11-Aug-2026 -- Ashley's version: We were passing through West Gippsland on the way to Raymond Island and I thought an easy confluence such as this would be a good opportunity for my 14-year old nephew Colin to gain his Junior Confluencer badge.

To approach the area we took a minor detour north from the Princes Highway (M1), turning off through the charmingly named locality of Robin Hood. Then up to Neerim East, which is conveniently located near Neerim South, Neerim, Neerim Junction, and Neerim North! (Disappointingly, there is no Neerim West - although it did get me wondering which town name has the most variations of any in the whole world.)

An on-the-road tutorial on geodesy had prepared Colin for the quest ahead: latitude rhymes with FLATitude and has parallels that can be likened to slicing horizontally through an orange. Longitudes converge on the poles and were a challenge for early navigators. And if you walk the 89th parallel you would encounter a confluence every 2km!

Parking can sometimes be problematic with roadside confluences. But this one was conveniently located near a clearing next to a school bus shelter where Whitelaw Track comes off Fraser Spur Road. Good spot to park. No school kids to be seen, which was a bit of a pity as an audience of curious/bewildered onlookers would have added to the novelty of it all as we headed off on foot down this lonely rural road.

Colin and I had our respective navigational apps drawn ready for the duel ahead. We only had to walk 250m down the road to the point where it became necessary to head off a few metres down an embankment to Spot Zero. It was easy scrubby terrain in a lightly forested roadside. I got there first, but only because my app showed just four decimal places. Colin's had five, which led to the comical sight of him getting tangled up in a tree vine as he stepped back and forth and sideways trying to get his ten ducks in two rows. Mission accomplished and photos taken - me and Colin all smiles with his dad Randal and auntie Katrina. Runs on the board for all three of my companions. And all good fun. But now I have to source a Junior Confluencer badge.

Colin's version: We started our journey by driving through the primitive temperate rainforest under heavy winds to reach the legendary so-called “confluence.” We parked on the side of a seemingly abandoned farmhouse and exited the car, not thinking much of this ominous omen. Little did we know, our group leader was leading us astray as he took us onto the north side of the road to search for the confluence. It quickly became apparent that Ashley was seriously intent on finding the confluence, no matter the casualties. We scrambled up a steep bench on the roadside, dodged barbed wire, and became entangled in vines before our group realized we were on the wrong side of the road. We retreated to the southwest, where we paced around for a while until we located the exact location of the confluence to five decimal intervals, which took a while. After our triumphant return to the car, Ashley quelled a mutiny by taking us to a cafe where I ordered a double chocolate milkshake, a slice of jelly on a biscuit with cream, and a strawberry cup cake with cream filling.