Hugh and I went to Yunta to activate 4 summits but only found 3 but we now know how to get to number 4 next trip.
Great food and accommodation at the Yunta pub and a publican who was involved in the early 1960’s youth radio scheme run by WIA when he was a lad. Some SOTA information was stuck on the pub notice board for the local ewe chasers to peruse . They all seem to have these cool hats up that way and drink Southwark by the can !! very strange, some modern city slicker would be taking a stroll back in time. It’s really funny to see them at the bar in such garb checking their I phones. Great that Hugh found access to these summits via the local managers, that way we don’t have to deal with dis interested pastrol companies to gain access, and to meet the local owners was great and you could not ask for better service in directions and things to watch for. It’s a great feeling to climb up to the top and find a name inscribed in a rock dated 1887 when you are probably the first radio ham to activate but surely not the first person to be on that hill. With 5 local summits at the ready Yunta is a great SOTA weekend destination I can recommend .
My next summit activation was Coomooroo Hill north of Morchard via Booleroo Centre this is a 2 km hike from leaving the 4B4 as a track will take you to a lower saddle before the accent . 645 m asl with great views of the Flinders to the west and the Horse Shoe range and those very friendly Olladie Hills off to the north east. South is Maurice Hill and the Hogs Head so at this late time in the activating season you can recount all those winter activations that you have done previous for the year. Really great friendly farmer making a life for his family on marginal country on his square mile of property as is was first sub divided back in the 1850’s with the first water source being a single 90 foot deep well dug by the government at “the Whim” a creek crossing and site for the first school for these un suspecting farmers at the time. Man we got it hard. This year at least the crops are looking like more than a few bags per acre so they should make another year of it and total up the over draught . A great activation with lots of 40m qso’s and some on 20m as well, wx was cool and flies limited but I did get out my slouch hat with fly vale for the first time this season. I got Mount Arden to go later in this month and that may be my last activation before the summer heat comes.
73 all cu next year de Ian vk5cz in premium wine country …