06-Feb-2007 -- It gets pretty hot out here on the Western Plains of New South Wales. Thankfully we camped by a nice cool River last night and it was pure bliss to have a dip in it in the evening.

After our girls did their homeschool this morning we hit the road and had a look at Dubbo. It's a big town and we didn't spend too much time there. We found the road we needed and went on it, North East of Duddo. From my (not so accurate) map, I would have had to walk about 7 kilometres return to do the next confluence but yes, you guessed it, I found a dirt road that I thought would take me to about one kilometre from the spot before yet another one that took me within 200 metres.

This is getting too easy, I'm spoiled and will expect them all to be easy if that keeps going. As we drove around and as I walked to the confluence, it was a sad acene of devastation. A recent bush fire had razed the whole place. I knew it had happened not long ago since there were still a few pockets smoking or even burning here and there. There was nothing green left on the ground or the trees. Those dry conditions are very conducive to such consequences. It made for a very easy confluence as I walked between the singed tree stumps with a clear view of where I went.

I'm sure the place will look very different in a few months. We're off to try 31S 149E tomorrow