My latest VKFF Activator Honour Roll certificates

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Following my recent trips to the Riverland region of South Australia, and to Victoria, I have increased my VKFF activator tally and qualified for 4 more VKFF Activator Honour Roll certificates.

Thank you to all of the VKFF Hunters and thank you to Adam VK2YK the VK5 VKFF State Rep for the certificates.

VKFF Activator Honour Roll 425

VKFF Activator Honour Roll 450

VKFF Activator Honour Roll 475

VKFF Activator Honour Roll 500

Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823

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Our first park for Friday 27th October 2023, was the Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823. Cooltong is located about 249 km northeast of the city of Adelaide in the Riverland region of South Australia.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Cooltong Conservation Park. Map c/o Google Maps.

Cooltong is a town and locality about 13 km northwest of the town of Renmark. The name Cooltong is derived from a local aboriginal name meaning “lizard place”.

The first mention of the name Cooltong was in the Renmark Pioneer newspaper in September 1898, when reporting on a ‘phenomenal hailstorm and cyclone’ when mention was made of Cooltong Hills.

Above:- Part of an article from the Renmark Pioneer, Fri 9 Sep 1898. Image c/o Trove.

The town of Cooltong was surveyed in 1949. The majority of the land in the area had been granted as soldier settlement blocks following World War II, and was irrigated and planted with grapevines, citrus and other fruit trees.

Above:- Part of an article from the Murray Pioneer, Thu 29 Dev 1949. Image c/o Trove.

The Cooltong Conservation Park is southwest of the town. It is about 3,710 hectares in size and was proclaimed on the 8th day of April 1983. The park is dominated by mallee vegetation including Blue-leaf Mallee, White Mallee, Narrow-leaf Mallee and Red Malleee.

Above:- An aerial shot of the Cooltong CP. Image c/o Google Maps.

Birds SA have recorded about 109 species of native bird in the park including Malleefowl, Mulga parrot, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, and Puruple-backed Fairwren.

We accessed the park via Santos Road which runs off the Sturt Highway and leads directly into the park. We found a dirt track leading off Santos Road and set up our station consisting of the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole (inverted vee configuration) supported by a 7-metre telescopic heavy-duty squid pole.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2GOM/p (Bay of Fires Conservation Area VKFF-1133)
  2. VK2BYF/p (Bay of Fires Conservation Area VKFF-1133)
  3. VK3ZPF/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
  4. VK2IO/p (Meringur Flora Reserve VKFF-2383 & silo VK-MRR3)
  5. VK7MAT
  6. VK3SQ
  7. VK2BD
  8. VK1CHW
  9. VK5FL
  10. VK3PF/p (Bambill Bushland Reserve VKFF-4121)
  11. VK3VIN
  12. VK3OAK/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
  13. VK3PWG/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
  14. VK2KYO
  15. VK3CAT
  16. VK3WMD
  17. VK5ADP
  18. VK3CLD/p
  19. VK2USH
  20. VK3CJN

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2BYF/p (Bay of Fires Conservation Area VKFF-1133)
  2. VK2GOM/p (Bay of Fires Conservation Area VKFF-1133)
  3. VK3VIN
  4. VK4NH
  5. VK4DXA
  6. VK5FL
  7. VK3CEO
  8. VK3ZPF/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National ParkVKFF-0231)
  9. VK2IO/p (Meringur Flora Reserve VKFF-2383 & silo VK-MRR3)
  10. VK3SQ
  11. VK2BD
  12. VK3PF/p (Bambill Bushland Reserve VKFF-4121)
  13. VK3OAK/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
  14. VK3PWG/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
  15. VK2USH
  16. VK3CJN
  17. VK5ADB
  18. VK2KYO
  19. VK5TN
  20. VK3CLD/p
  21. VK5MH

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK6DAV
  2. VK2CG
  3. VK2TER
  4. VK4EMP
  5. VK4TI
  6. VK6LMK
  7. VK7RG

References.

  1. Birds SA, 2023, <https://birdssa.asn.au/location/cooltong-conservation-park/>, viewed 16th November 2023.
  2. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooltong,_South_Australia>, viewed 16th November 2023.

