On our way to Sydney on 21st December via Victoria I was able to activate two SA Conservation Parks: Karte and Peebinga. These two parks are located in the Mallee not far from Pinnaroo and close to the Victorian border.

The real action started  on 22nd December when I activated Terrick Terrick National Park. Then followed:

Barmah National Park 23rd December

Chiltern-Mt Pilot 30th December

Warby-Ovens 30th December

Mt Buffalo and The Horn VK3 VE 014 31st December

Alpine National Park 31st December

Lower Goulburn 1st January 2014

Heathcote-Graytown 1st January

Greater Bendigo 1st January

Mount Moliagul SOTA summit VK3 VN 024 (not in a NP) 2nd January

Kara Kara 2nd January

Grampians National Park & Mount William SOTA summit VK3 VW 001 3rd January

Mount Arapilies SOTA summit VK3 VW 022 (not in a NP) 4th January

Mount Eccles National Park 5th January

Cobboboonee 5th January

Mount Richmond 5th January

Lower Glenelg National Park 6th January 2014

Total

2 SA Conservation Parks

15 Victorian National Parks

4 SOTA summits (2 in National Parks)

For anyone contemplating such a trip, especially from interstate, I recommend the Parks Victoria brochures. I have collected these for all of the Parks we visited and they provide useful maps and information about the Parks. These Victorian parks I have activated and the others we have visited over the years are all wonderful assets and a great resource for local communities as well as for visitors.  I kept thinking about Portland, which is situated in close proximity to four beautiful parks with excellent facilities for visitors. Once again thank you to all of those amateurs who took time out to give me a call: all contacts were with my FT817 and linked dipole – just a nominal five watts of RF.

This morning my wife and I went for a one and a half hour walk in the Scott Creek Conservation Park. The purpose of this was not only exercise but to check out points over 400 metres for a possible 2 metre activation (I have been inspired by the use of this band for SOTA by VK1, 2 and 3 amateurs). But additionally I enjoyed this beautiful Park. My wife and I are members of the Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park Incorporated.  She does bush care work and bird-banding. I am the silent partner. The Park is splendid and even though we are moving into some hot weather it looks green and lush and the bush is great. I commend this Park and others in SA if you want a good holiday combined with amateur radio. I will, in due course, update my Scott Creek CP entry. And as for summits, VK1, VK2 and VK3 win hands down!