#3: [19-Jul-01]

#4: [30-Nov-14] (incomplete)

27-Jan-2001 -- This was my third goal for the Australia Day long weekend. The previous day, I had successfully visited s34 e117 and s35 e118, and hoped to complete the hat trick before driving back to Perth and home. I had camped for the night beside the Kalgan River near Albany, and woke early enough to see mobs of kangaroos wandering around in the mist. They're a bit wary of people, but I managed to take a few photos before they headed back into the bush.

Between the Kalgan River and Albany is the only place in Australia I have actually seen a quicksand warning! (Pic 7)

The road between Albany and Walpole is one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the south of Western Australia. Much of the coastal area has been proclaimed as National Parks, and access is via a few major roads to protect the natural values of the region. Just north of Irwin Inlet (my destination) is the Giants Tree Top Walk, a boardwalk through the canopies of towering Karri and Tingle trees which is promoted as one of WA's most spectacular tourist attractions by supermodel Elle McPherson. There's also the Giant Red Tingle tree, considered to be one of the ten largest living things on the planet (though this last one sounds like a bit of active Australian imagination to me!).

After Denmark, I kept going past the small town of Kenton then turned south onto George Ebbett Road. I drove to the end of the road and, with nowhere else to go and still 2.06kms away from the point, turned into a property run by Hal McHenney. After explaining to Hal and his small daughter, Emily, what I was doing there, he explained that the only ways to reach the confluence were either to go back and attempt a 19kms 4-wheel drive track from Boat Harbour to Irwin Inlet, or to contact one of the few people living on the small peninsula on the other side of the Kent River and go across by boat. He kindly invited me inside and upstairs, where I could take a few pictures from the top story of the house, showing Irwin Inlet through the trees, and even telephoned friends across the river to see if they were home and able to come and get me. Unfortunately, there was no answer, but Hal passed on their contact details.

This will be a special confluence to go back and try again :*)