/AC8WN
7. VK4/VE6XT
8. VK3UH
9. VK2FF
10. VK2QK
11. VK4NH
12. VK4DXA
13. ZL4TY/VK4
14. VK2KNV/m
15. VK7FJFD

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2IO
2. VK3UH
3. VK5FANA
4. VK2MG
5. VK2YK
6. VK7FJFD
7. VK4TJ
8. VK4/AC8WN
9. VK4/VE6XT
10. VK2QK
11. VK4CAL/2

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3SQ
2. VK3PF

References.

Arcadia & District Progress Association, 2018, <http://arcadia.org.au/default.asp?ID=59&gt;, viewed 10th December 2018

Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2006, ‘Site 14-Arcadia Bushland Reserve’.

Victorian Places, 2018, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/arcadia>, viewed 10th December 2018

Visit Melbourne, 2018, <https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/The-Murray/Things-to-do/Nature-and-wildlife/Scenic-Lookouts/Shepparton-Tower.aspx>, viewed 9th December 2018

Visit Shepparton, 2018, <http://visitshepparton.com.au/moooving-art/about-moooving-art>, viewed 10th December 2018

As we were struggling with contacts at the Lower Goulburn National Park, Marija and I decided to pack up and head off to another park, the Gemmill Swamp Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2318.  The park is located just to the west of the town of Shepparton, and borders the smaller town of Mooroopna.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Gemmill Swamp Wildlife Reserve.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

Marija and I travelled down McFarlane Road at Mooroopna, and soon reached the park, which was to our surprise, signposted.

The Gemmill Swamp Wildlife Reserve is about 170 hectares in size and consists of Goulburn River floodplain forest and wetland between Mooroopna and Shepparton.  The park includes Gemmill Swamp, a high conservation value wetland of State significance, and a surrounding area of relatively natural River Red Gum forest and Tall Spike Rush wetlands.

The park provides habitat for a number of Victoria’s rare and vulnerable mammals, birds and reptiles, including the Squirrel Glider, Turquoise Parrot, and Superb Parrot.

EBird have recorded a total of 208 species of bird in the park including Blue-faced Honeyeater, Crimson Rosella, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Rainbow Bee-eater, and Musk Lorikeet.

Above:- An aerial view of the Gemmill Swamp Wildlife Park, with the town of Shepparton bordering it.  Image courtesy of Google maps

We set up in a clearing, just off one of the 4WD tracks that travel through the park.  We ran the Yaesu FT-897 and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.  Sadly there was a lot of rubbish scattered around the park.

Above:- Aerial view of the Gemmill Swamp Wildlife Reserve, showing our operating spot.  Image courtesy of Protected Planet.

I kicked off the activation by calling CQ on 3.610 on the 80m band.  As it was now 7.15 p.m. local time and the sun was starting to set, we decided to start off on 80m.  First in the log was the ever keen Peter VK3PF, followed by Andy VK5LA, Geoff VK3SQ, and then Adrian VK5FANA.  Many thanks to Adrian for spotting me on parksnpeaks.

The band conditions on 80m were quite good, despite the rather loud static crashes at times.  We also had the cicadas singing in the background in the park.

Within 9 minutes I had qualified the park for VKFF, with contact number 10 being a QSO with John VK4TJ in Queensland.  I logged a further 5 stations before swapping the mic with Marija.

Marija’s first contact logged was John VK5BJE in the Adelaide Hills, followed by Geoff VK3SQ, Tony VK3TNL, and then Ken VK3UH.  Marija also qualified the park for VKFF in quick time, with her 10th contact being a QSO with Adrian VK5FANA.  Marija logged a total of 16 stations from VK2, VK3, VK4, and VK5, before we again swapped the microphone.

The 40m band was in pretty good shape, and things were looking promising that I might be able to get the 44 QSOs required to qualify the park for the global WWFF program.  I logged a further 5 stations on 80m before heading over to 7.130 on the 40m band.  It was now 0856 UTC and the 7130 DX was co commence in 30 minutes time.  So I thought calling CQ on that frequency might stir up some activity with people waiting for the net.  And it paid off, as I soon had 44 contacts in the log.  The magical contact number 44 was a QSO with Andrew VK7DW in Tasmania.

