17-May-2004 -- After learning of this project I resolved to visit a confluence in the Murchison area of Western Australia at my first opportunity. This presented itself after an invitation to a function in the Murchison Settlement so I set out on the 1500 km two-day journey from Esperance to Murchison via Perth. Over a beer or three I discussed my plan with my brother, Neil, who is a resident of Murchison and it was decided that armed with his local knowledge we would visit the confluence.
On the afternoon of Monday 17 May 2004 equipped with a GPS borrowed from local resident Dirk Sellenger we set out from the Murchison Settlement travelling south on the Carnarvon - Mullewa Road for 9 kilometres thence east on the Meeberrie - Wooleen Road for only 1.87 kilometres. We then turned onto a track leading generally south toward the Murchison River for a distance of 3.93km where the track petered out at a fence line 14.8km from the Murchison Settlement arriving at this point at 1450 hours.
The GPS indicated we were 836 metres west of the confluence on the Meeberrie flats. This a flood prone area adjacent to the Murchison River.
Our walk to the confluence was through knee high saltbush type scrub and across a large clay pan which was in places very damp and soft from recent rain.
At 1502 hours we reached the confluence point confirmed by the GPS registering a zero reading. On placing the GPS on the ground it fluctuated between zero and 1 metre however the coordinates remained at exactly 27 degrees S 116 degrees E.
This confluence is located on the northern edge of a second claypan and 223 metres north of the Murchison River. The flat country afforded an excellent view of Errabiddy Bluff approximately 25 kilometres to the north west.
The vegetation in the area was predominately low scrub except for the larger gums along the river.
After taking the necessary photographs we walked on to the river where we found large pools both north east and south west of the place we intersected the river which at that point had a moderate flow.
We left the area very satisfied that we had successfully completed our first visit to a confluence.