All of the Southern Atlantic is a difficult polar shot from here.
Whilst stations can be worked in that area, most don't bother with the few DXers in VK as it is easier just to work the rest of the world. When they beam away from us, they ensure that we are effectively ignored.
This is one reason I don't like reading that a wanted DXpedition will be using beams. Unless they take the time to actually turn the beam to us, we are left out in the cold. The recent Juan Fernandez expedition demonstrated this clearly.
I managed to work VP8DXU (Falkland Is) on 40 m this afternoon, but it took more than 3 minutes to exchange callsign and report. I was thankful the op persevered and completed the QSO, and that I got in before the pileup that started up soon after. He was about 579 and returned a 329 report. That would have not been possible with a pileup going.
I will be interested to know how many VK3s worked the VP8 guys. VK4 seems to do better to that area.
73,
Luke VK3HJ