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Karween Bushland Reserve VKFF-4120

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On Sunday morning 18th August 2024, I headed to McDonalds at Renmark for some breakfast and also filled the 4WD up with diesel. I then headed towards the Victorian border with the intention of crossing over into VK3 and attending the Werrimul Hotel with members of the Riverland Radio Club and the Sunraysia Radio Group.

As I approached the Victorian border, I stopped to take a photograph of the big Dunlop Tyre. It was constructed when Adelaide held the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

I then drove a short distance and reached the South Australian and Victorian State border.

I soon entered into the Karween district in Victoria. I stopped off briefly to visit Andy VK5LA who was activating the Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119. We had a quick chat before I hit the road once again.

I then drove a short distance down Millewa Road to the Karween Bushland Reserve VKFF-4120, where I stopped to undertake an activation for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

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

Karween is located in the Millewa region of northwestern Victoria. Millewa is an aboriginal name for the Murray River. In 1923 the Millewa region was opened up for selection. Settlement commenced from Red Cliffs and extended west until 1928. (Aussie Towns 2024) (Millewa The First 50 Years)

Karween is an aboriginal word meaning ‘grass tree’. Virtually nothing remains here nowadays. But in its day this was a thriving little community. The Karween State School opened on the 7th day of May 1928. From 1928 to 1943, a total of 97 children attended the school. (Millewa The First 50 Years) (Place Names Victoria)

Above:- Article from The Sun, Tue 23 Aug 1927. Image c/o Trove.

The Karween Bushland Reserve is located on the northern and southern side of Millewa Road at the intersection with Karween S and Karween N Road.

The Karween Bushland Reserve is about 78 hectares in size and was established on the 8th day of May 1990. (CAPAD 2022)

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

I found a clearing in the mallee scrub and set up my station. I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m, linked dipole for this activation.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3ZPF
  2. VK3JW
  3. VK3BAP
  4. VK4DNO
  5. VK5PE/m
  6. VK5LA/p (Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119)
  7. VK5KAW/p (Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119)
  8. VK5PX
  9. VK3APJ
  10. VK2OKR/p (Lighthouse AU-0033 & Myall Lakes National Park VKFF-0375)
  11. VK2AUS/p (Lighthouse AU-0033 & Myall Lakes National Park VKFF-0375)
  12. VK2YAK/p (Lighthouse AU-0033 & Myall Lakes National Park VKFF-0375)
  13. VK4YAK/p (Lighthouse AU-0033 & Myall Lakes National Park VKFF-0375)
  14. VK3ASU
  15. VK3CEO
  16. VK5MWW
  17. VK3GJG
  18. VK2IO
  19. VK2GEZ
  20. VK3SQ
  21. VK2BD
  22. VK3HJW
  23. VK3SO
  24. VK3SFG
  25. VK3KRL
  26. VK2UGB/p ((Lighthouse AU-0033 & Myall Lakes National Park VKFF-0375))
  27. VK1DI
  28. VK2VAR
  29. VK2GOM
  30. VK3MTV

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK1DI
  2. VK3SQ
  3. VK2BD
  4. VK2VAR
  5. VK2GOM
  6. VK3OAK
  7. VK3GUM
  8. VK2IO
  9. VK2GEZ
  10. VK3CEO
  11. VK4AAC/p (Goomboorian National Park VKFF-0722)
  12. VK2VH/p (Goomboorian National Park VKFF-0722)
  13. VK3VIN
  14. VK6LK
  15. VK5LA/p (Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119)
  16. Vk5KAW/p (Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119)
  17. VK3ALK
  18. VK3UAO
  19. VK4HNS
  20. VK3TU
  21. VK3ATL/p
  22. VK2MW
  23. VK3EMF
  24. VK2EXA
  25. VK4CXY
  26. VK1RF
  27. VK2MK
  28. VK4CEE
  29. VK7EE

I needed to get to Werrimul so I packed up and headed east along Millewa Road. I stopped briefly at the little town of Meringur. Meringur is an aboriginal word meaning grey female kangaroo. Meringur was once known as The Hut. In October 1924 a survey of the Parish of Meringur was made by Rickley L. Turner. The layout of allotments included a town reserve of 100 acres. In March 1926 Robert Poole subdivided this area into nine sections allowing for a recreation and a school reserve. (Millewa The First 50 Years) (Place Names Victoria)

Meringur was once a thriving community with its own Australian Rules football team.

