After leaving the Fernshaw Picnic ground, we continued along the Maroondah Highway, until just outside of Healesville, where we detoured off the road to visit the Maroondah Reservoir Park.  The park contains feature gardens with stands of both native and exotic trees.  And of course it features the Maroondah Dam, which was constructed between 1920-1927.  The total capacity of the dam is 6,255 million gallons, with the total length being 956 feet and a depth of 125 feet.  The storage created by the dam is called Maroondah Reservoir.

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We then headed in to the town of Healesville, which is most famouse for the Healesville Sanctuary, a nature park with hundreds of Australian animals including an active platypus breeding program.  Unfortunately we did not have sufficient time to visit the sanctuary on this occasion.  We will have to come back.  We did stop at one of the local cafes for a coffee and some cake.

Whilst at the cafe we decided to activate the Warramate Hills Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2224.  The park is located about 11 km south of Healesville, and about 59 km east of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Warramate Hills Flora & Fauna Reserve.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

The Warramate Hills Flora and Fauna Reserve is 500 hectares in size and was established in September 1992.  Formerly, the park was private land known as Yarraloch.  At the time it was the largest and most significant conservation and recreation land purchase by the Victorian State Government since it began the programme in 1988.

The reserve contains one of the last remaining areas of undisturbed bush in the Yarra Valley and is home to more than 200 species of trees, shrubs and grasses and provides habitat for about 74 native birds and about 20 native reptiles and mammals including the endangered Tree Goanna.

The Warramate Hills were first surveyed by T.H. Nutt in 1840.  The area was described as ‘steep stringybark ranges, thickly timbered’.

Above:- Aerial view of the Warramate Hills Flora & Fauna Reserve.  Image courtesy of Protected Planet.

We travelled south out of Healesville and into the Yarra Valley wine growing region which is best known for producing Chardonnay, sparkling wine and Pinot noire.

It was drizzling with rain, so Marija and I were keen to find a spot where we could drive into the park and hopefully operate from the vehicle.  But as this was a first time activation for us, we weren’t sure if this was possible.  Maps indicated there were tracks within the park, but from past experience we knew not to trust the maps.

We first tired to access the park via the northern side on Range Road.  However there was no vehicular access, just a locked gate.

So we drove around to the southern side of the park along Killara Road and then Yarraloch Way.  Unfortunately there was no vehicular access here either.  So we sat for 10 minutes waiting for the showers to clear.

I kicked off the activation by calling CQ on 7.144.  This was answered by Ivan VK5HS who was mobile, followed by Adrian VK5FANA who kindly spotted me on parksnpeaks.  Within 6 minutes I had 10 contacts in the log.  Contact number ten was a QSO with Kieran VK2QK.  I worked a further 3 stations, and with 13 contacts in the log, I swapped the mic with Marija.

Marija’s first contact was with Adrian VK5FANA, followed by Rob VK5TS and then Jim VK2FADV.  Within 8 minutes Marija had contact number 10 in the log and the park qualified for the VKFF program.  This included three Park to Park contacts, with VK2XSE/p, VK2KNV/p and VI2WG50/p in the Langtree Nature Reserve VKFF-2642.

We were experiencing the occasional drop of rain and the bothy bag, combined with towells, kept us and the equipment relatively dry.

I logged a further 3 stations on 40m before heading to 80m where I logged 3 stations, Al VK7AN, Peter VK3PF, and Geoff VK3SQ.

Unfortunately due to the weather I did not get to try 20m, as the heavens opened up, and it was a made dash to get the gear back into the vehicle.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5FABNA
2. VK5TS
3. VK2FADV
4. VK5KLV
5. VK4NH
6. VK4DXA
7. ZL4TY/VK4
8. VK2YW
9. VK2XSE/p (Langtree Nature Reserve VKFF-2642)
10. VI2WG50 (Langtree Nature Reserve VKFF-2642)
11. VK2KNV/p (Langtree Nature Reserve VKFF-2642)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5HS/m
2. VK5FANA
3. VK4NH
4. VK4DXA
5. ZL4TY/VK4
6. VK2IO
7. VK5LA
8. VK2RP/m
9. VK2BDR/m
10. VK2QK
11. VK5KLV
12. VK5TS
13. VK2YK
14. VK7AN
15. VK3FDZE
16. VK2FADV

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK7AN
2. VK3PF
3. VK3SQ

References.

Parks Victoria, 2018, <https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/maroondah-reservoir-park>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroondah_Dam>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healesville,_Victoria>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarra_Valley_(wine)>, viewed 17th December 2018

Yarra Ranges Conservation Alliance, 2018, <https://yarrarangesconservationalliance.weebly.com/warramate-hills-conservation-area.html>, viewed 17th December 2018

Day eight (Friday 23rd November 2018) had arrived.  It was time to leave Marysville and head to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. We had about a 164 km drive ahead of us.

