ZL7X Team will be active from Chatham Islands, IOTA OC - 038, 16 - 22 October 2018.
Team - Shige, JH1GNU, Kaz, JH1HRJ/ZL3JP, Tak/JE1SCJ.
Recent DX Spots ZL7X
They will operate on 160 - 10m CW, SSB, FT8.
QSL via JA0VSH direct, buro, LOTW, eQSL.
Ads for direct QSL:
KAZUHIDE MARUYAMA, 1-25-49, IRIMACHO, CHOFU, TOKYO, 182-0004, Japan.
Operating frequencies:
160m 1822.5, 1840.
80m 3504, 3563, 3785.
40m 7004, 7060, 7080.
30m 10115, 10140.
20m 14010, 14097, 14210.
17m 18080, 18106, 18140.
15m 21010, 21096, 21305.
12m 24895, 24920, 24970.
10m 28010, 28095, 28510.
Chatham Islands. Information
Chatham Islands, another name Rekonu Islands, is an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
Major islands- Chatham Island, Pitt Island,
Highest point- Maungatere Hill.
Largest city- Waitangi.
ZL7X. Chatham Islands. Information for Radio Amateurs.
Amateur radio prefix- ZL7.
DXCC country- Chatham Islands.
WAC continent- Oceania.
WAZ zone- 32.
ITU zone- 60.
QTH locator- AE16.
RSGB IOTA - IOTA OC-038.
Chatham Islands – The Land of “Misty Sun”
Southeast of New Zealand lies the Chatham Islands, known to the indigenousMoriori people as “Rehoku”, or “misty sun”. In the Māori tongue, they call it “Wharekauri”. This archipelago is about 420 miles from the mainland and includes 10 islands, of which Pitt and Chatham are the largest.
This small island group became an official part of New Zealand in 1842, and the islands are found almost exactly 500 miles to the east from Christchurch, New Zealand. The base for the island ridge is the Chatham Rise, which is a shallow, submerged part of the continent of Zealandia. The islands only emerged in the last four million years, and the rest of Chatham Rise is still below sea level.
The islands of the chain are hilly, and the coasts include lagoons, beaches, dunes, and cliffs. Several streams run through the islands, and the overall climate in the winter is windy, cold, and wet. The average high temperature in the islands is between 41F and 50F in July, which is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Summer temperatures are simply ideal for visitors, with an average high of 75F.
Learn a Bit of Chatham History
Visiting the Moriori Rock Carvings in Nunuku’s Cave allows you to step back in time to learn more about the drawers of these petroglyphs of birds and seals. The cave is named after NununuWhenua, the Moriori leader, and the man who disallowed fighting among the various clans on the island. These petroglyphs are on private land, so tour guides obtain permission before taking people to see them. If you do visit the cave, you can enjoy a stroll along the nearby beach, with its shell deposits and limestone cliffs.
The Moriori Tree Carvings at RakauMomori are most often found in kopi trees on Pitt and Chatham Islands. They can still be viewed today, and most of the visible carvings are stylized human figures that are sometimes used more recently as emblems for the island. The local people believe that the human figures were drawn to represent ancestors, and carved as acts of remembrance and mourning.
Charter Boat Adventures
Charter boat operators in New Zealand are available for all kinds of tours and services, including houseboat rentals, launches, luxury yachts, and skippered charters. These ships can be booked for school trips, social clubs, corporate events, conference programs, weddings, and other special events.
Enjoying the Local Fare and Accommodations
Freshly caught fish is a specialty at many restaurants, including the one at Hotel Chatham. The local delicacies include blue cod, crayfish, and grouper. The hotel restaurants offer wine lists, and you can enjoy a quiet drink after dinner, as you gaze at the sunset views from the restaurants and bars.
Restaurants in the larger hotels are generally open seven days per week, and you may need to book to get a table. They serve breakfast and dinner, and will even pack you lunches for your daytime excursions, if you ask.
The hotel restaurants and bars have different hours in winter and summer months. From January to March, restaurants are open from 11 am to 1 am from Monday to Sunday, and from April to December, the hours are the same, except they are not open on Sundays. Most people visit the Chatham Islands during the summer months for the Southern Hemisphere, when the temperatures more closely resemble tropical weather.
Video Chatham Islands.