Above:- The Meringur Football team 1926. Image c/o Millewa History Photos Facebook page.

I had a little bit of time up my sleeve so I stopped at the Milliewa Pioneer Park. I have visited here before, but it is such an interesting place I wanted to have another quick look. It was established in 1986 to recognise the efforts of the early settlers of the district.

I then drove into the town of Werrimul which is about 65 km west of Mildura. Werrimul is an aboriginal word meaning emu. It is now the main centre of the Millewa district. (Place Names Victoria)

I then attended lunch at the historic Werrimul Hotel. It lays claim to being Victoria’s most outback hotel. It was a very nice meal and a great afternoon chatting with hams from the Riverland the Mildura region.

After leaving Werrimul I headed to my accommodation at Lake Cullulleraine. Along the way, I passed the Cullulleraine weather radar that services northwestern Victoria. Work commenced on the project in 2020. (ABC 2020)

I booked into my accommodation at the Bushmans Rest Caravan Park at Lake Cullulleraine.

I then headed out to activate a few more parks.

References.

  1. Aussie Towns. (2020). Milawa, VIC – Aussie Towns. [online] Available at: https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/milawa-vic [Accessed 6 Oct. 2024].
  2. ‌BOM set to build new $5 million Cullulleraine weather radar to service north-west Victoria – ABC News. (2020). ABC News. [online] 8 May. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-05-08/cullulleraine-weather-radar-to-service-north-west-victoria/12227390 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2024].
  3. ‌Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
  4. ‌Welcome Back to the Millewa Committee, 1975, Millewa The First 50 years.

Wunkar silo VK-WNR5

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My next activation for Saturday 17th August 2024 was the Wunkar silo VK-WNR5 for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program.

Wunkar is located about 232 km northeast of the city of Adelaide.

Above: The map shows the location of Wunkar, South Australia. Map c/o Google Maps.

Wunkar is about 27 km west of Loxton in the Riverland region of South Australia. Wunkar is an aboriginal word meaning ‘grass’.

The area was taken up by pastoral leases during the mid-1850s and was known as Walker’s Dam. It appears the name came from three brothers named Walker who were shepherds in the area. (Flickr 2024)

The town was proclaimed on the 3rd day of March 1927 and was originally known as Walkers Dam. The School was originally known as Walkers Dam and was changed to Wunkar in 1926. The school closed in 1974. (SA Place Names 2012)

The Wunkar silos are located at the former railway station on the old Wanbi to Moorook railway line which was also known as the Yinkanie Railway Line. The line was opened on the 4th day of September 1925 and was closed on the 1st day of May 1971. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above: The map shows the Yinkanie Line. Image c/o Wikipedia.

The Wunkar silos were the only silos located on the Yinkanie Line. They were opened in 1960. This followed an announcement in mid-1959 by the General Manager of South Australian Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd. (Flickr 2024) (Pt Lincoln Times 1959) (Wikipedia 2024)

I last activated the Wunkar silos in January 2023.

I parked adjacent to the silos and operated from the 4WD, running the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5-metre stainless steel whip.

Above:- Map showing the activation zone at the Wunkar silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF/p (Moorabbee Shoreline Geological Reserve VKFF-3774)
  2. VK5FANA
  3. VK5FBIC
  4. VK2R (Sydney Harbour National Park VKFF-0473)
  5. VK3ZPF/p (Upper Beaconsfield Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2219)
  6. VK4FDJL
  7. VK1CHW

After leaving Wunkar I drove into Renmark and booked into my accommodation. That evening I enjoyed a great meal, a few bundy and cokess, and plenty of laughs with Ivan VK5HS and Peter VK5PE.

References.

  1. Flickr. (2024). Wunkar In the Murray Mallee. All the remains of the Wunkar railway station and railway yards.The Wanbi to Yinkanie railway line was put through in 1925 and closed in 1971. [online] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/82134796@N03/51116031572 [Accessed 5 Oct. 2024].
  2. ‌published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. (n.d.). A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia. [online] Available at: https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2024]
  3. ‌Trove. (2014). EIGHT SILOS MAY BE BUILT IN S.A. – Port Lincoln Times (SA : 1927 – 1988; 1992 – 2002) – 11 Jun 1959. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/266936415?searchTerm=wunkar%20silo [Accessed 5 Oct. 2024].
  4. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Yinkanie railway line. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinkanie_railway_line [Accessed 5 Oct. 2024].‌

S580ITFC certificate

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This morning I received a very pleasant surprise in my email inbox. It was a certificate from S580ITC whilst I was operating as VI7POL.