Above:- Map showing our intended travel route from Marysville to Sorrento.  Map courtesy of google maps

It was breakfast again at Fragas Cafe at Marysville, and then on the road, heading south west out of Marysville on the Marysville Road and then the Maroondah Highway.  We soon entered the Yarra Ranges National Park, passing through spectactular rainforest.

We decided to stop briefly at the Fernshaw Picnic area and do some activating from the car.  Sadly it was too wet to operate from the car, so I ran the Icom IC-7000 from the Toyota Hi Lux with the Codan 9350.  Not the set up I would have liked, but I didn’t have any other option, it was just too wet.

Above:- Map of the Maroondah section of the Yarra Ranges National Park, showing our operating spot.  Image courtesy of Parks Victoria.

The weather was a real shame, as this was a beautiful picnic area, with a number of picnic tables scattered throughout a European garden area.  There were a number of information boards here, some of which had seen better days with the effects of weather and graffiti.

This area was a popular rest point for miners travelling along the Yarra Track to the Woods Point goldfields, and was known as Watts.  It eventually developed into the township of Fernshaw by the mid 1800’s.  The meaning of the word Fernshaw is believed to be from an old English word ‘shaw’, meaning a grove, thicket or wood.  Hence, Fernshaw, means a thicket of ferns.

The area was settled by timber-sploitters, road markers, fruit growers and teamsters and surveyed in 1865.  By the 1870’s the forest was reserved for water catchment and further applications for saw milling was declined.  In 1871 the Fernshaw Rural School was established to support 29 students.  By the period 1870’s to 1880’s, Fernshaw’s magnificent scenery had made it Victoria’s most popular tourist destination.  ver an 8 day period in 1885, Cob and Co. Coaches carried a total of 1,064 people on the Healesville-Marysville route.  On the 17th day of May 1890 a closing down sale for the village of Fernshaw was held.  Buyers were given 14 days to remove their purchases, with the remnants burnt.

I started calling CQ on 7.144 and it wasn’t long before Andy VK5LA came back to me call with a strong 5/9 signal from the Riverland of South Australia.  Andy kindly placed a spot up for me on parksnpeaks.  Next in the log was Rod VK7FRJG, followed by Peter VK2KNV and Liz VK2XSE who were mobile.

I logged a total of 11 stations on 7.144 before the callers dried up, so I tuned across the band and joined the 10am Smoko Net on 7.105.  I there logged 3 stations, but unfortunately net control was having difficulty in hearing me.

It had just clicked over the UTC rollover, so I headed back up to 7.144 and called CQ again, logging 5 stations.  I then moved down to 3.610 on the 80m band where I logged Peter VK3PF/VK3KAI.  I now had sufficient stations in the log to qualify the park, and it was time again to hit the road and head into Healesville.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-

1. VK5LA
2. VK7FRJG
3. VK2KNV/m
4. VK2XSE/m
5. VK2GKA
6. VK5FMWW
7. VK2YW
8. VK2XXM
9. VK4TJ
10. VK4/AC8WN
11. VK4/VE6XT
12. VK5FUZZ
13. VK5IS
14. VK5FIVE

I worked the following stations after the UTC rollover:-

1. VK5HS
2. VK2IO
3. VI2WG50
4. VK2XSE/m
5. VK2KNV/m

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3KAI

References.

Parks Victoria, 2018, <https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/yarra-ranges-national-park/things-to-do/fernshaw-picnic-area>, viewed 17th December 2018

Marija and I had run out of options of things to see in Marysville, so we decided to try to brave the weather and head to Mount Strickland VK3/ VN-030 for a Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation.  The weather had cleared a little and we were hopeful of being able to activate a brand new summit for both of us.

Above:- Map showing the location of Mount Strickland.  Map courtesy of Open Topo Maps.

We headed out of Marysville on the Marysville-Narbethong Road, passing the Marysville Trout Farm.  The GPS took us along Anderson Mill Road and then on to Strickland Link Track.  Although it was a bleak and overcast day, there were still some nice views along the way of the surrounding countryside.

We soon reached the summit which is located at the corner of Strickland Link Track, Mnbw Boundary Track, Road 8, and the Strickland Spur Track.

Above: the summit.

Mount Strickland is 1,068 metres above sea level, and is worth 6 SOTA points.  Being an easy drive up summit, it is not surprising that the summit had been activated a total of 37 times prior to our visit.  The first activation was back in February 2014, by David VK3KAB.

