16-Feb-2001 -- This confluence-hunting trip was a spur of the moment thing. It was lucky we had the GPS with us. We were down in Wellington for a wedding and Sue, who had taken no previous interest in such things, had been amused when one of the other guests, my sister Cici, told her that an internet search on my surname name came up prominently with entries on the confluence project. One thing led quickly to another and to keep her husband happy, there we both were the next afternoon driving home to Hamilton via a confluence hunting detour that added 200km and a few hours to the trip.

The hunt was a bit of a dull affair. A grey damp day and a rather uninteresting site. The point lies in the middle of a forestry block. We didn't have a good map with us and let the GPS direct the travel. The best access road into the block was pretty obvious off the Riversdale Beach road just south of Whareama. Luckily the gate was not locked and signs indicated we were trespassing but we decided to risk it as there appeared to be no one around and certainly no logging activity. The dirt road ran for about 3km up to a high ridge and to within 200m of the confluence. The confluence was about 40m vertically down the west side of the ridge, most of which had been recently cleared of pine trees. Unfortunately the exact point was about 30m into the remaining forest and despite our best efforts we could not get a reliable satellite fix in the forest. It was an impossible tangle of undergrowth in the forest and I really tested Sue's patience as we fought it and the surrounding mud to locate the point by triangulation from the forest edge. Sue had the additional problem of only having very loose fitting sandals to wear: not at all suitable for bush bashing in the native bush that had grown up under the huge pine trees.

So we have done it but someone else really must do it on a fine and dry day: I bet the seaward views to the east, from the high ridge, would be magnificent.