The S580ITC callsign commemorates the 80th anniversary of the largest partisan rescue operation of Allied soldiers from nazi captivity.

Below is an excellent video explaining the most successful POW escape of the Second World War.

Air Traffic Control – 8822 kHz and 8867 kHz

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Last night (Thursday 5th September 2024) I tuned in to Air Traffic Control on 8822 kHz and 8866 kHz.

For civil aviation HF communication, Australia is divided into 6 HF network areas known as Regional Domestic Air Route Areas (RDARA’s) and Major World Air Route Areas (MWARA’s). These are FLIGHTWATCH frequencies and are all controlled from Brisbane, Queensland. (Swld.com 2024)

Above:- RDARA areas.

The 8822 kHz frequency is the Southern area.

The 8866 kHz is in the Brisbane International area.

Below is a short video showing my reception.

References.

  1. Shortwave Listeners Delight – SWLD (2014). SWLD – Shortwave Listeners Delight – Civilian HF Aviation Flightwatch Frequencies Australia. [online] Swld.com.au. Available at: https://www.swld.com.au/pages/air_civil_aus.htm [Accessed 6 Sep. 2024].‌

Air Traffic Control – 11285 kHz

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Last night (Thursday 5th September 2024) I tuned in to Air Traffic Control on 11285 kHz.

The 11285 kHz frequency is part of the Major World Air Route Areas (MWARA), which support HF Radio communications to aircraft outside of VHF range. The transmissions operate on Upper Sideband (USB). The world is divided into 11 areas. (Wiki 2024)

Colombo SRI LANKA and Chennai INDIA operate on the same frequency of 11285 kHz.

Above:- Map showing the location of Chennai India and Colombo Sri Lanka. Map c/o Google Maps.

Below is a short video of my reception.

References.

  1. HF Radio – Major World Air Route Areas – MWARA. (2024). HF Radio – Major World Air Route Areas – MWARA. [online] Available at: https://aeronauticalradio.weebly.com/ [Accessed 6 Sep. 2024].
  2. ‌Radioreference.com. (2020). MWARA – The RadioReference Wiki. [online] Available at: https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/MWARA [Accessed 6 Sep. 2024].‌

Mantung Conservation Park VKFF-1055

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After leaving Galga on Saturday 17th August 2024, I headed to the Mantung Conservation Park VKFF-1055, to activate the park for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.

Prior to activating the park, I stopped to have a look around the little town of Mantung which is located about 140 km east of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of Mantung. Map c/o Google Maps.

Mantung is an aboriginal word meaning ‘water on a native road’. Nomadic aboriginal people followed sandhills from near Swan Reach via Bakara to Loxton in the Riverland region, obtaining water from mallee trees. The sandhills also contained root foods. When the Hundred of Mantung was proclaimed on the 15th day of June 1893, the name was shown as an Aboriginal waterhole on an 1864 land tenure plan. (Place Names 2012)

The town of Mantung was proclaimed on the 8th day of July 1915. The Post Office was opened as Mantung Railway in September 1915. It became Mantung on the 1st day of September 1966. The Mantung School opened in 1921 and closed in 1944. The school reopened in 1961 and was conducted in the Mantung Hall. (Place Names 2012)

The town was one of several towns along the Waikerie railway line following its opening in 1914. The line branched from the Barmera railway line at Karoonda, which was also the junction for the Peebinga railway line. It extended north, northeast, and north again to Waikerie. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above:- 1914 map of railway lines in South Australia, showing the Waikerie line. Image c/o railmapsa.au

Mantung once had its own Agricultural Show.

Above:- Article from the Observer, Adelaide, Sat 10 Oct 1914. Image c/o Trove.

If you are in the district, please take the time to have a look around Mantung. There are several information signs detailing the history of the town and some of the remaining historic buildings.

At the Mantung Hall, you can pick up a ‘Mantung Centenary Walk’ brochure that details a very interesting walk around what was once a bustling town.

The Mantung Hall was built in 1918. It is the last country hall between Karoonda and Waikerie that is still being used regularly.