Above:- An Aerial view of Mount Strickland with Marysville in the background.  Image courtesy of google maps

The summit lies just outside the park boundary for the Yarra Ranges National Park.  Although I suspect if you drove up Mnbw Boundary Road for a short distance where the road adjoins the park, I suspect you would still be in the activation zone.  Don’t expect views from this summit, as there really aren’t anywhere.

Just as we started to set up the drizzle rolled in again, which required the deployment of the bothy bag.  I threw up a quick spot on SOTAWatch and started calling CQ on 7.088.  First in the log was Andrew VK2UH, followed by Compton VK2HRX, Alan VK3ALN, and then Gerard VK2IO.  I was wet, but happy, as I had qualified the summit.  I logged a further 3 stations, John VK4TJ, Wynne ZL2ATH in Wellington New Zealand, and Warren ZL2AJ in Te Awamutu in New Zealand.

It was out of the bothy bag and into the rain, and under the bothy bag for Marija.  Marija’s first contact was with Gary VK7JGD, followed by Compton VK2HRX, Andrew VK2UH, and then Lee VK2LEE.  This was followed by Warren ZL2AJ and Wynne ZL2ATH, who both struggled a little with Marija’s 10 watts PEP output.

Marija had now qualified the summit, so I put out a fe final calls on 40m, logging a further 3 stations, including Geoff ZL3GA in Kaiapoi in New Zealand.  I then moved to 3.610 on the 80m where I logged 2 Victorian stations, Ernie VK3DET, and Peter VK3PF.

To conclude the activation I called CQ on 14.310 on the 20m band after throwing up a quick spot.  I there logged Andrei ZL1TM in New Zealand, and then Nev VK5WG.

Marija and I were both soaking wet, and it was time to pack up and head back into Marysville.

Above:- Marija on air, under the bothy bag.

Marija worked the following stations:-

I worked the following stations:-

We drove back into Marysville through some amazing countryside.

Once back in Marysville we headed to the local take away where we had fish and chips.  This was a very nice meal, with our eyes bigger than our bellies.  And very friendly staff.

References.

Summits on the Air, 2018, <https://www.sota.org.uk/Summit/VK3/VN-030>, viewed 17th December 2018

We had now been away for one week, and it was day seven (Thursday 22nd November 2018).  As we had done the morning previously, we headed to Fragas Cafe for a cooked breakfast and coffee.  We can highly recommend Fragas…..great food and friendly service.

Marysville is a very pretty town which has recovered since the devastating 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.  The town was literally destroyed as a result of the fire, with the primary school, police station, and almost all of its houses being burnt to the ground.  The Murrindindi-Marysville bushfire killed 40 people and destroyed at least 500 properties.

Above:- the main street of Marysville.

It was a pretty bleak morning with lots of shower activity.  We decided to visit the Lake Mountain Ski Resort, so we headed east out of Marysville on the Marysville-Woods Point Road.  We soon reached the Yarra Ranges National Park, and took the Lake Mountain Road.  As we travelled towards Lake Mountain, the outside temperature dropped to just 1 deg C.

Above: Sign at the start of Lake Mountain Road.

Once we got to Lake Mountain, it had dropped to nearly 0 deg C and was bitterly cold.  We spoke to one of the staff who told us that just 10 minutes earlier it had been a ‘white out’.  Amazing, considering this was late November.  There was quite a bit of snow still on the ground, the buildings, and vehicles parked in the carpark.

Lake Mountain is the closest Alpine resort to Melbourne.  It was named after George Lake, who was the Surveyor-General of the area.  Lake Mountain summit is 1,433 metres above sea level.  The highest point in the area is along the Hut trail and is 1,480 metres.

As it was quite wet and cool, we decided against the summit walk, and took a short walk along Leadbeaters Track towards Koala Creek.  The track is named after the elusive and critically endangered Leadbeaters Possum. Despite the weather, it was an enjoyable walk, with quite a bit of snow on the ground and the fronds of the ferns.  There were a number of Flame Robins along the track.

Flame Robin

We then drove back down Lake Mountain Road and stopped off at the Bjarne K Dahl Memorial Boardwalk.  The boardwalk which was opened in March 2014, is dedicated to Bjarne K Dahl who had a passion for eucalypts and left his entire estate to support the establishment, cultivation and conservation of eucalpyts.  There are a number of information/interpretive boards along the walk which describe the surrounding bush and the history of skiing in the area.

Our next planned stop was the historic area of Cambarville.  We continued along the Marysville-Woods Point Road, passing through the Yarra Ranges National Park.

