vk5pas

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Nixon Skinner Conservation Park 5CP-165 and VKFF-0923

Posted: 17 Jun 2019 04:22 AM PDT
https://vk5pas.org/2019/06/17/nixon-...and-vkff-0923/


After leaving Kalamunda I headed back along Hay Flat Road and into
Normanville and Yankalilla and then headed north on Main South Road.Â* My
intention was to head home, but I was travelling past the Nixon Skinner
Conservation Park 5CP-165 & VKFF-0923, so I decided to pop in there for a
quick activation.

I have activated and qualified this park previously.Â* This would be my
third activation of the park.

Nixon Skinner is located about 63 km south of Adelaide and about 4Â* km
south of the town of Myponga.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Nixon Skinner Conservation Park on
the Fleurieu Peninsula.Â* Map courtesy of Protected Planet.

Nixon Skinner is only a small park. Â*It comprises 8 hectares of native
vegetation and backs on to the southwestern side of the Myponga Reservoir
which provides about 5% of the drinking water for Adelaide. Â*It isÂ*the main
source of filtered water for southern metropolitan Adelaide and the
southern coast area.





In 1956 Mrs Lucy Eleanor Page, a long-standing and active member of the
Field Naturalists Society of South Australia, donated the land. Â*The park
was named in honour of her grandfathers and was the first privately donated
reserve to be established in South Australia for the preservation in
perpetuity of native plants and animals and for the enjoyment of nature
lovers.Â* It was re-proclaimed on the 27th April 1972 as a Conservation Park.



The park is home to a number of native orchids including Donkey, Hare,
Spider, Mosquito, Duck and Purple Cockatoos.

Birds SA have recorded about 86 native species of bird in the park
including Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb
Fairywren, Crescent Honeyeater, Brown Thornbill, Grey Shrikethrush, Scarlet
Robin,Â*Musk Lorikeet, Willie Wagtail, Restless Flycatcher, Rufous Whistler,
and Black-capped Sittella.

I parked the 4WD in a small parking area near the access gate.Â* The gate is
locked and vehicular access to the park is not possible.Â* I walked about 30
metres down the walking trail and set up my station comprising the Yaesu
FT-857d and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.
Above:- An aerial shot of the park showing my operating spot.Â* Image
courtesy of Protected Planet.

After setting up I headed to 7.144 and asked if the frequency was in use.Â*
A familiar voice came back to advise that the frequency was clear.Â* It was
regular park hunter Peter VK3PF with a beautiful 5/9 signal.Â* Peter kindly
spotted me on parksnpeaks which resulted in a mini pile up soon ensuing.Â*
Wayne VK7NET was second in the log, followed by Deryck VK4FDJL. and then
Rob VK4AAC/2.

I logged a total of 29 stations on 40m before callers slowed down.Â* Not bad
considering this was a weekday.Â* I then saw a spot for Gerard VK2IO/5 come
up on 7.150 and it was an opportunistic time for me to head up there to log
Gerard Park to Park.Â* I spoke with Gerard who was in the Martin Washpool
Conservation Park VKFF-0907, and I then headed back to 7.144 and called CQ
again.





I logged a further 4 stations on 7.144 including Andrei ZL1TM in New
Zealand.Â* But callers dried up very quickly so I headed off the 20m band
where I called CQ for around 5 minutes with absolutely no callers.

So it was down with the squid pole and in with the 80m links and off to
that band where I made a Park to park contact with Gerard VK2IO/p in the
Martin Washpool Conservation Park VKFF-0907.Â* I then moved up to 3.615 and
called CQ.Â* Rob Vk4AAC/2 answered my CQ call, followed by David VK5PL and
then Ken VK2KYO.Â* Contact number 44 came shortly afterwards, that being
with Adrian VK5FANA.

To complete the activation I moved back to 40m where I logged a further 8
stations from VK2, VK3 and VK7.



