#3: [11-Jan-21]

#2: [24-Apr-07]

27-Dec-2002 -- This is the first confluence in a planned confluence trip through outback Queensland and New South Wales during which I hope to pick up eleven previously unvisited confluences. Picture #7 shows the complete trip plan.

Coming from Caboolture, a fairly large community about 50 km north of Brisbane where we spent Christmas again this year, the confluence phase of our trip began at 6:50 am as we headed towards Condomine via Dalby. With a few pit stops along the way, we covered the 335 km to Condomine in about four hours, refuelled and were at the confluence half an hour later.

To get to the confluence, we simply headed to the Lillyvale Feedlot which is just south of the Arubial Lagoon. According to the 1:250K topo map, the confluence was right on the access road to the feedlot. As it happens, the confluence was about 15 metres from the road which is the closest I’ve ever had in my confluencing history.

We passed a stockman on horseback about 500 metres before the confluence and briefly explained our mission. He seemed quite relaxed about it all and had no problem letting us go ahead to take our photos.

It’s hard to say, but I would guess there were probably 5,000 or so head of cattle crammed into the feedlot, but luckily the paddock containing the confluence was only holding a few hundred head that were all quite some distance from the road. Even from about a kilometre away, the odour was pretty bad – but luckily the USB smell-o-vision adaptor hasn’t been invented yet!.

Continued at 28°S 149°E.