We soon reached the Cambarville Picnic area in the Yarra Ranges National Park.  As I was short of my 44 QSOs from my activation of this park the day before, we decided to put out a few CQ calls from the vehicle.  It was drizzling with rain outside and just too wet to operate from outside of the Hi Lux.

We had no internet coverage, so we were relying upon the good will of park hunters to spot us.  I called CQ on 7.144 for about 5 minutes with no takers.  Things were not looking good.  So I tuned across the band and found the 10AM Smoko Net in full swing.  Sadly the net control Paul VK5FUZZ could not hear me.  But I did log 3 stations on the net, Scott VK7NWT, Peter VK5NAQ, and Ron VK5MRE.

When the net concluded I continued to call CQ, and logged Andrew VK2UH and David VK3FDZE.  But they were my only callers on that frequency, so I moved up to 7.144 hoping that some of the park die hards who monitor that frequency, might pop up.  Adam VK2YK was first in the log, and he kindly spotted me on parksnpeaks.  I logged just a further 3 stations, David VK5PL, Ian VK5CZ, and finally Gerard VK2IO.

I had another 9 contacts in the log for the Yarra Ranges.  This was proving to be a difficult park to qualify.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK7NWT
2. VK5NAQ
3. VK5MRE
4. VK2UH
5. VK3FDZE
6. VK2YK
7. VK5PL
8. VK5CZ
9. VK2IO

Marija and I then drove up the Cambarville Road to the ghost town of Cambarville, which was once a thriving small timber community.  Gold was discovered at nearby Woods Point in 1861, with logging commencing in about 1880.  Cambarville was established as a timber mill town in the 1940’s.  Two businessmen from Marysville, Alex Cameron and Fred Barton, constructed the Cambarville timber mill to harvest Alpine Ash which was vital to the economy of the town of Marysville.  In 1956 a fire at the mill temporarily forced its closure, however it soon re-opened and continued until its closure in 1971.

The town was once featured a school, numerous houses, and various buildings associated with the mill.  Very little remains today, however there are a number of information/interpretive signs detailing the history of the area.

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We then drove back towards Marysville, stopping briefly to have a look at the Big Culvert, a granite and bluestone arch culvert on the historic Yarra Track.  The culvert was constructed in the 1870’s as part of the improvements of the road between Melbourne and Woods Point, and the Jordan goldfields.

This is a truly pictureque drive, and we stopped every now and again to brave the wet weather and get a photo or two of the forest and ferns.

We had arranged to meet Tony VK3AN at Marysville, so we headed back that way, stopping briefly at Jock Lookout to admire the view of Marysville.

Once back in Marysville we met up with Tony and enjoyed a very nice meal and a few cold ales at The Duck Inn at Marysville.  I had spoken to Tony many times on air, so it was great to catch up with him in person for the very first time.

After lunch Marija and I headed next door to the Marysville Lolly Shop.  The shop was re-opened in 2012 after it was destroyed by the 2009 bushfires.  If you have a sweet tooth, like us, this is a very difficult shop to walk out of without bag full of lollies and chocolates.

The weather had fined up a little, so Marija and I took a walk around Marysville, admiring some of the attractions including the old water wheel, the old police office, and the Steavenson River.

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References.

Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, 2018, <https://www.lakemountainresort.com.au/summer/the-mountain/facts-and-figures/>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambarville,_Victoria>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Culvert>, viewed 17th December 2018

During our activation of Lake Eildon, we were encouraged by Peter to try to activate the Buxton Silver Gum Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2058, on our way back to Marysville.  The park is located on the western side of the Maroondah Highway, about 5 km south of the town of Buxton, and about 104 km north east of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Buxton Silver Gum Nature Conservation Reserve.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

The little town of Buxton contains a general store, a fishing & outdoors store, a town hall, a primary school, a number of bed and breakfast accomodation, and a Trout & Salmon Farm.  The area around Buxton was severely impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.  The town itself was isolated for several days with no power or telephone.  The Marysville Police Station was temporarily relocated in the town of Buxton, after it was destroyed during the bushfires.

The Buxton Silver Gum Nature Conservation Reserve is about 17 hectares in size, and adjoins the Acheron River.  It was established to protect the endangered Buxton Gum, a native to Victoria, however there are only two known populations.  One of those is here in the park along the Acheron River, and the other being about 64 km away at Yering.  The Buxton Gum is a small tree growing to about 12 metres on height.

Above:- An aerial view of the Buxton Silver Gum NCR, with the town of Buxton and the Cathedral Range in the background.  c/o google maps

The park was severely impacted by the Black Saturday bushfires, however the native plants regenerated quickly following the fire.  Within 5 months, many of the trees were resprouting at the base.