I ended up logging a total of 52 contacts from VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK6, VK7 and New Zealand.  It was amazing how the band had come alive from our activation at the Lower Goulburn National Park.

It was now 8.30 p.m. and dark and time for us to pack up and head off to the pizza bar in Mooroopna.  But not before enjoying some amazing views of the moon.

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5BJE
2. VK3SQ
3. VK3TNL
4. VK3UH
5. VK2KYO
6. VK4TJ
7. VK4/AC8WN
8. VK4/VE6XT
9. VK3ANL
10. VK5FANA
11. VK3CBP
12. VK4NH
13. VK4DXA
14. ZL4TY/VK4
15. VK3PF
16. VK2IO

I  worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK5LA
3. VK3SQ
4. VK5FANA
5. VK3TNL
6. VK4NH
7. VK4DXA
8. ZL4TY/VK4
9. VK4TJ
10. VK4/AC8WN
11. VK4/VE6XT
12. VK3VRA
13. VK3FLJD
14. VK3UH
15. VK5BJE
16. VK4HNS
17. VK2IO
18. VK3TKK
19. VK5FMLO
20. VK3PJM

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2FALL
2. VK2KEL
3. VK5MJ
4. VK4NH
5. VK4DXA
6. ZL4TY/VK4
7. VK5TT
8. VK4ME
9. ZL3TV/m
10. VK5FAKV
11. VK4SMA
12. VK2FMJW
13. VK4TJ
14. VK4/AC8WN
15. VK4/VE6XT
16. VK5KLV
17. VK2ELO
18. VK4HNS
19. VK4HAT
20. VK2PEP/m
21. VK5LA
22. VK3ZPF
23. VK7KT
24. VK7DW
25. VK4FFAB
26. ZL1XS
27. VK3NQS
28. VK6NTE
29. VK4FARR
30. VK4GSF
31. VK2KRN
32. VK7FRJG

To top off the night we met up with Jason VK3FNQS who joined us for some pizza and a few well earned bundy and cokes.  It was terrific to catch up with Jason.

We then headed back to the motel room for a well earned rest.  It had been a long day.

References.

ebird, 2018, <https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1253664?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec>, viewed 9th December 2018

Melbourne Playgrounds, 2018, <http://www.melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/melbourneplaygrounds-info.php?id=52447>, viewed 9th December 2018

Visit Melbourne, 2018, <https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/the-murray/things-to-do/nature-and-wildlife/national-parks-and-reserves/gemmill-swamp-wildlife-reserve, viewed 9th December 2018

It was now day four of our trip, Monday 19th November 2018.  We had only one planned park activation for the day, and that being the Lower Goulburn National Park VKFF-0741.  This was to be another unique park for both Marija and I for both the WWFF program and the KRMNPA.

The park is located just to the north of Shepparton and stretches all the way to the mighty Murray River to the east of Echuca/Moama.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Lower Goulburn National Park.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

For breakfast we headed to the Windmill at Emerald Bank.  We enjoyed some bacon and eggs and coffee, and purchased some of the chocolates which are on sale there.

We then headed south out of Shepparton on the Goulburn Valley Freeway and into the little town of Murchison, which is located on the banks of the Goulburn River.  The town features a number of cow statues called ‘Mooving Art’.  In 1999, Shepparton’s CBD marketing committee Shepparton Show Me introduced Moooving Arts predecessor – the Merry Moos, for a Christmas campaign.  The Merry Moos were so successful it was decided to expand the concept and Moooving Art was born.  They can now be found in Shepparton and surrounding towns, including Murchison.

The Goulburn River at Murchison

Cow art at Murchison

We then travelled out to the Murchison cemetery which contains the grave of King Charles Tattambo, the leader of the Goulburn tribe at the time of European settlement.  Tattambo died in 1866.  His son, Captain John, and his widow, Queen Mary, were buried next to King Charles’ grave in 1874.

We then visited the Murchison Italian Ossario – War Memorial and Chapel.  During World War II an estimated 4,000 Italian, German, and Japanese were sent to prison camps in the Goulburn Valley, including Murchsion.  Many died whilst in the camps and were buried in the Murhcison cemetery.  In 1956 the infamous floods of that year caused serious damage to many of the graves.  The mausoleum was completed in 1961 and it was agreed that all Italian POW’s and internees who died in Australian prison camps, should be interred in the mauoleum.

