#1: [22-Feb-08] (incomplete)

09-Jun-2024 -- Quilpie QLD 4480

If you live in Australia, chances are you must be at least 1000km from the nearest virgin confluence. It is not just that the place is big but because people here travel extensively and some ‘’greedy’’ hunters bagged some 6 to 10 confluences in one go from 10, 20 years ago, even in the sparsely populated Outback where we live. That still left around 200 virgin points for collection. However, they are all located in difficult and remote parts of the continent, some are deep in the wilderness. Searching on the closer ones to ‘’civilisation’’, I found this confluence (26S 144E) is right next to a track, only 4km from a public road, 95 km on dirt from Quilpie, a small in the southwest of Outback Queensland.

This confluence has the high potential to be successfully visited, but to do a trip just solely for it, is absurd even for me! This year King’s Birthday long weekend in NSW, we tried to celebrate his birthday while… we still can by doing a short trip to Queensland. After the fabulous hot spring bath in the newly open Cunnamulla Hot Springs facility, we dedicate the next day for the Quilpie confluence with the ambition of visiting it and returning to town for another artesian bore bath watching the sunset.

Even though it looks (literally) straightforward on satellite image, there are still many unknown factors which fuel both the adventure and uncertainty of the trip. The point is in a part called Channel Country where hundreds if not thousands of intertwined rivulets, creeks, streams sprawl all over the places. They are mostly ephemeral, but summer rain will make the trip impossible. Even in winter a few drops of rain will make the dirt road inaccessible and if the creeks right next to the confluence are running, will I be able to ford through the water on feet? Will there be a gate at the start of the track? The public road named Canaway Downs finish right after the turn to the confluence, will there be a gate cross the road with a ‘‘no trespassing’’ sign just before the confluence?

I tried to find the contact of the people at Canaway Downs station, but the little available information online indicates that the station has been sold in 2019 to a family in St George after more than 30 years owned by Scott & Megan Turner. I asked around but neither the station owner where I booked accommodation or the people I met in the pub, have the contact of the current station manager. A girl in the pub, just came down from Far North Queensland for work, let me know a vital piece of intelligence: “It hasn’t been raining for a while”. While feeling sympathy for her and the cockies, I quietly gained confident that the road won’t be too bad. At 1pm, looking at the confluence marked by the longitude and latitude on the map hanging on the pub’s wall, I strengthened my will to conquer.

There are two road going north from Quilpie to Adavale: the (unsealed) Adavale Black Rd and the (mostly sealed) Adavale Red Rd (officially Quilpie Adavale Rd). The Black Road is the original road and the one I took. It crosses the Bulloo River once, but the river is no more than a billabong that my ute can possibly wade through. The road was surprisingly good, at least for the first half of 62km. I cruised smoothly at 100-110 km/h (the lady at the Visitor Information Centre warned me that the other half will be somewhat rougher). The 33km of the Canaway Downs Road is not too bad either, except for the last bit. I found the track before the public part of the road finished.

Toward the end of the Canaway Downs Road, the ground turned darker with some water sitting in the table drain, concerns me a little bit. I had to stop at the start of the track to touch the ground, but no, it is not wet but firm and very rocky. Red rocks cover the land, roadwork here will only need water to grade the existing material on the ground! The dark red must be from the rock, and the moisture from the cold winter morning. I drove for another 3 km straight north then encountered the first dry creek. There are 3 in total before the confluence. To be safe, I decided to walk the last 1 km and Miley & Sunny will be waiting in the car watching the wandering cattle. The journey so far is beyond my expectation already. I did not expect I can get to this close with the car so to save any trouble with the sandy bed of the empty creek, I parked there.

The last walk is just a stroll in the park with beautiful sunny weather around 20°C. I was very happy as this is my first virgin confluence in Australia. It lies next to a stream/creek surrounded by mulga trees. I noticed that the confluence is on the eastern side of the fence, there is an almost identical track on the other side (Canaway Downs side) of this barbed wire fence that 50% broken. The confluence is possibly in the boundary the next-door station, Alaric. The 1933 Map of Queensland pastoral station showed Canaway Downs, Alaric and where the confluence located is ‘’Yeeminga’’. ‘’Yeeminga’’ does not show up online when searched so it is probably amalgamated into Alaric over the last century.

We ended up soaking in the hot (boiled by gas) artesian bore baths at 5.15pm watching the romantic sunset of a very lucky and successful day.