A trip up into the New England for my first activations.  Decided to be out over New Years Eve and maximum points for my outing.  Not that I am known to "milk" the rules to maximise any points I get........

Up to Gloscester onto Thunderbolts Way for the first two sites.  Then over to the Oxley Hwy through Walca, up to Armidale and onto Grafton Road for the last two sites.  New Years Eve in a tent in the bush.  What could be better?

Bike ride was tooooo hot.  A heatwave passed through Western NSW and I was on the edge of it.  Got up to 40º and I saw 48º on the bike computer.

I got as far as the Krui River and had to stop.  Needed to re-plan a route back towards Scone.  So only made a 220km trip. Dropping 4 hours each day, sitting around sweating, cuts into riding time.  And I shortened the trip by a day.

Getting ready for a little cruise out west a bit.  Going to start in Scone and finish in Scone a couple of days later after doing 350km.  A circle around Coolah Tops.  Been a while since I've been on a tour.  

Caught WA2USA/P on 20m CW this morning.  So looking for another one in W4A to qualify that association.  Another step closer to Gold.

Made Shack Sloth in 4 months.  First QSO was 12 Sept 2013 with VK1RX/2.  Sloth was achieved on 13 Dec 2013 with DK7MX/P.  I am also topping the table for VK in the 12m Challenge.  Come on guys....

Won't be long till I make Gold Mountain Hunter.

No NA contacts yet.  The times those guys are out are very early in the morning for us and them being in winter maybe there will be more chances when the Wx warms up for them in a few months.