10-Feb-2008 -- Sunday 10th February 2008

It had been a number of months since our last confluence visit, so with a cool summer weekend temperature forecast of only 25° C predicted, I put plans in progress for our next confluence visit and our first for 2008, and contacted Mrs Shelly Byrnes for permission to enter their property and log this confluence. Shelly was well aware of the Degrees Confluence project and gave me permission to enter the paddock to where the confluence is located with our vehicle.

Making the most of a perfect Sunday morning we were up at 6am for an early start, as we had to travel over 240 kilometres to reach the confluence. Leaving our home town of Clare, we headed south through the Barossa Valley, stopping frequently at some of the very fine attractions along the way, as well as checking out the largest Giant Rocking Horse in the world at Gumeracha. Any visitor to the Adelaide Hills, either local or international, should make this a must see. There is also a wildlife park there also, so you get to see and feed the local fauna.

Heading further south and just southeast of Woodside, we turned off of the main road and turned down Military Road. Following Military Road, it was not long before we came to the Military Road / Jones Road intersection, which is now very clearly marked. Speaking with Shelly after the confluence visit, the Jones Road Sign has only been there for about 12 months, after many requests to her local council. It is at this road junction, that it is only 700 metres to the actual confluence. Also at this junction, there is a gate which gave us access to their property and took us through 2 further gates to reach the confluence area. Not wanting to take the car too close to the confluence, we drove to within 70 metres of it and then walked the very short distance the actual spot.

It is very interesting to compare the photos from the last visit in 2003 by Targ Parsons. Shelly said that the paddock where the confluence is located has not been cropped since then and has remained fallow. With photos in hand, we then backtracked out to the road. From here, we headed further down Military Road towards the Old Princes Highway Road and further south to Goolwa and Victor Harbour and finally arriving home at 9.15pm after a long and very rewarding day.

One last point for any future visits to this site, is that the Byrnes do not mind people logging this confluence, providing that intending visitors do the right thing and give them the courtesy of a phone call. Also common sense is expected when entering their property with a vehicle. If you are not able to drive through their paddocks, follow Jones Road and like the previous visits, you will have to enter their property over the barbed wire fence.