Prior to the fires, a large amount of fauna called the park home, including Mountain Brushtail Possums, Greater Gilders, Black Wallaby, Wombat, Boobook Owl, and White Throated Treecreeper.  It is believed that these have slowly returned to the reserve.

Aerial view of the Buxton Silver Gum Nature Conservation Reserve.  Image courtesy of Protected Planet.

The shower activity had set in, so we operated from the vehicle for this activation.  Plus it was getting late, and we were keen to get back to Marysville, as it had been a long day.  I joined the 7130 DX Net on 40m and there logged a total of 7 stations from VK2, VK5, VK6, VK7, and New Zealand.

I then headed off to 3.610 on the 80m band, expecting to hear from Peter, who we had sent a quick SMS to advise we were in the park.  Sure enough, Peter was first in the log on 80m.  I logged a total of 13 stations on 80m from VK2, VK3, VK4 and VK5.

With 20 contacts in the log, and the local time now approaching 9.30 p.m., it was time to hit the road and travel the short distance back to Marysville.  This is a park we will have to revisit, so Marija can qualify it, and we can explore it during daylight hours.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2HMV
2. VK6VZZ/m
3. ZL2ASH
4. VK7ROY
5. ZL3SV
6. ZL4SY
7. VK5MJ

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3KAI
3. VK3GV
4. VK3UH
5. VK3ANL
6. VK5LA
7. VK4TJ
8. VK4/AC8QN
9. VK4/VE6XT
10. VK3ARH
11. VK2IO
12. VK5FANA
13. VK5FMWW

References.

Melbourne’s Yarra Valley Official Visitor Site, 2018, <https://visityarravalley.com.au/activity/buxton>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxton,_Victoria>, viewed 17th December 2018

Our final ‘intended’ activation for day six (Wednesday 21st November 2018), was the Lake Eildon National Park VKFF-0625.  The park is located about 148 km (by road) north east of the city of Melbourne.  This would be the first time that both Marija and I had activated this park for both the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program, and the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award (KRMNPA).

Above:- Map showing the location of the Lake Eildon National Park.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

The Lake Eildon National Park was established on the 4th day of June 1997 and is 27,750 hectares (68,600 acres) in size.  It is located in the northern foothills of the Central Highlands of Victoria, and is adjacent to the shores of Lake Eildon.

The land in which the park is located is the home of Taungaurung aboriginal people.  But when they inhabited the area, Lake Eildon was not here.  It is a man made lake, with construction commencing in 1915.  Originally known as Sugarloaf Reservoir, the Eildon Dam and Weir was completed in 1929.  The impounded reservoir is known as Lake Eilson.  Its capacity is about 377,000 megalitres.  The dam wall is about 84.5 metres in height.

In 1957 an area of 2,670 hectares, which consisted of land along the Goulburn and Delatite Rivers was declared as the Fraser National Park.  In 1980, an area of 24,000 hectares of State Forest adjacent to Lake Eildon was declared as the Eildon State Park.  These two parks were combined in 1997, to form the Lake Eildon National Park.

About 34 species of native animals, 89 species of bird, 17 reptiles, 10 amphibians, and three freshwater fish are known to frequent the park.  This includes the threatened species of the Brush-tailed Phascogale and the Spotted Tree Frog.  During out visit we encountered a number of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and King Parrots (see below).

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

King Parrot

Before activating the park, Marija and I drove in to the little town of Eildon, which is set on the banks of the Goulburn River and adjacent to Lake Eildon.  The name of the town, the lake, and the park, is taken from Eildon Station, a pastoral run of about 25,000 hectares which was taken up in 1846 by Mr and Mrs Archibald Thom.  The name was chosen due to the area reminding them of Mrs Thom’s birthplace of the Eildon Hills near Abbortsford in Scotland.

We took a drive out along Embankment Road which follows the southern edge of the lake and takes you past the spillway.  There is a monument here with a number of plaques recognising the ‘skill and labour of the men of many occupations who made possible the building of this great dam’.

We then drove our of Eildon on the Jerusalem Creek Road and soon reached the Lake Eildon National Park.

We headed to Foggs/Mount Pinniger Lookout which is 543 metres above sea level and offers some nice views of nearby Eildon, and Lake Eildon.  It  is named after Wilkinson Pinniger, a surveyor involved in the Victorian Geodetic Survey completed in 1858.   During the late 1950’s the lookout was renamed as Foggs Lookout, after James D. Fogg, Project manager for UTAH Constructions during the building of the Big Eildon Dam.

