VK5PAS

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Day five and the Murray Sunset National Park VKFF-0373

Posted: 03 May 2021 02:48 AM PDT
https://vk5pas.org/2021/05/03/day-si...ark-vkff-0373/

Day five of our trip was Saturday 10th April 2021. This was to be day one
of the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award (KRMNPA) 2021 Activation
Weekend. This weekend was the main reason Marija and I had travelled to
Victoria. Marija and I always try to take part in the KRMNPA Weekend as it
is a lot of fun. The Activation Weekend is normally held in November each
year, but was cancelled last year due to COVID and rescheduled for April 2021.
We had planned to activate the Murray Sunset National Park VKFF-0373 on
Saturday, and then Hattah Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231 on Sunday. We
have activated both parks previously.
We started the day with a beautiful cooked breakfast at the Langtree Cafe in Mildura.


In the past we have activated the Murray Sunset National Park from the Pink
Lakes section of the park. This time we decided to activate the Wallpola
Island section of the park along the Murray River and the State border of
Victoria and new South Wales.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Murray Sunset National Park in
north-western Victoria. Map c/o Protected Planet
Murray Sunset has four distinct areas:- Pink Lakes; Wallpolla Island,
Mulcra Island, and Lindsay Island.

Above:- Map showing the various sections of the Murray Sunset National
Park. Map c/o Protected Planet
After breakfast we headed out of Mildura to the little town of Merbein
where we stopped briefly to look at an old Thompson Centrifugal Irrigation
Pump which was commissioned in September 1920 and decommissioned in 2015.


We then drove out on the Old Mail Road and soon reached the Murray Sunset
National Park which was well signposted.


The Murray-Sunset National Park is the second largest National Park in
Victoria and comprised an area of 633,000-hectares (1,560,000-acres). The
park which borders the South Australia State border is located about 440km
north-west of Melbourne. The Sturt Highway passes through the northern
section of the park. The majority of the park is in the remote area
between the Sturt Highway and the Mallee Highway.

Above:- An aerial view of the Murray Sunset National Park. Image c/o Google maps
The Murray Sunset National Park was established in 1979. In 1999 it was
expanded to encompass the Pink Lakes State Park. The majority of the park
lies within the Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello Important Bird Area, so
identified by BirdLife International due to it containing mallee habitat
supporting a wide range of threatened mallee bird species including the
Malleefowl, Black-eared Miner and Mallee Emu-Wren.


We turned off Old Mail Road and followed a series of 4WD tracks leading
down towards the Murray River. We stopped along the way to look at some of
the billabongs running off the Murray. Many were full of European Carp, an
invasive fish which is an absolute pest in the Murray.


We found a clearing in amongst the scrub and set up our little portable
station consisting of the Yaesu FT-857d and the 20/40/80m linked dipole
supported by the 7 metre telescopic squid pole.
I called CQ on 7.144 and it was very appropriate that our first station in
the log was Tony VK3XV mobile, who is the KRMNPA Award Manager.


Unfortunately during our activation we had a few sprinkles of rain, so it
was out with the bothy bag. This must have been quite a sight, someone
huddled underneath a bright orange piece of plastic in the middle of nowhere.


Marija and I logged a total of 170 stations on 40m including the following
Park to Park contacts:-

Tony VK3YV Baw Baw National Park VKFF-0020Rob VK2VH/3 Lower Goulburn
National Park VKFF-0741Rob VK4AAC/3 Lower Goulburn National Park
VKFF-0741VK3UAO/p Organ Pipes National Park VKFF-0627VK3PF/p Warby Ovens
National Park VKFF-0742VK2IO/p Brisbane Water National Park
VKFF-0056VK4SMA/p Neurum Creek Conservation Park VKFF-1621Joe VK3SRC/p
Point Nepean National Park VKFF-0628Julie VK3FOWL/p Point Nepean National
Park VKFF-0628Ian VK1DI/p McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0849Tony
VK3XV/p Greater Bendigo National Park VKFF-0623James VK2TER/p Wyrrabalong
National Park VKFF-0550Peter VK3PF/p Barmah National Park VKFF-0739Gerard
Vk2IO/p Popran National Park VKFF-0417Peter VK3TKK/p Organ Pipes National
Park VKFF-0627Bryan VK3LF/p Yarra Ranges National Park VKFF-0556Bill
VK3CWF Brisbane Ranges National Park VKFF-0055
We logged a total of 10 stations on 80m
I also tried calling on 14.310 on the 20m band but had no takers.