Bambill Bushland Reserve VKFF-4121

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Our third park for Thursday 26th October 2023, was the Bambill Bushland Reserve VKFF-4121. The reserve is located about 89 km (by road) from Renmark.

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

The Bambil Bushland Reserve is about 51 hectares in size and was declared on the 1st day of May 1979.

Above:- the Bambill Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

Parks Victoria has a page about this reserve but it contains no information other than a park boundary image.

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

The Bambil area was first settled during the 1920s. On the 20th day of April 1926, the Post Office opened. It closed in 1959. The railway to the area opened in 1925 and closed in 1977.

Above:- The township of Bambill. Image c/o State Library Victoria

The reserve is located on both the northern and southern side of Millewa Road.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF/p (Karawinna Bushland Reserve VKFF-4123 and silo VK-KRA3)
  2. VK3ZPF/p (Wyperfeld National Park VKFF-0549)
  3. VK5HS
  4. VK2EXA
  5. VK3CEO
  6. VK3SG
  7. VK3APJ
  8. VK3ZS
  9. VK5FANA
  10. VK5HAA
  11. VK3PF/p (Werrimul Bushland Reserve VKFF-4122 and silo VK-WRU3)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF/p (Karawinna Bushland Reserve VKFF-4123 and silo VK-KRA3)
  2. VK3CEO
  3. VK3ZPF/p (Wyperfeld National Park VKFF-0549)
  4. VK2EXA
  5. VK1CHW
  6. VK3ZS
  7. VK3ANL
  8. VK4SMA
  9. VK3JW
  10. VK7MAT
  11. VK4DJF
  12. VK5HS
  13. VK5HAA
  14. VK3DL
  15. VK3SO
  16. VK5WWW
  17. VK7ID
  18. VK5GY
  19. VK4NH
  20. VK4DXA
  21. VK3APJ
  22. VK3PF/p (Werrimul Bushland Reserve VKFF-4122 and silo VK-WR3)
  23. VK3GJG
  24. VK3SQ
  25. VK2BD

After packing up at the park we drove a short distance down the road to the little town of Werrimull. Werrimull is an aboriginal word believed to mean Eagle.

That evening we caught up with Peter VK3PF at the Werrimul Hotel for a meal and a few drinks before heading back to Renmark.

References.

  1. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambill,_Victoria>, viewed 15th November 2023.
  2. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werrimull>, viewed 15th November 2023.

Karween Bushland Reserve VKFF-4120

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Our second park for Thursday 26th October 2023, was the Karween Bushland Reserve VKFF-4120. The reserve is located about 53 km (by road) from Renmark.

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

Karween is a locality situated on the Redcliffs-Merringur Road in northwestern Victoria. Following the arrival of the railway, the area was settled by returning servicemen following World War One. At its peak, Karween had a Country Women’s Association and a Progress Association.

Above:- Article from the Sunraysia Daily, Tues 30 Jun 1931

The railway to Karween was closed in 1964.

Above:- First wheat train along the new rail extension, Karween, 1931. Image c/o Museums Victoria

This was to be a first-time activation of this reserve.

The Parks Victoria website has a page for this reserve, but it contains no information other than a park shape file.

The Karween Bushland Reserve was declared on the 8th day of May 1990 and is about 78 hectares in size.

We found a clear spot amongst the scrub off Milewa Road. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m dipole supported by the 7-metre heavy-duty squid pole.

I used the special call of VI10VKFF for this activation to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the VKFF program.

I enjoyed a very nice run of European/UK stations on 20m on the long path. Thirty-eight in total were logged from that part of the world. Not bad for 40 watts and a little bit of wire!