We set up and I kicked off the activation with a contact with Compton VK2HRX, followed by Ken VK2HBO, and then Peter VK3PF.  I soon had my 10 contacts in the log, with a QSO with Steve VK5KSW on the Yorke Peninsula.

Marija then jumped on the mic, with her first contact being a QSO with Angela VK7FAMP, followed by Andrew VK2PEZ and then Andrew VK2UH.

I then looked at Google maps and realised we may not be inside the park which set off the alarm bells.  Although other maps, and various websites indicated we were, and some assurances from certain amateurs, we decided to be absolutely sure, and packed up and moved to another location.  We stopped occasionally to admire the magnificent views of Lake Eildon.

We drove a short distance down the road to the Jerusalem Creek campground area and continued our radio activities.  Sorry to anyone if we went off air in a hurry.  We just wanted to make sure we were within the park boundaries.

Marija soon qualified the park with 10 contacts and ended up with a total of 13 contacts in the log from VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5 and New Zealand.

It was getting quite late, with the local time approaching 6.30 p.m. and the 40m band was opening up very nicely.  So it didn’t take me long to get my 44 contacts, to qualify the park for the global WWFF program.  Contact number 44 was John VK4TJ.

Whilst I was on air Marija went for a short walk down to the water’s edge from the campground.  There is a marina here where a number of houseboats are moored.

So with the park qualified it was time to pack up and head into Eildon for a bite to eat.  It was now 7.15 p.m. and we were keen to get to the local pub which had been recommended to us by an amateur during our activation.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK7FAMP
2. VK2PEZ
3. VK2ZEP
4. VK2UH
5. VK7LTD
6. VK5FANA
7. ZL1TM
8. VK5PL
9. VK2IO
10. VK3SQ
11. VK7JON
12. VK5BJE
13. VK4HNS

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2HRX
2. VK2BO
3. VK3PF
4. VK2NNN
5. VK4BX
6. VK5PL
7. VK2HFC
8. VK2PKT
9. VK2JON
10. VK5KSW
11. VK2PEZ
12. VK2ZEP
13. VK7LTD
14. VK2UH
15. VK4HNS
16. VK5BJE
17. VK7JON
18. VK7KT
19. VK2HHA
20. VK7GG

Sadly when we got back into Eildon we discovered that the Golden Trout Hotel was closed.  For a tourist town like this, Marija and I were very surprised to find very few options for food.  So it was off to the local take away for a steak sandwich, which was very nice indeed.

Directly outside the shop is the ‘Earl of Eildon’ statue, which is designed so that tourists can sit at the feet of the Earl and have their photograph taken.  We couldn’t resist.

References.

Artworkz Lookouts, 2018, <http://www.esplash.me/pdf/etbook_district_lookouts.pdf&gt;, viewed 17th December 2018

Lake Eildon Tourism, 2018, <https://www.lakeeildon.com/history-of-lake-eildon/>, viewed 17th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eildon_Dam>, viewed 16th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Eildon_National_Park>, viewed 16th December 2018

After leaving the Yarra Ranges National Park, Marija and I headed north on the Maroondah Highway.  Our next intended activation was the Lake Eildon National Park.  But along the way we decided to stop in quickly to the Cathedral Range State Park VKFF-0755, for a quick activation from the vehicle.

The park is located about 21 km north of Marysville, and about 120 km north east of Melbourne (by road).

Above:- Map showing the location of the Cathedral Range State Park.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

The Cathedral Range State Park was declared a State Park on the 26th day of April 1979.  It comprises 3,577 hectares and includes the Cathedral Range, a spectacular 7 km ridge of sharply upturned sedimentary rock.  The Little River and Storm Creek flow through the park.  The Cathedral Range is a popular destination for bushwalkers, campers, rock climbers and abseilers.

The traditional land owners are the Aboriginal people from the Wurundjeri tribe.  European settlement commenced in 1839 when land was selected for the Acheron Run.  Seven years later in 1846, land was selected for the Acheron Run, which included the Cathedral Range area.

The difficult terrain discouraged settlers from building there.  The land was grazed until the 1930’s when wild dogs became destructive towards the stock.  Logging and milling occurred between the 1930’s to the 1970’s.  Remnants of Cooks Mill remain at the Cathedral Range State Park and is protected as a historic site.

The park contains a broad range of flora, ranging from Manna Gum Tall Open Forest to Myrtle Beech Closed Forest.  The park is home to a variety of native orchids, and is home to a number of rare species of flora including the Bristle-fern.

Fauna within the park includes the Common Wombat and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo.  Numerous birds call the park home including the Superb Lyrebird, the Peregrine Falcon, and the Satin Bowerbird.

