#3: [11-Jun-17]

#2: [11-Dec-12]

06-Sep-2001 -- We decided to do this confluence when on our fortnightly shopping trip. As we travel 160km each way to shop, an extra 105 is not a great deal more. We just had to leave an hour or so earlier than usual which, being 04:50, was still peak hour for kangaroos, so the speed was moderate until the sun was up a bit.

After Charters Towers, which is where we shop, we travelled another 20km before crossing the mighty Burdekin River, which gets some mighty floods in the wet. The marker showed the best height as over 21 metres; even in 1998 it went above 20 metres which must be thousands of times more water flowing than normal. A further 30km we turned off the highway at Mingela which must be known for its rodeo if nothing else. A further 40km saw the end of the bitumen at Ravenswood, which is an old gold mining town that appears to be down to 2 hotels and no shops, but maybe my eyesight notices pubs before anything else.

We then drove 15km on a gravel road that was quite different to others in the area. It was somewhat hilly and fairly scenic. Luckily my map was right and the road passed 280 metres from the point and also being flat with sparse vegetation I was able to turn off and drive to within 160 metres - WOO-HOO an easy one and done by 08:30.

The actual confluence turned out to be on a rocky outcrop about 2 metres high in undulating country with some quite nice mountain peaks in the area. My altimeter read 121 metres.

Then it was time to do our shopping, turn the air conditioner on in the car and drive home. The day's drive was 550km and we were home at 14:30.