Our next stop was the stately mansion, Thornebridge.  The mansion was built in 1868 by Henry Thorne as a Commercial Travellers Inn, and was known as Thornes Bridge Hotel and Store.  In 1895 it was renamed Gregorys Bridge Hotel and Store.  From that time it was owned by many people until it was delicenced in 1969.  Today, after much loving tender care, the mansion haas been transformed into historic luxury accomodation.  The building is shadowed by a heritage listed London Plane Tree, planted in 1913.  It is the 4th biggest in the State.

We then returned to Shepparton and visited the Shepparton Motor Museum.  And whata  great museum this is, whether you are a car buff or not.  The museum features up to 100 classic, heritage and muscle cars, which have been generously loaned or donated to the museum.  You can also find motorcycles and car collectables.

There are some real classics here to be viewed.  And they have all generously been loaned for display by motoring enthusiasts all across Australia.  The museum’s collection is constantly changing.

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There is also a Furphy collection here.  What is a Furphy I hear you ask?  A furphy is a water cart designed and constructed by a company established by John Furphy of J. Furphy & Sons of Shepparton, Victoria.  The steel and cast iron tanks were first made in the 1880s and were used on farms and by stock agents.  Many Furphy water carts were used to take water to Australian Army personnel during World War I in Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

Outdoors there is a small collection of tractors and an old fire engine.

The museum also features an extensive bicycle collection.  In fact it is the largest and rarest collection of bicycles in Australia, and one of the largest in the world.  The bicycles are the collecting passion of Paul and Charlie Farren.  The majority of the bicycles are pre 1900, with the most recent bike being from about 1910.  The Farren collection includes penny farthings of all sizes, bamboo bikes, curious tricycles, women’s sidesaddle bikes, tandems/three seaters and “sociables” that allowed riders to sit side by side.

And of course during my visit to the museum I was able to track down a radio collection.

And my thanks to Marija for allowing me to purchase a car during our visit.  Well, not the one I wanted.  But second best, a die cast model of a 1958 Chevy Impala.

We then headed to the town of Tatura, which means ‘small lagoon’ in the local aboriginal language.  We visited the memorial for Private Robert Mactier, who was a Victoria Cross recipient.

We then visited the Tatura Irrigation and Wartime Camps Museum, a fascinating museum which tells the very interesting story of the inturnment of Germans, Japanese and Italians during World War Two.  During the Second World War there were between 4,000 to 8,000 internees held at seven camps in the Goulburn Valley.  Three of the camps housed Prisoners Of War, and the remaining four camps held internees.  Of the internee camps, Camps 1 and 2 were near Tatura and held mostly German and Italian single males.  This museum is a must if you are in the area.

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It was now mid afternoon and we were feeling a bit peckish.  One of Marija’s friends had recommended the vanilla slice at the Tatura Bakery, so that it where we headed for a bite to eat.

We then ventured out to Dhurringile Mansion, a 65 room mansion which was constructed by wealthy pastoralist John Winter.  It was subsequently sold in 1907 to Everard Browne, the son of Rolf Boldrewood, the Robbert Under Arms novelist.  During the Second World War the mansion was used for the detention of German officers.  Today it is used as a low security prison, HMS Prison Dhurringile.  What a waste!  We couldn’t get close to the mansion due to the security, but took the pictures below from the Tatura Road.

Our next stop was the German War cemetery, located next to the Tatura Cemetery.  The cemetery contains the graves of 250 German civilian internees of World War One, and German civilian internees, German Army and German Air Force of World War Two, who died in Australia during the War.

We headed back into Shepparton and went to the SPC Factory Sales.  I thought they were just going to see SPS fruit products here, but I was very surprised to learn that they stock almost everything.  Australian brands of goods are stocked, with 20-70% off normal retail prices.

It was now late afternoon, and time to head off the Lower Goulburn National Park.   We headed out of Shepparton on Reedy Swamp Road and soon reached the park, which was well signposted.

