VK3 / ZL1 help needed - visit in January 2025

Activation Reports Pre-Planning
1

Hi all VK and ZL activators,

I will be visiting Australia and New Zealand for business in January 2025, and would love to activate a summit or two in each country before I leave.

I will be in the following places on the below date and times:

  • Melbourne, Australia - Tuesday morning 21st January 2025 from early until 13:00 UTC

  • Aukland, New Zealand - All day Friday 24th January 2025

I wanted to ask if there was any activators who would help me out, and maybe pick me up and do a joint activation together?

Looking forward to my visit - just need to plan things early :slight_smile:

73, Ben
GW4BML

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2

Hi Ben, let me look at my schedule and see what I can do. 1300 UTC or 1300 local?

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3

Hi Andrew,

That would be great - 13:00 local Australian time.

73, Ben

4

So I am guessing you are arriving early on the Tuesday and that’s at the airport? and you would need to be back for flight check-in etc before then?

(Just thinking what options would be best, probably Camel’s Hump VK3/VC-040)

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5

I’m arriving Monday night, so I’ll be stopping at the Novotel Airport hotel, and will be ready at anytime on Tuesday morning. I might be able to stay later than 13:00 local time, I will know that in the next week. But I am working on 13:00 for now.

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6

Auckland has a few.
AK-023 is in central Auckland, and my local. Happy to help you out.

Rangitoto & Waiheke are a ferry ride away if you have a bit more time.
What’s your schedule?

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7

Hi Simon,

This is great news - I arrive in Aukland on Thursday midday for a meeting in the afternoon. I’ll be staying at Pullman Airport hotel, and will be available all day until 17:00 local time on Friday to do some activating. Can work around you, as long as I’m back at Pullman Airport hotel for 17:00 :grinning: a long flight back to UK.

73, Ben
GW4BML

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8

Hi Ben,

AK-023 is very easy and do-able with your schedule, with 10 min walk from carpark. Sounds like Simon will help with local knowledge :+1:

Alert early, and defo need to spot. Your UK handheld should be fine146.500, but it may not work on some of the NZ repeaters as they’re outside std UK band plan.

if the weather is good, the views from centre city Mt Eden are fantastic… coast to coast !!

Have fun
Cheers, 73
Roy
:uk: M0TKF / :new_zealand: ZL2VRN

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9

Just make it ZL3/4 next time (with maybe VK7 to complement it). And give yourself a week. Would be very happy to show you some southern summits.

Matt - ZL4NVW

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10

A whole day gives you a lot of options, depending on the ratio of sleeping to effort you want to indulge in. There are 4 driveup-ish summits within an hour. A bunch that are a decent walk. Rangitoto Island or Waiheke Island could both be done in a day. Given it is summer, a visit to the Leigh / Goat Island marine reserve and a couple of summits would also be possible.

Not sure what the hurry to get back to Pomgolia is anyway. Did I mention it’s summer here? You have no idea just how long it could take to get a replacement passport if yours was to get caught by the wind on the ferry.

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11

Simon - what peaks on Waiheke could be activated with a minimum of planning? I hope to be camping at Poukaraka Flats/NZ-0029 on or around the 28th of January.
tnx de va3rr

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12

There’s only one on Waiheke: Maunganui AK020. We know the landowners on both sides. No real planning needed beyond asking, so be in touch when it gets closer.
You can see that there is also a walking track all the way from Whakanewha ~8km

Now if you came on 22 Feb, you’d find the local radio club down at Whakanewha for Jock White Field day.
BTW, Mon 27th is Auckland Anniversary, so I dare say Waiheke will be busy that weekend.

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13

Tnx Simon! I will email you my mobile number once I order an Esim from SparkNZ.
72 de Russ, zl/va3rr

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Hi Simon,

I’ve sent you a PM.

73, Ben
GW4BML