29 December 2023
With another hot day forecast, I decided to head towards Bright to activate a couple of Parks. The trip from Wodonga was straight forward. When I reached the Bright Information Rotunda on the edge of town, I swung left into Ashwood Avenue and proceeded to pull off the road onto a reserve beside 14 Ashwood Avenue to park just beyond the driveway into that property.
Ovens River J16 Streamside Reserve VKFF-3826 Not previously activated
This Reserve lies directly behind 14 Ashwood Avenue. It is largely overgrown and unkept, showing evidence of previous mining activities. There is a signposted access walking track to joint the Canyon Walk, which runs beside the Ovens River.
I walked down to the junction with the Canyon Walk and then back towards the vehicle. There was a slight northward kink in the walking track. I stopped on the northern edge of the track at the kink and checked my position with Gaia Maps, confirming that I was actually located just inside the Reserve boundary. I grabbed the gear from the car and set up hard up against the thicker undergrowth, tossing a line over a tree branch to haul up the doublet. I decided to carry the large battery and the IC-7300 the short distance from the vehicle to the operating site.
I did not even have the antenna fully strung out when a Spot came through on the logging app. I soon had Andy VK5LA in VKFF-4119 in the log on 40 m SSB, with the doublet legs still on the ground at the outer portions. I then finished setting up the station, making sure that the entire station was inside the Reserve boundary. I sat in a camp chair hard against the scrub. I did need to occasionally explain what I was doing as walkers passed.
Once set up, I listened for a few minutes to see if I could hear some overseas SOTA station, but none were strong enough to call. My next contact was again Andy VK5LA, this time on CW. I then moved to 40 m SSB and spotted myself, with less than 10 minutes before UTC midnight. I had a mini- dogpile, working 13 stations in nine minutes. The hectic pace continued after UTC midnight, finally slowing after another 10 minutes of operating. Amongst the callers was Chris VK1CHW on VK1/AC-008 in VKFF-0377. By 0015Z, there were no further callers on SSB, so I moved to 40 m CW and worked 11 stations in under 10 minutes. Another Spot came through, so I decided to check it – Andy VK5LA, this time on 15 m SSB. I soon had Andy in the log. I next tried 10 m CW, making seven contacts in less than 10 minutes. Another spot from Andy VK5LA had me jumping back to 15 m, this time on CW, to make another P2P with Andy. Next, I jumped to 40 m SSB to work Graham VK3ZSC in VKFF-2195. A 10-minute session on 17 m CW produced eight contacts, followed by six contacts on 20 m CW. Another spot came through for Andy VK5LA, this time on 10 m SSB from VKFF-4120. So, I jumped up to 10 m, working Andy on both SSB and shortly afterwards on CW. I then tried 17 m SSB, making five contacts. Next it was up to 15 m SSB to again work VK5LA, then a jump to 40 m SSB to chase Phil VK7ID on VK7/SC-068 before returning to 15 m SSB for a VK5 hunter. I then returned to 40 m SSB, working 19 stations in 15 minutes, including VK3OAK and VK3PWG, both in VKFF-2314. The last contacts were with Andy VK5LA on 20 m SSB. With 108 contacts logged, I decided to close and pack up.
I drove into Bright and out the SE side, making my way to Jenveys Swimming Hole, conveniently located within boundaries of the next Park.
Ovens River J15 Streamside Reserve VKFF-3825 Not previously activated
The area around Bright is very popular with tourists, especially around major holiday periods. I was not surprised to find plenty of people around. But there was space to park near the western end of the car park, with a convenient tree branch to provide aiming practice for my throwing arm. I soon had the station set up and was on air less than an hour after closing at the previous park.
First in the log were John VK5HAA and two of his children, all on VK5/NE-014 in VKFF-0914, on 40 m SSB. $0 m SSB provided another 29 contacts in the next 24 minutes, including Graham VK3ZSC in VKFF-2190 and Chris VK1CHW on VK1/AC-023 in VKFF-0377. A 10-minute session on 20 m SSB produced only three contacts. 20 m CW was more productive, providing 12 contacts in around 30 minutes, including Andy VK5LA in VKFF-4122. Next was 40 m CW, yielding 11 contacts over 15 minutes. Next was some hunting, making contacts with Mal VK3OAK and Peter VK3PWG in VKFF-2269, and Andy VK5LA in VKFF-4122. After finding a clear frequency and spotting, I made another 11 contacts on 40 m SSB, including Peter VK3ZPF in VKFF-2135 and Dennis VK3SM in VKFF-0760. I then decided to close and pack up, with 74 contacts logged.