All three of us qualified the park for VKFF, while I went on to qualify the park for the global WWFF program.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2HHA
  2. VK3SG
  3. VK3CEO
  4. VK3APJ
  5. VK5HS
  6. VK3DL
  7. VK2IO/p (Merbein Bushland Reserve VKFF-4140)
  8. VK2EXA
  9. VK4NH
  10. VK4DXA
  11. VK3PF/p (Karawinna Bushland Reserve VKFF-4123 & silo VK-KRA3)
  12. VK2IO/p (Merbein Bushland Reserve VKFF-4140)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2HHA
  2. VK3SG
  3. VK3CEO
  4. VK3APJ
  5. VK5HS
  6. Vk3DL
  7. VK2IO/p (Merbein Bushland Reserve VKFF-4140)
  8. VK2EXA
  9. VK4NH
  10. VK4DXA
  11. VK3ACZ
  12. VK5AAF
  13. VK4EW
  14. VK3ANL
  15. VK3CJN
  16. VK3NIK/5
  17. VK2DG
  18. VK3PF/p (Karawinna Bushland Reserve VKFF-4123 & silo VK-KRA3)
  19. Vk2KJJ
  20. VK3MCK
  21. VK2NP
  22. VK5BJE
  23. VK3SO
  24. VK2KA
  25. VK5MH
  26. VK3SQ
  27. VK2BD
  28. VK7PSJ
  29. VK5TN
  30. VK5FANA
  31. VK7MAT
  32. VK3BWS
  33. VK5FL
  34. VK5FD
  35. VK3CWF
  36. VK3EJ

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4NH
  2. VK4DXA
  3. OH1MM
  4. IN3BJS
  5. VK8DNT
  6. IK1GPG
  7. PA1LX
  8. F4IOS
  9. OH5TQ
  10. F1BLL
  11. VK6LMK
  12. I4RHP
  13. IW2NXI
  14. ON4VT
  15. SO5CAL
  16. UT5PI
  17. PA5WK
  18. IW2BNA
  19. DK4RM
  20. OK1ES
  21. IK3HMB
  22. ON4ON
  23. KG5CIK
  24. VK6DS
  25. DL1EBR
  26. VK6DS
  27. IK2JTS
  28. VK4EW
  29. OH6GAZ
  30. SQ9FMC
  31. F6HQP
  32. EA3MP
  33. CT1AVR
  34. F5RQQ
  35. OH1NYD
  36. EA3HFS
  37. OM5TX
  38. M0IQD
  39. EA2DT
  40. OK1EP
  41. F6EOC
  42. IK4IDF
  43. EA1GIB
  44. SQ9CWO
  45. EB3AM
  46. EA5G

References.

  1. CAPAD 2022
  2. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karween,_Victoria>, viewed 8th November 2023.

Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119

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After booking into our motel at Renmark on Thursday 26th October 2023, Hans, Marija and I headed over the border from South Australia into Victoria to activate some new parks. I had added a number of Victorian parks to the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program, specifically for amateurs who were visiting the area for the VKFF National Get Together.

Our first park was the Morkala Bushland Reserve VKFF-4119 which is located about 57 km (by road) from Renmark. This was to be a first time activation of this park.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Morkala Bushland Reserv e. Map c/o Google Maps.

The Parks Victoria website has a page for the Morkala Bushland Reserve, but it contains no information other than a park boundary image.

The Morkala Bushland Reserve was declared on the 8th day of May 1990 and is 56 hectares in size. eBird Australia has recorded 16 species of native birds in the reserve including Black-shouldered Kite, Stubble Quail, Emu, Nankeen Kestrel, and Common Bronzewing.

Morkala Bushland Reserve is located in the Millewa Mallee region of northwest Victoria. The Millewa region is a large strip of land that is located between sections of the vast Murray Sunset National Park. The reserve is located on the corner of Morkala South Road and Milewa Road at Meringur. It is located on either side of Millewa Road.

Above:- Aerial view of the Morkala Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

Meringur is an aboriginal word meaning ‘grey kangaroo. Prior to European settlement, the land was inhabited by the Latje Latje aboriginal people.

The Meringur area was opened up for European settlement in the 1920s. Prior to this, a number of large pastoral holdings existed in the area. A railway line was built from Red Cliffs to Meringur, and in 1925 the Meringur railway station opened. It had facilities to cater for passengers, sheep and grain. On the 2nd day of February 1926, the post office opened. In 1927 the school was opened. By 1928 about 600,000 acres of land in the area had been taken up by about 708 settlers.

Above:- a plan of the town of Meringur. Image c/o State Library Victoria.

The railway line to Morkala was extended in 1931 but closed in 1965. The entire railway line was closed by 1988.