The Lower Goulburn National Park is a large park, consisting of 9,310-hectares (23,000-acres).  The Victorian State Government created the Lower Goulburn National Park, along with other new and expanded parks, in June 2010 to protect and enhance the River Red Gum forests in Victoria.  The park is renowned for its River Red Gums, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, that line much of the course of the Goulburn River and the National Park.  These iconic Australian trees have been known to reach 45 metres and live for more than 500 years.

The Goulburn River, a major inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, flows through the park.  The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victorian Alps, below the peak of Corn Hill before descending to flow into the Murray River near Echuca, making it the longest river in Victoria at 654 kilometres.

Explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell explored the area in 1824, naming the Goulburn River in honour of Major Frederick Goulburn (1788-1837), the first Colonial Secretary of New South Wales.

Above: Maj. Frederick Goulburn.  c/o http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au

The River Red Gum forest in the park, along with the wetlands and billabongs provides habitat for numerous significant fauna species including Brush-tailed Phascogales, Barking Owls, Royal Spoonbills and Musk Ducks.  Murray Cod, Golden Perch and Spiny Freshwater Crayfish are found in the river.

Above:- The Lower Goulburn National Park, stretching from Shepparton to near Echuca/Moama.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

There were some nice spots to stop before we reached our operating spot.  It gave me the opportunity of taking some bird photos.  This part of park, Reedy Swamp is a haven for waterbirds.

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We travelled down one of the 4WD tracks off Reedy Swamp Road and set up our portable station, comprising the Yaesu FT-897 and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

Above:- Map showing our operating spot in the Lower Goulburn National Park.  Map courtesy of Parks Victoria.

To kick off the activation Marija and I logged on 40m, Jonathan VK7JON who was activating SOTA summit Mount Mangana VK7/ SC-017.  I then moved up the band to 7.150 and started calling CQ, whilst Marija placed up a spot for me on parksnpeaks.  First to come back to my CQ call was Gerard VK2IO with a strong 5/8 signal, followed by Ray VK4NH, and then Adrian VK5FANA.  Within 10 minutes I had contact number 10 in the log, a QSO with Alan VK3ALN/p at Rye.  I logged one more station, Alan VK2MG, before swapping the mic with Marija.

Marija then called CQ and Ray VK4NH was first to come back, followed by Alan VK2MG, Adrian VK5FANA, and then Rob VK2CRF.  Marija had also soon qualified the park, with contact number 10 being a QSO with Alan VK3ALN/p.  Marija logged a further 4 stations before handing the mic back to me.

I was keen to try to get my 44 QSOs, required to qualify the park for the global WWFF program.  Unfortunately that was not be.  I logged just a further 7 stations on 40m from VK2, VK3, VK5 and VK7.  I tried calling CQ on 14.310 but had no takers there, and had to endure the ever present Over the Horizon Radar which was very strong.

To complete the activation I called CQ on 3.610 on the 80m band where I logged a total of 6 stations from VK3 and VK5.

I ended up with 24 contacts in the log, and had qualified the park for VKFF and the KRMNPA, as had Marija.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK7JON/p (SOTA Mount Mangana VK7/ SC-017)
2. VK4NH
3. VK4DXA
4. ZL4TY/VK4
5. BK2MG
6. VK5FANA
7. VK2CRF
8. ZL1TM
9. VK7ROY
10. VK3ALN/p
11. VK3FDZE
12. VK5NJ
13. VK2BAI
14. VK5KLV

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK7JON/p (SOTA Mount Mangana VK7/ SC-017)
2. VK2IO
3. VK4NH
4. VK4DXA
5. ZL4TY/VK4
6. VK5FANA
7. VK4TJ
8. VK4/AC8WN
9. VK4/VE6XT
10. VK3ALN/p
11. VK2MG
12. VK5NJ
13. VK5KLV
14. VK7ROY
15. VK2PEZ
16. VK2ZEP
17. VK3FDZE
18. VK5LA

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3SQ
2. VK3FDZE
3. VK3PF
4. VK5NJ
5. VK3TNL
6. VK5FANA

References.

Aussie Towns, 2018, <https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/murchison-vic>, viewed 9th December 2018

Greater Shepparton Visitor Centre, 2018, <http://visitshepparton.com.au/moooving-art/about-moooving-art>, viewed 9th December 2018

Monument Australia, 2018, <http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/multiple/display/33692-german-war-cemetery>, viewed 9th December 2018

Parks Victoria, 2013, ‘Lower Goulburn National Park Visitor Guide’.

