13-Jan-2001 -- Having completed s34e116 a couple of weeks earlier I needed
another confluence fix. Donna Weston, another addicted DCP participant,
had emailed me a few days earlier welcoming me to the elite group of
Western Australians looking for elusive degree confluences.
I decided on s31e117 as it was the closest unclaimed confluence in
the northern wheat belt, about 180 km from Perth. Donna was interested
in a joint confluence visit and we agreed to meet at 9:30am. She
emailed maps to me detailing the gravel roads near the confluence, which
indicated its position a leisurely 540m from the roadside.
Arriving at 9:35am, more by luck than good management, I visited the
farm homestead about 1 km away to the north as Donna was not to be seen.
The property, "Studleigh Farm" owned by Tom and Dilys Sawyer lies to the
north west of Dowerin. At the homestead I was licked all over by the
farm dogs, excited by an unexpected visitor. Dilys answered the door
with two or three additional dogs at her feet and was quite interested
in the DCP. After indicating what we intended to do and how to view the
results on the internet I headed towards the confluence after extracting
a pup from the car that wanted to join in.
Donna had arrived at the nearest position on the road to s31e117 and
although we had not met before we needed no introductions.
I decided on a single panoramic photo encompassing 180° of view as
the land had no outstanding features except for a wheat field and a
stand of gum trees. The homestead and sheds can just be made out on the
right hand side of the photo, approximately NNW from our position.
Photo #1 pans from south to west to north, from left to right.
Following some thermos coffee supplied by Donna, I was convinced to
complete a second confluence at s31e118 in what turned out to be a 650km
round trip day.