#2: [17-May-06]

23-Jun-2005 -- On the 23 rd June 2005 we arrived at the confluence 25 south 137 east near Geosurveys Hill in the central Simpson Desert, Northern Territory, Australia. It had taken us 5 days of very difficult driving to cover the 300 kms from Birdsville in south western Queensland. Some of us had been quite close to here before on various expeditions through the Simpson Desert. The actual confluence is situated on the very crest of a large sandhill with magnificent views in all directions. The party consisted of six vehicles and fifteen people fully equipped for two weeks of open desert travel.

The Simpson Desert is the largest parallel sand dune system in the world with some of the dunes rising over 30 metres. The desert is red sand vegetated with spinifex and in places stands of gidgee (a stunted hardy tree growing 2 to 3 metres high). The dunes run nearly north-south with the “face” on the eastern side and the gentler slope to the west. This saw tooth shape means they are even more difficult to cross from the east.

We had an early lunch at the confluence and set off for Geosurveys Hill about 15 kms away arriving there some five hours later. With the sun setting in the west, the full moon rising in the east and blazing red sandhills stretching to the horizons, it was a memorable and romantic setting. So much so that two of our party promptly became engaged!

What a way to end the day of the Confluence, tears laughter and joy in the lonely splendour of the Simpson.

Ron McKendry