06-Aug-2002 -- This confluence is approx 300 kilometres north-east of Perth, inside the boundary of Karroun Hill Nature Reserve.
Leaving home at 8.30am we travelled up the Dowerin - Kalannie Rd to Burakin
turning east on the Burakin - Wialki Rd to the Bimbijy Rd turn off which
was all up 166 kilometres from home. Heading north we crossed the 'State Barrier Fence' and continued on the dirt road north. The State Barrier Fence is a total of 1200 kilometres in length running along the north and eastern edge of the south-west Western Australian agricultural region. Finished in 1907 its main use was to keep rabbits out, but the main role of the fence today is to provide a barrier from emus. In 1974, 100,000 gathered along the northern section looking for food.
Following the western edge of Karroun Hill Nature Reserve and the GPS showing about 10ks west of the point, we headed down the only 'bush track' we came across heading in a easterly direction. Bumping down the track for 13.4ks and giving the paint on the Toyota a right hammering we stopped with only a 1.29k walk to the confluence (what luck). The walk was quite easy at the start, crossing though sparse tea-trees, gum trees and over rocky outcrops but of cause the closer we moved towards the confluence the thicker the tea-trees became.
The last half a kilometre was in dense tea-trees with a spacing of only about
one metre. With the trees more thicket than tree, it was a case of bash your way though. After being at this confluence I think I can safely say it is extremely unlikely that anyone with half a brain will be dropping in for a visit #2 on purpose.
In November 1875, the explorer Ernest Giles travelled 240 kilometres from the east to Mt Churchman in this area though similar landscape. They used camels for transport, and after bashing around for only half a kilometre it showed us how tough those old timers had to be.
After getting back to the 'main' road we had a quick look at a rocky outcrop 3ks north called the Dromedaries. From the top we could see Mt Churchman 3ks to the East(not the world's greatest mountain, old Ernest must have been well-impressed). Another small side excursion was us sitting on the side of the road for approx 25 minutes waiting for a rolled up echidna to decide it was safe enough to un-roll, then it would be 'Click' we would have a picture and be on our way. Like normal though, the echidna had a lot more patience than we did, so a half un-rolled echidna had to do.
All up 9 hours and 450 kilometres for a Fun Day.