#4: [15-Jan-21]

#2: [14-Dec-06]

#1: [22-Sep-06]

07-Dec-2012 -- The story starts at 43°S 147°E and continues from 23°S 148°E.

This confluence point is on a 400 km stretch of road (the Gregory developmental highway) without any towns. There is only one roadhouse in the middle; otherwise there is no water supply. For a cyclist, this piece of road this is quite a challenge during summertime. I was lucky to get to know farmers at the Wilesby farmstead, who supplied me with water and food.

From the farmstead, it was another 10 km to the turnoff to the confluence point. A dusty back road towards the Laglan farmstead for another 8 km got me within 400 m to the barren goal. I reached the exact location after a 400 m walk of circumnavigating cows. The point is a bold spot with a plain soil cover. There are some scattered trees and bushes in 100 m distance.

After the visit, I returned to the highway and continued the bike trip towards Charters Towers. It took me another 2 days until I reached the town.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to an asphalt road: 8000 m
• Distance to a track: 400 m
• Distance of bicycle parking: 400 m
• Time to reach CP from bicycle parking: 10 minutes
• Time at CP: 5:30 PM
• Measured height: 218 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
• Position accuracy: 3 m
• Topography: flat
• Vegetation: barren, some dried blades of grass
• Weather: sunny, 37° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: The Bold Soil Confluence

More pictures of the trip can found at mautz.net.

The story continues at confluence 20°S 146°E.