In the mid- 1940s Werrimull, which is centrally located in the Millewa region, became the district centre. Merringur’s store and lands office closed in the 1970s. By 1988 the railway had closed, and in 1998 the Merringur school, with 16 pupils, also closed.

Above:- Meringur in days of old. Images c/o Museums Victoria.

We set up in the southern section of the park and chose some coverage under a tree as it was quite a hot afternoon.

At its peak, Meringur had an open-air palais theatre, general store, post office, milk bar, tea rooms, bakehouse, dressmaker, mechanics shop, hardware store, guest house, hairdresser, saddlery store, greengrocer, tobacconist, timber yard, blacksmith, butchers, billard room, ice works, hall and a school.

Above:- part of an article from the Murray Pioneer newspaper, Fri 9 Jan 1931. Image c/o Trove.

We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. The flies were out in force, so Marija wore her fly netting hat to keep them at bay.

I operated using the special callsign of VI10VKFF to celebrate 10 years of the VKFF program. I qualified the park with 56 QSOs.

Marija and Hans also qualified the park for the VKFF program.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3OAK/p (Green Lake Regional Park VKFF-0967)
  2. VK3PWG/p (Green Lake Regional Park VKFF-0967)
  3. VK2IO/p (Mildura I220A Bushland Reserve VKFF-4139)
  4. VK3PF/p (Merrinee Bushland Reserve VKFF-4124)
  5. VK5BJE
  6. VK3SQ
  7. VK2BD
  8. VK5KLV
  9. VK3SX
  10. VK3VD
  11. VK5TN
  12. VK2BYF/p (Mount Barrow State Reserve VKFF-1818)
  13. VK2GOM/p (Mount Barrow State Reserve VKFF-1818)
  14. VK2IO/p (Merbein Bushland Reserve VKFF-4140)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3OAK/p (Green Lake Regional Park VKFF-0967)
  2. VK3PWG/p (Green Lake Regional Park VKFF-0967)
  3. VK5GY
  4. VK2IO/p (Mildura I220A Bushland Reserve VKFF-4139)
  5. VK5HS
  6. VK5IS
  7. VK3VIN
  8. VK3EJ
  9. VK3APJ
  10. VK3SG
  11. VK3SQ
  12. Vk2BD
  13. VK3DCQ
  14. VK4NH
  15. VK4DXA
  16. VK3AEI
  17. VK3SX
  18. VK3DL
  19. VK3HJW
  20. VK5MSA
  21. VK3CM
  22. VK5TN
  23. VK3AXH
  24. VK3UH
  25. VK3PF/p (Merrinee Bushland Reserve VKFF-4124)
  26. VK3MKM
  27. VK5BJE
  28. VK3SO
  29. VK5SCR
  30. VK5BB
  31. VK2GOM/p (Mount Barrow State Reserve VKFF-1818)
  32. VK2BYF/p (Mount Barrow State Reserve VKFF-1818)
  33. VK2IO/p (Merbein Bushland Reserve VKFF-4140)
  34. VK1MA
  35. VK2UK/1
  36. VK8GMT/1
  37. VK2HHA
  38. VK3MCK
  39. VK2EXA
  40. VK5ST
  41. VK5FANA
  42. VK3HBG
  43. VK3ANL
  44. VK3CEO
  45. VK4EW
  46. VK5MH
  47. VK3BWS
  48. VK3BAP

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4NH
  2. VK4DXA
  3. ZL4NVW
  4. VK4EMF
  5. KG5CIK
  6. OH1MM
  7. VK4EW
  8. VK7ID

References.

  1. Discover Murray, 2023, <http://www.murrayriver.com.au/meringur>, viewed 8th November 2023.
  2. eBird Australia, 2023, <https://ebird.org/australia/hotspot/L7809895?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec>, viewed 8th November 2023.
  3. flickr, 2023, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/129023979@N05/49471611407>, viewed 8th November 2023.
  4. Millewa History Photos Facebook page, 2023, <https://www.facebook.com/groups/294088674263524>, viewed 8th November 2023.
  5. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/meringur>, viewed 8th November 2023.