Scott Creek Conservation Park,VKFF-0788

Official UN poster

Late on Friday afternoon 3rd March 2023 I decided to visit Scott Creek Conservation Park to activate for the World Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF) program in amateur radio, also commemorating World Wildlife Day.

I have activated this park many times and I chose a new location to set up my station. I usually choose Gate 8, a high point about 420 metres above sea level. However, this time I chose to set up at Almanda Mine after checking out two other locations: Gate 14 and the car park near Mackereth Cottage. Gate 14 would be a reasonable spot but the open area near Almanda mine was very good. But I soon found a major issue: there is no mobile phone coverage and I could not spot my station. I decided I would persist and hope some kind fellow-amateur would put up a spot on parknpeaks.

I was going to start my search for contacts on 20 metres and did call on 14.044 CW using VK5PF and on 14.310 using sideband. I was not successful in raising any interest. So I added to the links in my dipole to make it resonant on 40 metres and called on 7.144 Mhz, after checking the frequency was not in use. I called CQ and was answered by Stuart, VK3UAO, who kindly spotted me. Have a look at Stuart’s very fine page at QRZ.com. Thanks very much Stuart for the spot.

Contacts

VK3UAO

VK3VIN

VK5HAA

VK5AYL

VK3PF p2p VKFF-2443

VK3BEZ p2p VKFF-2443

VK5TN

VK3ZPF p2p VKFF-2219

VK3BBB

VK2CCP

VK5BJF

VK5GY

VK5PET

I made 13 contacts in a little over half an hour and then packed up and returned home. I didn’t see any wildlife in the park, but at home, I was entertained for about half an hour, by six yellow-tailed cockatoos who decided a hakea bush just outside the kitchen window needed a fresh prune! I like these highly sociable birds who stay close to to each other and talk away while they eat the nuts from the bush. At one stage there were five birds in the bush not much over a meter high, with junior sitting at the high point and having an occasional munch!

Thanks to all of the operators who gave me a call – always appreciated. And I enjoyed participating in World Wildlife Day for 2023.

The photo above is a certificate of participation in the World Wildlife Day 2023. All of the photos used in the certificate were taken by Paul, VK5PAS.