The VK3YDF team ran the June 2003 foxhunt. Four teams assembled at Bayswater Railway station (64G4) on a cool and otherwise clear evening. Points were awarded on position rather than time with teams not finding the fox awarded two points higher than the last team for each hunt.
The first hunt was located between factories (65B2) in Boronia just a short drive from the start. We decided to hide the vehicle, so as to not attract too much attention. Some wood lying nearby came in handy to create a box. The foxes hiding spot between factories (reflections galore) was beside some blackberries. These blackberries proved a very good distraction. The fox was sitting in a hole in the wall about 2M above the ground. First in was Mark VK3YDF, hotly followed by Gary VK3TXO (for BLN). Doug VK3JDO (for VK3OW) then Dennis VK3BQZ. The fox almost gave his spot away laughing, David VK3BLN was heard cursing on 146.575 “I’m stuck in a swamp, and I don’t think I am going to find the fox.” The fox soon regained composure and resumed writing down callsign’s.
The second hunt was at a place in Ferntree Gully that is known by locals as “the Rock” (74E3) and is famous for clear views of the suburbs of Melbourne, which are almost as good as from Mt Dandenong. It is not all that popular mainly because you can’t easily drive there, although there was a fire track that ran just above where the fox was hidden. We were actually expecting to see the BLN vehicle to find some way to get onto this track but instead David elected to scale the hill and even after doing a big loop around the fox still managed to find it first. Mark VK3JMD followed soon after with Dennis VK3BQZ managing third place. There was no sign of the OW team who it is reported dropped their runner at Ferntree Gully railway station, which was more than a kilometer away from where the fox was situated.
The third hunt was to be found mobile, in Knox City (63K11), hiding the car earlier ensured that no one recognised it. We initially began transmitting from the ozone area (the new bit). However, the police had some kind of hoon car blitz on.. So we cleared out to avoid possible problems. The remaining time was spent in the older section of Knox, mostly upstairs near Myer. First on the scene was the Denis VK3BQZ team, however they were piped by the VK3JMDMZTVBKIR team. Third and final was Gary (on foot) for the VK3BLN team. The OW got a bum bearing, and not content with the view from the rock, headed up Mt Dandenong.
The fourth hunt was next to Dandenong Creek on the edge of the Police Paddocks Reserve in Dandenong North (81J12). The idea was that there was a bike track on the opposite side of the creek that would be the obvious place for the fox to be hiding. All teams took the bait only to discover that the fox was on the other side of an otherwise uncrossable creek. Ian VK3MZ was the first to work out what was going on and despite an encounter with cow deposit on the way managed a comfortable first place to the fox. BLN followed later for second place just beating Dennis VK3BQZ who took third. Doug VK3JDO from the OW team took fourth place.
The fifth hunt was yet again mobile this time on a bike track between Stud Road (72K8) and Glenfern Rd (74A5). First in was the VK3BLN team followed a few minutes later was the VK3JMDMZTVBKIR team. Next in (a few minutes later) was the BQZ team, their first runner Graham (VK3ZEO) found the official fox photographer, Denis VK3BQZ however found the fox. The OW team had some problems with the mobile idea and didn’t make the cutoff.
All teams retired to the supper location, QTH of Steve VK3YLE where the following scores were announced:
team hunt 1 2 3 4 5 score place VK3JMDMZTVBKIR 1 2 1 1 2 7 1 VK3BLN 2 1 3 2 1 9 2 VK3BQZ 4 3 2 3 3 15 3 VK3OW 3 - - 4 - 22 4
Well done to the JMD/MZ/TVB/KIR team for their narrow win over BLN. TheVK3BQZ took points for third place – their team continuing the climb up the scoring ladder.
VK3YDF Team
(Steve, Bryan, Adam, Paul, Benn)