The community hall toilet block at the rear of the hall has been painted by Jarrod Loxton. It features some of the local wildlife including a Wedge Tailed Eagle, Mallee fowl, and a Major Mitchell Cockatoo. (Karoonda 2024)

Adjacent to the hall is the Mantung War Memorial. It includes an avenue of pine trees to commemorate the men and women of the district who have served in the various conflicts in which Australia has been involved (Monument Australia 2024) 

The Mantung Conservation Park is about 1,695 hectares in size and was proclaimed on the 16th day of October 2014. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above:- An aerial view of the park looking north. Image c/o Google Maps.

The park contains the largest intact remnant of deep sand habitat in the Northern Murray Mallee. It supports several rare plant species including the rasp daisy bush. It is also contains significant habitat for several endangered bird species including malleefowl, southern scrub-robin, shy heathwren, inland thornbill, white-browed babbler and purple-gaped honeyeater. (Nat Resources 2014)

I set up in a cleared area of the scrub and ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

I ended up logging a total of 91 QSOs including 9 Park to Park contacts.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3VIN
  2. Vk3ACZ
  3. VK3FAR
  4. VK2SLB
  5. VK2BRN
  6. VK2KBT
  7. VK5FD
  8. VK5HS
  9. VK3PWG
  10. VK2R/p (Sydney Harbour National Park VKFF-0473 & lighthouse AU-0041)
  11. VK5PE
  12. VK4DNO
  13. VK5DW
  14. VK1AAF
  15. VK2GOM/p (Meroo National Park VKFF-0312)
  16. VK2VAR/p (Meroo National Park VKFF-0312)
  17. VK5FBIC
  18. VK3OAK
  19. VK5STU
  20. VK3ASU
  21. VK3CAT
  22. VK2PKT
  23. VK3KRL
  24. VK3SCS
  25. VK5LA
  26. VK5KAW
  27. VJ5Z
  28. VK5DC
  29. VK2VW
  30. VK2HFI
  31. VK2AKA
  32. VK2BUG
  33. VK5PL
  34. VK5AYL
  35. VK5CHD
  36. VK3PF/p (Moorabbee Shoreline Geological Reserve VKFF-3774)
  37. VK5TR
  38. VK4FDJL
  39. VK4WAB
  40. VK5FANA

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. ZL6CC (Lighthouse ZL-0001)
  2. ZL4KD
  3. VK7AAE
  4. KG5CIK
  5. VK5HS
  6. VK6JK
  7. VK5QA/4
  8. VK3CLD/4
  9. VK1AO/8
  10. VK2MET/8
  11. VK3PF/p (Moorabbee Shoreline Geological Reserve VKFF-3774)
  12. VK4HNS
  13. VK3AWA
  14. IK4IDF
  15. DL2ND
  16. OH6GAZ
  17. DL1EBR
  18. OH1CM
  19. SQ9CWO
  20. OH5TQ
  21. OH1XT
  22. IZ5JMZ
  23. VK3ZPF/p (Upper Beaconsfield Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2219)
  24. VK5DW
  25. OH5EP
  26. OH1MM
  27. EC4AT
  28. VK4FOX
  29. VK8HPB/p
  30. F4JJS
  31. SQ2LKY
  32. HB0OAB
  33. ON4VT
  34. VK2GOM/p (Meroo National Park VKFF-0312)
  35. VK2VAR/p (Meroo National Park VKFF-0312)
  36. IK1GPG
  37. DL7CX
  38. GI0CWV/p
  39. DK4RM
  40. EA5GVV
  41. ZL2UGL
  42. F1BLL
  43. DJ6EA
  44. VK2R/P (Sydney Harbour National Park VKFF-0473 & lighthouse AU-0041)
  45. OE6BFF
  46. M7YET
  47. S58AL
  48. VK4PDX
  49. VK4GHL (Lighthouse AU-0019)
  50. VK3SX
  51. VK2CQ

References.

  1. Karoonda. (2022). Mantung Painted Mural. [online] Available at: https://www.karoonda.com/see-do/art-galleries-sculptures/mantung-painted-mural [Accessed 1 Sep. 2024].
  2. ‌UBC Web Design (2021). Mantung War Memorial | Monument Australia. [online] Monumentaustralia.org.au. Available at: https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/multiple/display/117619-mantung-war-memorial-/ [Accessed 1 Sep. 2024].
  3. ‌Water (DEW), D. for E. and (2014). Select a region. [online] http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au. Available at: http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au. [Accessed 1 Sep. 2024].‌
  4. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Waikerie railway line. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waikerie_railway_line [Accessed 1 Sep. 2024].
  5. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Mantung Conservation Park. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantung_Conservation_Park [Accessed 1 Sep. 2024].‌