Shepparton Motor Museum, 2018, <https://sheppartonmotormuseumandcollectibles.com.au/>, viewed 9th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furphy>, viewed 9th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulburn_River>, viewed 9th December 2018

Our next intended activation, and the final one for day three (Sunday 18th November 2018), was the Whroo Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2229.  The park is located about 9 km south of the town of Rushworth, and about 161 km north of the city of Melbourne.

This would be the first time that the park had been activated for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Whroo Nature Conservation Reserve.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

After leaving Spring Creek, Marija and I drove east on the Heathcote-Nagambie Road, and then north on the Nagambie-Rushworth Road.  We soon reached the southern boundary of the park which was well signposted.   There is a lot of scrub out here, and it could be confusing if you are actually within the park boundaries.  So if you intend to activate this park, you will need to ensure that you are within its perimeter, and not in  another section of scrub.  And don’t get this park confused with the Whroo Historic Area.  They are completely separate parks.

The Whroo Natural Features Reserve is 5,367 acres in size, and is located on both the eastern and western side of the Nagambie-Rushworth Road.  The park supports a range of threatened flora and fauna species, including four threatened orchids.  It is of national significance as it is a key site for Swift Parrot and supports four other threatened fauna species and six threatened flora species, including the Squirrel Glider, the Grey-crowned Babbler, and the Bush-Stone Curlew.  The park was previously known as the Rushworth State Forest.

The park takes its name from the ghost town of Whroo, pronounced ‘roo’.  It is thought to be derived from an aboriginal word meaning lips.  Gold was discovered in Whroo in October 1854, one year after the discovery of gold at nearby Rushworth.  The location of the gold find was named Balaclava Hill, as it coincided with the Battle Balaclava in the Crimean War.  As a result of the rush, Whroo’s population exploded to the thousands.  However, within 4 years the population had dwindled to around 450.

Above:- The view is of the “Balaclava Hill Whroo, from the north in about 1858/​9, with the workings on the horizen: the wind sails ventilate the shafts, and the drums are the whims for raising quartz by horsepower. The tramway on the left runs down to Lewis and Nickinson’s crusher. A small hand operated crusher is visible in the centre foreground.  c/o Trove

The township of Whroo was surveyed in 1856, 2 years after the discovery of gold.  In 1857 the first school had been established in Whroo.  By 1865 Whroo had a steady gold mining industry and included a mechanics’ institute and library, Presbyterian and United Methodist churches, three hotels, a cordial factory and three ore crushing mills.

Marija and I pulled off the Nagambie-Rushworth Road, into Le Deux Road, and operated from the vehicle for this activation.  Again, the equipment used was the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna.

Above:- Map showing the Whroo Nature Conservation Reserve.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

Our first contact from Whroo, was a Park to Park contact with Gary VK2GZ/p who was activating the Seven Mile Beach National Park VKFF-0447.  We then moved down the band to log another Park to Park, this time with John VK5FLEA/p in the Mylor Conservation Park VKFF-0785.

I then propped on 7.115 and started calling CQ after Marija had popped up a spot for me on parksnpeaks.  Andrei ZL1TM in New Zealand called in with a good 5/5 signal, followed by Andrew VK2PEZ and then Graham VK7ZGK.

I soon had 10 contacts in the log, qualifying the park for the VKFF program, with contact number 10 being a QSO with Adam VK2YK.  I logged a further 2 stations on 40m before heading down to 3.610 on the 80m band where I logged 3 Victorian stations.

It was now around 4.30 p.m. and we still had hoped to have a look at the historic town of Rushworth before reaching our destination of Shepparton.  So we hit the road again, with another park qualified for VKFF.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2GZ/p (Seven Mile Beach National Park VKFF-0447)
2. VK5FLEA/p (Mylor Conservation Park VKFF-0785)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2GZ/p (Seven Mile Beach National Park VKFF-0447)
2. VK5FLEA/p (Mylor Conservation Park VKFF-0785)
3. ZL1TM
4. VK2PEZ
5. VK2ZEP
6. VK7ZGK
7. VK4NH
8. VK4DXA
9. ZL4TY/VK4
10. VK2YK
11. VK5FANA
12. VK7EE

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3SQ
3. VK3TNL

After packing up we drove into the Whroo Historic Reserve.  This includes the site of the former Whroo township and the Whroo goldfields.