I had 52 contacts in the log and it was now 10 deg C and time to pack up
and head home.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

VK3PF
VK7NET
VK4FDJL
VK4AAC/2
VK2VH
VK4RF
VK4HA
VK3PAT
VK3FLCS
VK4FARR
VK2KNV/m
VK3SQ
VK4SMA
VK3FIAN
VK3FRAB
VK2VW
VK2NP
VK7IJ
VK6KJ
VK3JM
VK3ATO
VK3ZMD
VK2HHA
VK4TJ
VK4/AC8WN
VK4/VE6XT
VK2CAF
VK2GGC
VK4CPS
VK2IO/5 (Martin Washpool Conservation Park VKFF-0907)
VK3FMPC
VK2ADB
VK3GB
ZL1TM
VK3VYD
VK7AN
VK2MWK
VK2LT
VK3RU
VK2FF
VK3BCM
VK3IC


I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

VK2IO/5 (Martin Washpool Conservation Park VKFF-0907)
VK4AAC/2
VK2VH
VK5PL
VK2KYO
VK3SQ
VK5AYL
VK5FPKR
VK5BJE
VK5FANA


After packing up I took a bit of a detour home, along Forktree Road
admiring some of the beautiful rolling green hills of the Fleurieu
Peninsula.
Above:- Looking south from Forktree Road.

I then turned right onto Reservoir Road, stopping briefly at the Myponga
Reservoir lookout.Â* The Myponga Reservoir was built between 1958-1962 and
has a capacity of 5,905 million gallons.







I continued along Reservoir Road where there were some great views of the
township of Myponga.Â* This is an aboriginal word meaning high cliffs.



As I continued along Reservoir Road towards Main South Road I enjoyed some
great views of the coastline south of Adelaide.





I headed home through Willunga Hill and Meadows.Â* It had been the end of
another great day of park activating.Â* The activation of Kalamunda had
brought my unique park tally as an activator to 300.





References.

Birds SA, 2019,
https://birdssa.asn.au/location/nixon-skinner-conservation-park/, viewed
17th June 2019

Tourism Yankalilla, 2019,
http://www.yankalilla.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=858&reqUrl=yankalillaTourism/walks&print=1,
viewed 17th June 2019


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Kalamunda Native Forest Reserve VKFF-2894

Posted: 17 Jun 2019 03:27 AM PDT
https://vk5pas.org/2019/06/17/kalamu...rve-vkff-2894/


Today (Monday 17th June 2019) the weather had changed dramatically.Â*
Yesterday we had a beautiful sunny day for mid-June.Â* But today the cloud
cover and occasional showers had rolled in.Â* Despite the weather, I packed
the 4WD and headed for a unique park, the Kalamunda Native Forest Reserve
VKFF-2894.

The reserve is about 82 km south of the city of Adelaide, and about 6 km
south of the town of Yankalilla.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Kalamunda Native Forest Reserve.Â*
Map courtesy of google maps.

The Kalamunda Native Forest Reserve (MFR) forms part of the Second Valley
Forest Reserve on the Fleurieu Peninsula.Â* Together with the Springs Road
Native Forest Reserve and the Congeratinga Native Forest Reserve, the 3
NFRs comprise 250 hectares of native vegetation.Â* The name Kalamunda comes
from the aboriginal words Cala meaning home, and Munnda meaning forest.Â*
Thus Kalamunda means A home in the forest.
Above:- An aerial shot showing the location of the reserve.Â* Image courtesy
of Google maps.

The Kalamunda NFR consists of about 83 hectares of native scrub.Â* It is
surrounded by pine plantations and private land which has been cleared for
farming purposes.Â* The reserve preserves remnant native vegetation, 15% or
less of which now remains on the Fleurieu.Â* Kalamunda contains Pink Gum
woodland, Rough-bark Manna gum woodland and Messmate Stringybark forest.Â*
The reserve contains a number of native plants which are of high
conservation significance including the Nationally vulnerable species
Clover glycine.



I travelled from home to Willunga and then took the Victor Harbor Road and
then turned right onto Pages Flat Road to the little town of Myponga.Â* I
then drove south along Main South Road and soon reached the town of
Yankalilla.Â* I then travelled into Normanville and took Hay Flat Road and
headed south.Â* I then turned right onto Maple Lane.
Above:- the start of Maple Lane.