The park was well signposted and we soon reached the northern section of the park via Cathedral Lane and Little River Road.

We drove down to Neds Gully and pulled over on the side of the road.  I used the Icom IC-7000 and the Codan 9350 antenna on the back of the Hi Lux for this activation.

Above:- Map of the Cathedral Range State Park, showing our operating spot.  Map courtesy of Parks Victoria

This activation was to be really hard work.  It took me 16 minutes to eventually get my 10 contacts to qualify the park for VKFF.  And the Codan antenna did not like the canopy of vegetation and was very difficult to tune up on 40m.

First in the log was Karl VK2GKA, followed by Phil VK5NPP, and then Danny VK5DW.  I logged just 5 stations on 40m before deciding to give the 80m band a go.  It wasn’t much better there, with Just Peter VK3PF/VK3KAI calling in.

So with 7 contacts in the log, I headed back to 40m and called CQ on 7.144.  This was answered by Peter VK2UXO with a big signal, followed by Andrew VK2UH, who obliged with his second call of VK1DA/2.  I had qualified the park, but it had been a real struggle.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2GKA
2. VK5NP
3. VK5DW
4. VK2XXM
5. VK2IO
6. VK2UXO
7. VK2UH
8. VK1DA/2

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3KAI

References.

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Range_State_Park>, viewed 12th December 2018

It had turned out to be quite a nice morning, and the wet weather was holding off.  We even had a bit of blue sky appearing every now and again.  So with that in mind, Marija and I decided to visit the Steavenson Falls.  The Falls have been a local Marysville attraction since the late 1800’s.  With a total drop of 84 metres and a catchment of about 16 sq km, Steavenson Falls is one of Victoria’s most imposing cascades.

Perhaps the overnight wet weather had worked in our advantage, as the Falls were flowing well and were quite magnificent during our visit.

Both the Falls and the river were named in the early 1860’s when the Victorian Assistant Commissioner of Roads and Bridges, John Steavenson, set up a base at Marysville (which he named after his wife) from which to supervise the construction of the road to the Woods Point goldfields.

After viewing the falls we took the lower track back to the carpark, stopping off occasionally to see if we could spot a platypus in the Steavenson River.  Unfortunately we were not so lucky.

We then headed to the Keppel lookout, which offers magnificent views of Marysville and the surrounding countryside.  The lookout is just a short distance out of Marysville and easily reached bia the Keppel Lookout Road.

It was approaching lunchtime, so Marija and I headed back into Marysville, and to the local bakery.  We enjoyed a couple of beautiful foccasias, and so did the local King Parrots.  Male Australian King-Parrots are the only Australian parrots with a completely red head. Females are similar to males except that they have a completely green head and breast. Both sexes have a red belly and a green back, with green wings and a long green tail.

They were exceptionally tame, and very game at times, even trying to pinch the foccacia off my plate.  The one below appeared to be partial to a cup of coffee.

There was a bird feeding station here at the bakery, and along with the King Parrots, there were also Red Wattlebirds and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.

After lunch, we headed to our next activation, the Yarra Ranges National Park VKFF-0556.   This was to be the first time that Marija and I had activated the park.  So it was to be a unique for us for both the World Wide Flora Fauna program (WWFF) and the the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award (KRMNPA)

Above:- Map showing the location of the Yarra Ranges National Park.  Map courtesy of Protected Planet

The Yarra Ranges National Park was declared in 1995 and stretches from Healesville to Warburton and beyond to the headwaters of the Yarra River and north to Lake Mountain.  The park is about 760 km² in size.  The Yarra, O’Shaunessy and Taggerty Rivers flow through the Park, and with several reservoirs form an important source of drinking water for the City of Melbourne.  The park is home to kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, platypus, and about 120 species of native birds.

The park was severely impacted by the Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009.  This series of bushfires resulted in Australia’s highest ever loss of life from a bushfire, with 173 fatalities and 414 injured.

This is a large park, and we chose to head to The Beeches Picnic Area, along the Lady Talbot Drive.  The road follows the Taggerty River valley up under the western flanks of Lake Mountain, to the top of Mount Margaret Gap.  The road was named after the wife of Sir Reginald Talbot, Governor of Victoria from 1903 to 1908.

Above:- The Taggerty River, along Lady Talbot Drive.

Our first stop was Phantom Falls.  This is a fairly easy walk, including stairs, to the viewing platform at the falls.  Don’t expect an imposing view of traditional waterfalls.  These falls are mostly hidden by the forest.  They were exposed during the 2009 bushfires which devastated this area, but are now mostly concealed by the forest.  The height of the falls is about 20 metres and their length is about 40 metres.

