The 2006 annual summer open day and BBQ was held on 15 January. Quartz Hill lived up to its reputation and turned on a brisk and cool northerly wind, so it was not the best day for bathing in the sun! Howver this did not deter 27 people, including four children, who made the pilgramage to the event.
ABOVE: Group photo of visitors (from left to right): Phil Lewton ZL2HF, Mark Wolstenholme ZL2WOL, Jennifer Atkinson, Trevor King ZL2AKW, Elizabeth King, Bruce Packer ZL2BAP, Alan Woods KB5SFO and son (now living in Wellington), Peter Atkinson, Brian Miller ZL1AZE, Paul Douche ZL2NS, Richard Milne ZL2TCU, Pamela Lord, Bob Waters ZL2GF, Ed Gray W0SD, Bob Stewart ZL2AMI, David Parish ZL4TAC and grandchildren, Bob Vernall ZL2CA, Mike Dwyer ZL2MM, and Angela Rampton.
ABOVE: Other visitors who missed out on the group photo (from left to right) Ralph Sutton ZL2AOH, Wilbert Knol ZL2BSJ, Jill Wheeler and Malcolm Wheeler ZL2UDF.
In addtion to eating and ragchewing (of which there was plenty) other activities included chasing stray sheep out of the building compound, checking out Wilbert ZL2BSJ's QRP radio, fighting the wind to explore the antenna farm, and loading the VHF/UHF mast into Bruce ZL2BAP's magic bus so that it could be taken away for welding work.
It was also a pleasure to have Ed Gray W0SD and Edith Gray W0OE join us. Ed and Edith are holidaying in New Zealand from South Dakota where they have their own "super HF station" with multiple tall masts up to 200 feet high. They had spent the Friday and Saturday nights at Quartz Hill, and Ed was still recovering after spending much of the previous night grappling with European pileups!
BELOW: Ed Gray W0SD and Edith Gray W0OE (with Bruce ZL2BAP's magic bus in the background)