All up we logged 179 QSOs including 33 Park to Park contacts.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

VK3YV/p (Baw Baw National Park VKFF-0020)VK2VH/3 (Lower Goulburn National
Park VKFF-0741)VK4AAC/3 (Lower Goulburn National Park VKFF-0741)VK3UAO/p
(Organ Pipes National Park VKFF-0627)VK3PF/p (Warby Ovens National Park
VKFF-0742)VK2IO/p (Brisbane Water National Park
VKFF-0056)VK2KYOVK2HHAVK3CRGVK3MPRVK3DNHVK5CZVK5FANAVk3 AWAVK5KLVVK3AHRVK7QPVK5YXVK4SMA/p
(Neurum Creek Conservation Park
VKFF-1621)VK7EKVk3MKEVK3WTXVK3NLVK2PKTVK3UHVK3MABVK3SQV K3MCKVK3DACVK4SM/mVK5KSWVK1ADVK2THVK7LTDVK3ANLVK2HBG/pVK3SRC/p
(Point Nepean National Park VKFF-0628)VK3FOWL/p (Point Nepean National Park
VKFF-0628)VK1DI/p (McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0849)VK3XV/p (Greater
Bendigo National Park VKFF-0623)VK3LF/pVK4BXXVK4/NN3ZVK2TER/p (Wyrrabalong National Park
VKFF-0550)VK2JNA/mVK5AYLVK3ZKVk3ARH/mVK4CZVK4KLAVK5PHVK5DWVK2YKVK5GAVK5HMBVK5FDMGVK3PF/p
(Barmah National Park VKFF-0739)VK2IO/p (Popran National Park
VKFF-0417)VK3TKK/p (Organ Pipes National Park VKFF-0627)VK3LF/p (Yarra
Ranges National Park VKFF-0556)VK5HAA/p (SOTA VK5/ SE-018)
I worked the following stations on 40m SS B:-

VK3XV/mVK3SQVK3PIVK3MPRVK3ZKVK3EJVK2PKTVK1ADVK2VKVK7QPVK 5HSVK2KYOVK3ANLVK5ATNVK3MCKVK5JBHVK2HHAVK3YV/p (Baw
Baw National Park
VKFF-0620)VK5FANAVK7FAMPVK3UHVK7LTDVK5AAYVK3CRGVK4KCVK4 MADVK4DOGVK4AAC/3
(Lower Goulburn National Park VKFF-0741)VK2VH/3 (Lower Goulburn National
Park VKFF-0741)VK3UAO/p (Organ Pipes National Park VKFF-0627)VK3LF/mVK3PF/p
(Warby Ovens National Park VKFF-0742)VK2IO/p (Brisbane Water National Park
VKFF-0056)VK4FDJLVK3OHMVK3SRC/p (Point Nepean National Park VKFF-)VK3FOWL/p
(Point Nepean National Park
VKFF-0628)VK2XXMVK3ARH/mVK5CZVK1HF/mVK3MKEVK1DI/p (McQuoids Hill Nature
Reserve VKFF-0849)VK3CWFVK5KSWVK4BXXVK4/NN3ZVK4FHELVK4SMA/p (Neurum Creek
Conservation Park VKFF-1621)VK3DNHVK2KFVK5WGVK3MTTVK3XV/p (Greater Bendigo
National Park VKFF-0623)VK4SM/2VK2TER/p (Wyrrabalong National Park
VKFF-0550)VK2STGVK1MICVK3PF/p (Barmah National Park
VKFF-0739)VK3PATVK5AYLVK2DGVK3BNJVK5TBCVK3PTVK2VEXVK3VK TVK5KBJ/mVK3EYVK3HSBVK5TRVK5PHVK3GBVk3ACZVK5FDMGVK5GYVK3DP GVK2IO/p
(Popran National Park VKFF-0417)VK3FDVK2EXAVK5ISVK3ZMVK3TKK/p (Organ Pipes
National Park VKFF-0627)VK2FAPRVK2FAPCZL3MRVK5GAZVK5KHZVK2LF/p (Yarra
Ranges National Park VKFF-0556)VK3CUVk2NMZVK4HNSVK7KTVK7ZGKVK5HAA/p (SOTA VK5/ SE-018)
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