We visited the historic Whroo cemetery.  The town of Whroo was established in 1853, however the earliest burial record at the Whroo cemetery is 1858.  It would appear that the cemetery was used for burials before it was made official.  There are about 400 graves recorded in the cemetery, however not all are marked.  Just inside the gate to the right was the Chinese section.   The 1863 Census indicates that of the 702 residents at Whroo, about 15% were Chinese.

Among the people’s sirnames at Whroo, the countries represented during the gold rush era were England (Lewis), France (Bartholmi), Sparin (Manuel), New Zealand (Murray Cluney, Rush & Bregan), Ireland (Ryan, SUllivan, Scarry, & O’Brian), China (Cheong), Prussia (Schleswig), and Austria (Holstein).

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A short distance down the road we found an old Puddling machine, which became the main method for working the alluvial fields.  Large quantities of gold bearing clay were taken from the gullies and mixed with water in the puddlers.  A single horse would drag harrows around the circular trench to break up the clay and allow the heavier gold to settle to the bottom of the trench.

Above:- A puddling machine, c/o egold.net.au

This particular puddler was owned by William Puckey.  Records from 1863 indicate that there were 17 puddling machines at Whroo,  The Chinese operated four puddling machines around Rushworth and eigh around Whroo.

We then entered the town of Rushworth.  Right on the edge of town there is an information board about ‘The Gold and Ironbark Trail’, a tourist drive which can be undertaken to relive the Victorian gold rush.

There is also a historic sign, the Rushworth Whistle Post.  Its purpose was to instruct the drivers of Steam Traction engines to warn any approaching horse-drawn vehicles to wait whilst the Traction engine could proceed up the narrow road and avoid frightening the horses.   There were originally two whistle posts; the remaining post is as original and was erected about 1906 to assist Anderson and Colliver, Timber Contractors, to haul timber from Whroo Forest to the Rushworth Sawmill.

We stopped of in Rushworth for about 30 minutes, and take a walk around the town admiring the many historic buildings.  Today Rushworth is a service centre, but was once a thriving and bustling gold mining town, originally known as Nuggesty.  The town was named by Richard ‘Orion’ Horne, a poet and a friend of Charles Dickens.  The exact reason why the town was names Rushworth is not known.  One option is that Horne simply took ‘rush’ from goldrush, and added ‘worth’.  While others suggest that during his journey to Australia, Horne had befriended two fellow passengers named Rush and Worth.

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Also within the town are two busts/monuments for Air Marshall Sir George Jones, who flew 120 offensive patrols and 20 bombing raids during WW1, and was awarded the distinguished Flying Cross Award.  And also Air Vice Marshall Francis ‘Frank’ McNamara, who in 1917 became the first and only Australian airman to be decorated with the Victoria Cross.  Both Jones and McNamara were born in Rushworth.

We then travelled out of Rushworth on the Rushworth-Tatura Road, stopping briefly to have a look at the Waranga Basin, an important off-river storage, where water is diverted from the Goulburn River at Goulburn Weir.

We had hoped to stop in the town of Tatura to have a look around, but we were running short of time, so we continued on to Shepparton.  We booked in to our accomodation, the Addison Motor Inn, which we were very impressed with.

After freshening up a bit we headed out for tea at the King City Chinese Restaurant and had the all you can eat smorgasboard.

References.

Aussie Towns, 2018, <http://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/rushworth>, viewed 9th December 2018

Environment Conservation Council, <http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/reports/385-Chapter-16.pdf>, viewed 9th December 2018

Goulburn Murray Water, 2018, <https://www.g-mwater.com.au/water-resources/catchments/storages/goulburn/warangabasin>, viewed 9th December 2018

Victorian Places, 2018, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/whroo>, viewed 9th December 2018

Victorian Heritage Database, 2018, <https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/67662&gt;, viewed 9th December 2018

Whroo cemetery Victoria, 2018, <https://whroocemeteryinterments.weebly.com/history-of-whroo-cemetery.html&gt;, viewed 9th December 2018