It is just over five years ago, on the 26th July 2013, that I first activated the Murray Sunset National Park. This Park is located in the North Western corner of the state and adjoins the South Australian border. On that occasion I made 16 contacts. That park activation counted for the WWFF program and the Keith Roget Memorial National Park Award.

My wife, Jenny, and I had visited what is now the Park, when it was simply called Sunset Country and we crossed from South to North in our Toyota 4 x 4, camping in the reserve. It was a great adventure, just one vehicle and something we would now probably not do today without a second vehicle. This was remote country in the early 1970s! However, we were well equipped with plenty of food and water.

For the July 2013 activation we travelled along the highway for a few kilometres before taking a secondary track into the park. A photo of my station on that occasion has previously been published and appears on my QRZ.com page. My description of the activation was brief and there is only one photo.

This time we crossed into Victoria from South Australia about 200 metres and on the Northern side took a track into the park for about two kilometres where we found a clearing and I set up there. This was my first solo park activation since Lake Tyers State Park in Victoria in April 2017. I have had a few health issues, but thankfully,  I seem to have all but one under control and, more importantly have the energy and drive to be more active.

This photo my station set up at Murray Sunset National Park. I used my Yaesu 857 D set for ten watts and a linked dipole supported in the middle by a squid pole. I used a 33 amp hour gel cell for station power and later an 8.400 amp hour LiFePo4 battery. JCD photo.

Here is another closer shot of the station set up.  I placed the green box (portable gear) near the squid pole as it was quite windy. JCD photo.

So on Monday we decided we would have two nights away from home and visit SA Riverland. We hired a cabin over looking the Murray River in the Big 4 park at Renmark, the same place we stayed in 2013.

 

Our cabin

White faced heron

Houseboat motoring by

So we chose to go back to the Murray Sunset National Park and aim for 44 contacts. I already had 12 in the bank from the 2013 trip. I would also try for some CW contacts using my VK5PF call-sign.

Contacts

3.610

00:16 VK5PL

7.144

01:25 VK3PF

VK2IO

VK3SQ

VK2NP

VK2YK

VK4TJ s 58 r 41

VK3UH

01:37 VK2JNG/P  Park to Park VKFF-0504

VK3KTT

01:41 VK1MIC/3 Wade, Park to Park VKFF-0761

VK2HHA

VK2XXM

VK3ALA/P Ken Motor home

01:49 VK3KMH,  Mike

7.144

02:19 VK7ME, Mark

VK2BL

VK2LEE

VK3WC

VK3TKK/M

VK3HP

VK1MIC/3

VK2XSE

VK3SL

VK3YUN

VK4/AC8WN

VK4/VE6XT

VK3FAIN, Ian, Dromana

VK2CPE

VK2ESG

VK2UXO

CW contacts as VK5PF

7.032

01:58 VK2IO, Gerard s 599 r 579

02:00 VK7CW, Steve, s 599 r 599

02:02 VK4TJ, s 559 r339

Thanks to all of the operators who gave me a call.

On the way home we visited three parks to check out good activation spots.

The first was Bakara, the second, Swan Reach and the third Marne Valley Conservation Park.