#1: [24-Feb-02] (incomplete)

20-Feb-2004 -- Martin and I attempted to get to this point a year ago at low tide but gave up after walking 800 metres, when the water came up to our chests. We were also hampered by two accompanying children.

21^st February saw our 2^nd attempt, timed to start walking two hours before low tide. We expected to have to swim for a kilometre in each direction and so took along our supply of buoyancy aids – a 101 Dalmatians boat and Lion King ring, borrowed from the children who this time were left as emergency back up team with their mother on the beach.

We drove for about 2 km from the main road across flat scrub land, narrowly avoiding being stuck on the beach and stopped at the water's edge 1.5 km south of the confluence point. We walked into the water and were pleasantly surprised to find that the depth was shallower than on our previous attempt, not getting above knee height at first, although this didn't make it any easier to walk as the choice was either to drag our legs through the water or high step over the water. After about 400 m we spotted some flamingos dead ahead and were pleased to see that they were standing rather than swimming.

We carried on and finally reached the Confluence after 30 minutes of walking. There is not much to see from the Confluence – you can just see land to the south, and to the east there's a sandy spit which could have cut down on the wading if we'd waited for low tide. On the way back to shore I took some photos once there was a bit more to see.

In the shallow waters of the Gulf, about 2 km from land.