I then made my way back to the main road and headed back to Wodonga for the night.
30 December 2023
I decided on another trip to the area near Bright, aiming to activate two more WWFF references. I set off from Wodonga and headed south, with some moderate traffic closer to Bright. I drove through Bright and then to Tawonga Gap Road, turning east briefly before turning south onto Old Harrietville Road. I was soon travelling just east of the boundary of the first Park for the day. I looked at some of the openings in the bush which looked like potential operating sites, but rejected them all. Instead, I ended up in the car park at the Snowy Creek Picnic Area, near the southern end of the Park.
Ovens River J20 Streamside Reserve VKFF-3827 Not previously activated
I ended up parked on the southern edge of the of the car parking area, hard against the undergrowth. I was close to a tree, with a convenient branch to toss a line across to deploy the doublet. I set up the station on the tailgate of the vehicle. By time I was ready, the clock had moved to the new UTC Day.
I started by hunting Stef VK5HSX/2 in VKFF-1785 on 40 m SSB. I moved down the band slightly and spotted. Twenty minutes later and I had 30 contacts in the log, including Chris VK1CHW in VKFF-3180. I jumped up the band to hunt Robert VK3ARM in VKFF-2337 before moving back down to the Parks focus frequency. Here I worked another 11 stations in nine minutes.
I jumped to 17 m CW, working Isam VK2/JH0WMN on VK2/CT-032 in VKFF-0041. I tried 10 m CW, working Jess W6LEN. 15 m SSB produced only one contact into VK5. A spot took me back to 40 m SSB to hunt Joel VK3LE on VK3/VN-027, followed by John VK5HAA and Emile VK5WWW, both on VK5/NE-010 in VKFF-0360. I went to 17 m CW, making six contacts: Michigan, Texas, Tasmania, central coast NSW and South Australia. I jumped to 20 m SSB to hunt John VK5HAA on VK5/NE-010 in VKFF-0360. A session on 20 m CW produced one contact in VK6. Next it was down to 40 m SSB to hunt Chris VK1CHW, now in VKFF-3184. I then went to 20 m SSB, working 13 stations in 10 minutes. I then jumped back to 40 m CW to again hunt John VK5HAA on VK5/NE-010 in VKFF-0360, followed by Robert VK3ARM on 40 m SSB from VKFF-2033. A 10-minute session on 30 m CW yielded five contacts. Then a jump to 20 m CW for another contact with John VK5HAA on VK5/NE-010 in VKFF-0360. I then moved to 40 m CW, working 11 stations in about 15 minutes. I then moved to 40 m SSB, working another 11 contacts in 10 minutes. Then the callers dried up. With 101 contacts logged, I closed and packed up.
The drive to the next Park was short – back onto the road, across the bridge and then left into the small camping area on the western side of the river. A total distance of about 250 m.
Freeburgh Streamside Reserve VKFF-3690 Not previously activated
With only a short drive required, I was set up and on air again in only 30 minutes.
The next 30 minutes on 40 m SSB were a little hectic, with 43 stations logged. I then jumped up the band to hunt Robert VK3ARM in VKFF-2078. 15 m CW yielded only two contacts, whilst 17 m CW produced four contacts. Next, a brief jump back to 40 m SSB to hunt Joel VK3LE on VK3/VC-002 in VKFF-0556, before moving to 20 m SSB. This yielded four contacts, followed by one contact on 20 m CW before I jumped back to 40 m CW to again hunt Joel VK3LE. I returned to 20 m CW and worked another six contacts. Next was 40 m CW, yielding 10 contacts in 10 minutes. I then jumped to 40 m SSB to hunt Dennis VK3SM in VKFF-4301. 30 m CW produced two contacts before I jumped back to 40 m SSB to chase Soren VK7/ZL1SKL on VK7/NW-046 in VKFF-0432. Back to 30 m CW for another two contacts. I then moved back to 40 m SSB, working another 21 contacts over the next 25 minutes, including a couple of AM contacts. With 101 contacts in the log, I closed down and packed up.
I then headed back to Bright and north to Wodonga for the night.
Thanks to all who called.
vk3pf 
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