11-Jun-2008 -- After leaving our last confluence of 26S-132E, we headed towards Yulara which was important for a few main reasons. Firstly it was a chance for a hot shower after a few days out in the bush and secondly our last chance to restock our supplies before heading further west and out into the Western Deserts and nearly two weeks before we would reach Alice Springs.

Leaving Yulara, we headed out past Ayers Rock and the Olgas before heading out further west towards Docker River and the Western Australia Border. Any person wishing to travel out from Yulara should be advised that you are travelling through Aboriginal Land and my group required 9 different permits each for our Western Deserts Trip.

Our branch off point to reach this confluence was the Irving River, on the Docker River Road, where we were still over 11 Kilometres from the confluence. Setting up our camp for the night on the banks of the Irving River five kilometres from the main Docker River Road, we would not know how far we would be able to travel cross country the next day, as fires from the previous year had left pockets of Spinifex still over 1 metre high, which would make cross country driving very difficult.

Leaving camp early the next morning, we were only able to drive a further 1 ½ kilometres before the Spinifex was getting very dense and would put a halt to our driving and a 4 ½ kilometre walk to reach the confluence. Not all in the group were able to walk that distance, so those that could set off. The terrain during the walk changed drastically from sand dunes covered with dense Spinifex, to low mulga scrub to open plains with burnt out timber. Arriving at the confluence, it was the usual confluence dance, photos in hand and the walk back to our waiting vehicles.

Logging a confluence is always fun, but better knowing that you are the first person to log that confluence. From here it was further west to log yet another confluence the following day, and our first in Western Australia at 25S-128E