Our second activation on the Monday of Queens Birthday weekend 2018 was Mount Stuart. This is a drive up summit. For this summit the cloud had dissipated and left clear views to the ranges. The air was still very fresh though and there was heavy frost in the shady. The kids enjoyed finding puddle ice and smashing it. Kyle took a wrong …
Category: SOTA
With the annual NZART conference being in Mosgeil this year, of course it was yet another perfect opportunity to activate a couple of untouched Otago Summits before we jumped on our plane and headed home. The SOTA presentation at conference was well received and hopefully it may encourage some new SOTAteers in the future. Monday morning bright and early to rendezvous with Kyle ZL2KGF and …
Gisborne’s closest and publicly accessible summit is Town Hill. For my annual training trip to Gisborne I thought I would add this one to my list. The weather looked sketchy but I figured I would risk it. Half way up dark clouds gathered on the horizon. However I still favoured pushing on – what is a little rain anyway right? Fortunately the rain left me …
Earlier this year we had made a disappointing effort to conquer this summit, however due to rain setting in we had turned back about half way. The night before had brought heavy consistent rain to the area and the track was becoming boggy underfoot, so with safety in mind we had abandoned ship. On Anzac day without the usual work obligations stopping a mid week …
After lunch myself and Gerard jumped in a 4 wheel drive and headed for Omakere summit. Gerard had kindly arranged access prior in the week. Well wouldnt you know it we had a clean run of farm gates to the summit. They were all open for us. That never happens! Setting up at the summit – we used the trig as our antenna mast, and …
After a week of teaching I had a SOTA Saturday where I had arranged in advance to visit 2 summits in Central Hawkes Bay. This, the first of the two summits, is actually ham land. ZL2GR Gerard owns a farm near Omakere in Central Hawkes Bay that just happens to contain a summit. With some pre-warning, Gerard was able to take me up his summit, …
This summit has been bugging me for some time. I mean – who needs a track right? Well on Waitangi afternoon me and Myah thought we could do it. The main spur up to the 380m line was ok – but then we turned left into some major vine material and it took us 20 minutes to make 200 metres of progress. Once we got …
Rounding up an eventful start to 2018 meant a trip to Hawkes Bay… to collect our animals from Hotel 501 after a good month away. No trip with Warren can be escaped without finding a summit so on the Sunday we ventured out to a spot we had visited a while back and found the land owners were not home so were not able to …
After fare-welling sunny Norfolk Island it was back to the tropical heat of Brisbane again and on up to Springbrook. Just quietly Warren hadn’t done his research to what was in the area other than the summit and accommodation for our two nights there and so we had to make a trip back to civilization to get dinner. On that note, if you are …
So recently we made a trip to Norfolk. Yeah we have heard it all before, why Norfolk? …..You know that is where the oldies go right? Well that suited us just fine, the slower pace the quieter life and while that certainly was reflected on the Island there is more to do than you think, yes, including a lone summit for activation. It is virtually …