It wasnt long and I reached two signs, one which read Dry weatherÂ*track 4WD
only.Â* The other read Trespassers will be prosecuted.Â* Maple Lane is a
government road but I erred on the side of caution and decided not to
proceed any further.



I then headed back to Hay Flat Road and headed south towards Range Road
enjoying some of the amazing views of the surrounding countryside on the
way.



Once I reached Range Road I headed west and then turned right onto Springs
Road, and then right again onto Mount Hayfield Road.Â* After a number of
kms, I reached Attril Track.Â* There is no gate here and it appears access
is allowed on the track.
Above:- Attril Track.

It didnt long and I soon reached the southeastern corner of the park which
is adjacent to the pine forest.





There were some great views looking south towards Normanville as I drove
along Attril Track.
Above:- View to the south towards Normanville from Attril Track.

I parked the 4WD and climbed over the fence into the reserve.Â* I ran the
Yaesu FT-857d and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
Above:- Map of the reserve showing my operating spot.Â* Map courtesy fo
Forestry SA.

Before calling CQ I tuned across the band and found Mike VK6MB/3 calling CQ
on 7.150 from the Nurmurkah Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2167.Â* It was
a nice way to start the activation with a Park to Park.Â* Next in the log
was Marc VK3OHM/p who was activating the Swan Bay-Edwards Point Wildlife
Reserve VKFF-2444.

After speaking with Marc I headed down the band to 7.139 and started
calling CQ.Â* Dennis VK2HHA came back to my call, followed by some of the
park regulars, Peter VK3PF, Ken VK2KYO, and then Cliff VK2NP.Â* Within a few
minutes, I had qualified the park for VKFF, with contact number ten being
with Adrian VK5FANA.

I logged a total of 21 stations on 40m including 2 further Park to Park
contacts: Gerard VK2IO/5 in the Tilley Swamp Conservation Park VKFF-0938
and Peter VK3TKK/p in The Spit Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2452.

I then moved to 3.610 on the 80m band where I logged 9 stations including
Gerard VK2IO/5 in the Tilley Swamp Conservation Park VKFF-0938 and Peter
VK3TKK/p in The Spit Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2452.

It was time for me to try 20m which had been a poor performer of late.Â* I
logged 4 contacts on 20m, from New South Wales and Queensland.

To wrap up the activation I headed back to 40m for a few final CQ calls.Â* I
logged a further 11 stations including Andrei ZL1TM in New Zealand, and
Mike VK6MB/3 activating the Broken-Boosey State ParkÂ* VKFF-0752.
Above:- My shack for the afternoon at Kalamunda.

I had 46 contacts in the log, including 7 Park to Park QSOs, and I had
qualified the park for VKFF and WWFF.Â* I had also beaten the rain which
threatened during the activation.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

VK6MB/3 (Nurmurkah Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2167)
VK3OHM/p (Swan Bay-Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2444)
VK2HHA
VK3PF
VK2KYO
VK2NP
VK4FDJL
VK5IS
VK3FRAB
VK5FANA
VK1HW
VK3SQ
VK4TJ
VK4/AC8WN
VK4/VE6XT
VK2VW
VK5PL
VK2IO/5 (Tilley Swamp Conservation Park VKFF-0938)
VK3TKK/p (The Spit Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2452)
VK3BBB/p
VK2XXM
VK3AHR
VK3KAI
VK3GV
VK4FARR
ZL1TM
VK3AHA
VK3FMPC
VK2UH
VK3UH
VK6MB/3 (Broken-Boosey State ParkÂ* VKFF-0752)
VK4SMA


I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

VK5CZ
VK5BJE
VK5FANA
VK5PL
VK3SQ
VK3UFO
VK2IO/5 (Tilley Swamp Conservation Park VKFF-0938)
VK2UH
VK3TKK/pÂ*(The Spit Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2452)


I logged the following stations on 20m SSB:-

VK2UH
VK2VW
VK4TJ
VK4/AC8WN
VK4/VE6XT






References.

Forestry SA, 2016, Kalamunda, Springs Road & Congeratinga Native Forest
Reserves Management Plan