After leaving Butcher Gap Conservation Park and Kingston SE we drove to Naracoorte where we stayed overnight. The next day, Monday, we were to drive to the Grampians National Park to stay in the small resort town of Halls Creek for a few days. There we would meet our son and his family from Sydney. We had plenty of time for the journey so we had planned to re-visit Mount Arapiles, Sota peak, VK3/VW-022, worth one point to the SOTA activator. However, while I had qualified the peak on a previous visit, I could now activate the peak again in a new year for an additional SOTA point.

Here is the link to that activation:

https://vk5bje.com/category/mount-arapilies/

Also since the last activation, Mt Arapiles-Tooan State Park has now been added to the available parks for the purposes of the WWFF program as VKFF-0765. So there are now two reasons to visit this magnificent location.

While driving to the summit, accessible to two-wheeled vehicles, I noticed that the sky was threatening rain. Perhaps this was the remnant rain which passed over the Coorong National Park as we drove from Adelaide. At Mount Arapiles the wind was blowing but not quite at gale force. On my previous activation I did not set up at the summit – there were simply too many rock climbers and visitors around.  This time I decided to seek a more sheltered spot.

We spent just over an hour at Mt Arapiles and I qualified the summit with 20 contacts and made a reasonable start towards WWFF qualification.

Here is my SOTA log for the activation.

JCD photo

This photo shows a view looking towards the summit of Mount Arapiles showing the grain cropping land of the Wimmera in the background. The views from Mount Arapilies are spectacular. The Northern end of the Grampians is just visible in the photo. The distance between Mount Arapiles and the Grampians is stated on a plaque at Reeds Lookout in the Grampians as 45 kilometres.

Once again thank you to all of the chasers. It was great fun.

Mt Arapilies – summit

I decided to activate Mount Arapalies today, 4th January 2014.  The temperature was in the low twenties, there was no rain but the wind was blowing a gale. I drove up the single lane sealed track to the top: an easy drive and from the car park, walked to the summit where the trig point is located and also the site of the CFA fire-watch tower. The tower was occupied and I could hear radio chatter through the door of the building. I resisted the urge to knock and make myself known!  And I resisted the urge to call on the Mount Arapilies two metre repeater on 146.850 and try and stir up some business. As it turned out I made the right decision. There was no shortage of contacts. My first contact was at 01:02 and my last, 34 (33 successful) was at 02:42. The discrepancy was because of my obsessiveness over my signal report to a NSW mobile station. He just couldn’t understand his report.  He was 5 and 0 with me and the zero proved the problem.

I decided not to set up on the summit as the wind was ferocious. I tucked myself away in a secluded spot and it wasn’t so bad. There are plenty of activation spots for the less adventurous, like me, if it is really windy. The place was busy: mainly walkers and rock climbers.

My first contact was with VK3CAT/p, Tony, in the Alpine National Park. Then followed VK5WG, Nev; VK5LY, Larry; VK3FB/p, Len; VK3FPSR, Peter; VK5CZ, Ian; VK5PAS, Paul; VK3YSP, Joe, at home; VK3FD, QRP 2.5 watts, Ian; VK3AMB, Bernard; VK5STU, Stu; VK5FUZZ, Paul; VK3IL/p, David; VK3ARR, Andrew; VK5FMID, Brian; VK5JDS/p, Darryl at Port Lincoln; VK3VBI, Ron; VK2DAG; VK3ANL, QRP, Delta Loop, Nick; VK5FRCP, Rex; VK3SOL, Fred; VK2YW/m, John; VK3YN, Mark; VK3BYD, Warren; VK3UT QRP, Greg; VK5HCF, Col; VK5IS, Ian; VK3MEG, Steve; VK1NAM, Andrew; VK3YDN, John, VK2PDW, Wayne; VK3VEK, Kevin and VK3JP, Ron.

The dedication plaque for Fire Service lookout