VK5DWVK2KYOVK2YKVK5GAVK5CZVK2DGVK5FANAVK3SQVK3BBBV K2CCP
Marija and I packed up at about 3.00 p.m. and continued west on the Old
Mail Road. This is a dry weather road only and runs from Meridian Road in
Merbein South to Paringa in South Australia. We stopped every now and
again just to take in the isolation of the area.


Our next stop was Lock 9 on the Murray River. The first navigational lock
on the Murray River was completed at Blanchetown in South Australia in
1922. The weirs and locks were originally constructed to provide year
round navigation for commercial cargo and passenger paddle steamers. They
were generally built too late to be of benefit to the river trade, as the
development of railways and the growth of motorised road haulage had
overtaken river transport. Today there are 13 navigation locks on the Murray River.


There was plenty of birdlife at Lock 9 and I took the opportunity of taking a few snaps.


We then visited the historic Lock 9 pumping station which is listed on the
Victorian Heritage Register. It was one of the various pumping stations
constructed by the Chaffey brothers as part of their vast irrigation scheme built after 1887.


There were some great views of the Murray River at this location.


We then decided to do a little more park activating. We set up again in
the Murray Sunset National Park, but this time just downstream from Lock 9.
I called CQ and Andy VK2VOO answered, followed by Tim VK5AV mobile, and
then Olga VK5VOB. I logged 38 stations on 40m including the following Park to Park QSOs:-

Bill VK3CWF/p Brisbane Ranges National Park VKFF-0055Peter VK3PF/p
Gunbower National Park VKFF-0740Tom VK5NFT/p Canunda National Park VKFF-0075
I also worked a total of 26 stations on 80m including the following Park to Park contacts:-

Bill VK3CWF/p Brisbane Ranges National Park VKFF-0055Peter VK3PF/p
Terrick Terrick National Park VKFF-0630


Marija worked the following station on 40m SSB:-

VK3CWF/p (Brisbane Ranges National Park VKFF-0055)
Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

VK3CWF/p (Brisbane Ranges National Park VKFF-0055)VK3PF/p (Terrick Terrick
National Park VKFF-0630)VK5MWW
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

VK2VOOVK5AV/mVK5VOBVK3CWF/p (Brisbane Ranges National Park
VKFF-0055)VK3ZPFVK4HATVK2HRXVK7JFDVK2VKVK5DCVK3PF/p (Gunbower National Park
VKFF-0740)VK4CZVK4FDJLVK5BBZL1TMZL4NVWVK2AKA/mVK5ISVK2MGVK5LBVK2PVVK2NITVK3SQVK5VBRVK5NFT/p
(Canunda National Park
VKFF-0075)VK4NHVK4DXAZL4TY/VK4VK4ACXVK5VGCVK2DJPVK5JOBVK2PBCVK3CATVK7RMVK3WAR VK3RWVK3VLF
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

VK5WGVK4HNSVK3RWVK2MOPVK2LATVK2MGVK2LEEVK4CZVK4NHV K4DXAZL4TY/VK4VK3PIVK3ANLVK4SMAVK3GQVK3NCRVK5AYLVK3CWF/p (Brisbane
Ranges National Park
VKFF-0055)VK3ZPFVK4IDKVK3METVK5CZVK5MWWVK3PF/p (Terrick Terrick National
Park VKFF-0630)VK3AJA/5VK5GY
This time around we had made 68 QSOs and 7 Park to Park contacts.
For the two activations in Murray Sunset on the day we made a total of 247
QSOs and 40 Park to Park contacts.
We packed up and drove slowly down Lock 9 Road towards Lake Culleraine and
the Sturt Highway. It was slow going as there were plenty of kangaroos out and about.


References.
Victorian Heritage Database, 2021,
http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/result_detail/327?print=true, viewed 3rd May 2021

Wikipedia, 2021,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray-Sunset_National_Park, viewed 3rd May 2021.