#2: [15-Jun-02]

17-Jul-2001 -- After staying the night with my cousins, we headed off back along the South Coast Highway to Boxwood Hill then northwest up through Borden to Gnowangerup. The drive took us past the Stirling Range - the highest peak, Bluff Knoll, is just about the only place in Western Australia that frequently has snow on the ground during winter.

Taking the Gnowangerup Tambellup Road south, we turned onto the road to the airstrip and followed the GPS through a couple of open gates (although obviously on someone's property) until we came to a paddock of young wheat. The confluence was 885m directly across the field. This was another that was so close but that we couldn't get to without walking across crops.

We drove back to the closest farmhouse, but - despite a ute in the yard with the radio on - there was nobody around. After waiting about an hour or so, we decided to head off and leave this one for a return visit.

Having taken time off work and feeling so prepared, it was disappointing to be so near ... but so far. Must be the motto of unsuccessful visits anywhere.

Still, we had one more planned visit to go - and this time I wasn't going to be easily put off! We headed southeast to the elusive 35S 117E.