28-Dec-2001 -- “Wilga Park”, Condobolin, NSW

Continued from 32ºS 148ºE.

From Trangie we headed towards Albert and Melrose on a couple of dirt roads before joining a sealed road that runs into the town of Condobolin.

Just before reaching Condobolin we turned right on a sealed road after crossing the 33ºS parallel. Following the pointer on the GPS we wound up outside a station called “Wilga Park”. We were still about one kilometre from the confluence and I was quite keen on getting closer via some farm tracks, but the main gate to Wilga Park was padlocked so I had to do this one on foot.

The temperature was well into the high 30s and the sun was directly overhead so I covered up with an extra T-shirt under my baseball cap to give me the Osama look.

The walk was quite hard because the land was inundated with a very prickly weed called Scotch Thistle which was cutting my legs to pieces - even through my jeans.

The confluence is about 50 metres from an intersection of two fence lines with gates and access roads, which would have made this confluence considerably easier had I been able to drive on to the property.

As I was heading back to the car trying to dodge the prickly weeds, a farm vehicle approached and pulled up next to me. I explained to the farmer what I was doing and told him that I tried to seek permission but couldn’t get to the farmhouse due the gate being locked. He told me that he and his family had been in Parkes all morning, had just got back and had already spoken to Ada, whom they presumed had broken down.

He was quite interested in the project and kindly gave me a lift back to my car which was certainly well appreciated.

Continued at 34ºS 147ºE.