I last activated Bullock Hill Conservation Park on the 7th August 2016 for the WWFF program. Here is a link to that activation: https://vk5bje.com/category/bullock-hill-conservation-park/

Forty six contacts were made but the duplicates reduced my to total to 43 not 44. So my visit on Friday 3rd March 2017 was to complete my activation for the WWFF program. I planned it to be short. We were travelling to Port Elliot for a wedding of a saxophonist friend of mine on Saturday afternoon and I was hoping to activate the Coorong National Park on Friday afternoon from the most Westerly part of the Park. I advised a friend of mine who lives at Strathalbyn, Tony, VK5MRT, that it would be interesting to try a 2 metre band contact from the Bullock Hill Conservation Park to his place using FM on 146.500. I had my 857D radio in the 4 x 4 monitoring 146.500 as we approached Meadows and at the top of the hill leaving Meadows and taking the road to Ashbourne, I could hear both Tony and Peter, VK5PET, communicating on 146.500 Mhz. I joined in indicating we were on our way to Bullock Hill Conservation Park and would be there in 15 to 20 minutes. I was hopeful as we drove down the winding road to Ashbourne, where signals were still breaking through, that I could complete my activation with a handful of 2 metre contacts. However, I drove past the parking lot as I was heading to the Park from Ashbourne. I had a sense that I had made a mistake but soon I was on a hill and speaking with both Garry, VK5ZK and Tony, VK5MRT, on 146.500 FM who were assisting with directions. After some discussion I reversed and re-traced our route and soon found the car park. Vegetation covered the view from Ashbourne but it is clearly visible approaching from Strathalbyn.

After setting up I soon had a contact with Garry, VK5ZK at Goolwa and I could hear Peter clearly but Tony’s signal was breaking up. Unfortunately I was unable to have contacts with Tony and Peter: they could not hear me! I should have taken a 2 metre hand held radio as a climb up the hill might have made communications possible. That can wait for another time and I have no doubt that using SSB or CW would have made the distance as well.

Here is a log of my contacts:

01:05 VK5ZK, Garry, 146.5oo Mhz s59 r54

01:19 VK5MRT, Tony, 3.594 Mhz s56 r55

01:23 VK5PET, Peter, 3.594 Mhz s56 r56

01:25 VK5ZK, Garry, 3.594 Mhz s59 r54

My operating conditions were my Yaesu 857D a short vertical, ten watts on FM and 20 watts on SSB. Thanks to Garry, Peter and Tony for their efforts and patience on the day. It was fun.

If you have a look at the photo of the Park identification notice for 7th August and compare it with the photo taken by my xyl, Jenny, you can clearly see how the Park has dried off, despite a wet year.

JCD photo

The Park

Bullock Hill Conservation Park was proclaimed as a conservation park on the 30th January 2104. The Park has hills and gullies and is 200 hectares.