The walk up to the falls is well worth it.  It takes you across two bridges and through the amazing rainforest.  The walk is about 1.6 km in length, and takes 45 minutes return.

On our way down we found this snake basking in the afternoon sun.  It didn’t bother moving, and we didn’t annoy it.

We continued along Lady Talbot Drive, stopping every now and again to admire the amazing scenery that is the Yarra Ranges National Park.

We soon reached Keppel Falls which are a long set of cascades tumbling down the mountain side.  The falls are about 40 metres in height, with a length of about 70 metres.  This is a slightly longer walk of about 2km, taking 45 minutes return.

Above:- Keppel Falls

We continued on to The Beeches Picnic Area, where we parked the vehicle and set up our station.  We ran the Yaesu FT-897 and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

Above:- Map showing our operating spot at The Beeches Picnic Area.  Map courtesy of Parks Victoria.

There is a small secluded picnic area here with a table and bench.  But there was not enough area in the picnic area to string out the dipole, so we set up just off the road, which was not at all busy.  In fact we did not see another car.

Unfortunately this area was heavily impacted by the 2009 bushfires, and as a result there is a greatly increased tree hazard from trees killed during the fires.  As a result many of the trails, including the Beeches Rainforest Walk were closed.  The ancient rainforest features groves of Myrtle Beech trees, with many trees over 300 years old.  There are also stands of enormous Mountain Ash, one of the tallest trees in the world.  In the photos below you can see the dead trees from the fires, 9 years on.

We had no internet coverage at all, so we could not self spot on parksnpeaks, which made things particularly difficult during this activation.  We were relying upon the goodwill of the park hunters, and sadly not many spotted us on parksnpeaks.  This is an issue which has recently been discussed by the VKFF Team in a Skype hookup.  It is so vital that park hunters spot activators, rather than work them and then walk out of the radio shack.

I called CQ on 7.144 on the 30m band and first in the log was Geoff VK3SQ (who kindly spotted us), followed by Ron VK3ARH, Gerard VK2IO, and then Mike VK2MKE.  But it was very slow going, with long periods of unanswered CQ calls.  It took me 14 minutes to get contact number ten in the log, a QSO with Dave VK2BDR/m in his mobile.  After logging 11 stations, including a Park to Park with Andy VK5LA in the Mildura Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2386, I swapped the microphone with Marija.

It was even harder for Marija, running her allowed 10 watts PEP.  First in the log was Andy VK5LA/p in VKFF-2386, followed by Dave VK2RP/VK2BDR mobile, and then Brett VK2VW.  So with just 4 contacts in the log for Marija, we lowered the squid pole and inserted the links for the 80m section of the dipole.  Marija called CQ on 3.610 and this was answered by Peter VK3PF, who kindly gave Marija his 2 other callsigns of VK3KAI and VK3GV.

Marija’s perseverance paid off, and after 20 minutes on air, had contact number ten in the log, a QSO with Tony VK3AN.

I then put a few calls out on 14.310 on the 20m band.  But I had two things up against me.  Number one, the lack of ability to place up a spot on parksnpeaks.  And two, the ever present Over the Horizon Radar.  To finish off the activation, I moved back to 40m and put out 5 minutes of CQ calls on 7.150, with just the one taker, Ivan VK2IJS.

Unfortunately I hadn’t got close to the 44 QSOs required to qualify the park for WWFF.  But, Marija and I had qualified the park for VKFF, and also the KRMNPA.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5LA/p (Mildura Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2386)
2. VK2RP/m
3. VK2BDR/m
4. VK2BOR
5. VK2VW

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3KAI
3. VK3GV
4. VK3OHM
5. VK3PAT
6. VK3AN

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3SQ
2. VK3ARH
3. VK2IO
4. VK2MKE
5. VK2FF
6. VK2KNV/m
7. VK2MG
8. VK2VW
9. VK2RP/m
10. VK2BDR/m
11. VK5LA/p (Mildura Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2386)
12. VK2IJS

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK3PF
2. VK3UH

References.

Birds in Backyards, 2018, <http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Alisterus-scapularis>, viewed 12th December 2018

Marysville Tourism, 2018, <http://www.marysvilletourism.com/things_to_do/lady-talbot-trails/>, viewed 12th December 2018

Parks Victoria, ‘Yarra Ranges National Park Visitor Guide’

Waterfall Seasons of Australia-The Waterfall Guide, 2018, <https://waterfallseasons.com/waterfalls-in-victoria-phantom-falls-marysville.htm>, viewed 12th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarra_Ranges_National_Park>, viewed 12th December 2018

Wikipedia, 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_bushfires>, viewed 12th December 2018

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