#5: [18-Nov-13]

#4: [30-Aug-03]

#3: [23-Aug-01]

#2: [23-Apr-01]

23-Dec-2000 -- When I left home at 6 am with the intention of capturing some wide open spaces on film for the Degree Confluence Project I did not anticipate ending up in someone else’s back yard.

After travelling for about two hours on Albany Highway I reached the small town of Williams. The GPS indicated my destination to be approximately 13 km in an easterly direction. Turning left to Narrogin, I followed the curving road, wondering at each change of direction how far the confluence would be from the bitumen.

With approximately 300 m to go the required bearing turned due north, right at the entrance of a farmhouse. At 8:15 am on the Saturday prior to Christmas I was reticent to disturb the occupants, however I plucked up the courage and knocked on the door. The owner answered and after a slightly embarrassed explanation, from my part, showed some interest in my quest and allowed me to proceed.

The point of confluence was about 10m west (to the right) of the second power pole in Photo 3. After taking a number of photos I returned to the house to confirm my findings as agreed. The owner (he didn't offer his name) was interested in the outcome although did not want to be photographed for the record. His property, located in the "wheat belt" of Western Australia is more of a hobby farm at 200 acres and a part time pursuit. He runs sheep (dung can be seen on the ground near the GPS in photo #5) and I presume wheat.

The house was substantially larger than the southern aspect shown in photo #4 reveals and appears to have been a well restored and extended house originally built closer to the turn of the nineteenth century.

I gave him my card, wished him a good Christmas and started for home, which was 162 km and 319° as the crow flys, or about 210 km via road. On the way back through Williams I couldn't resist taking a photo of a couple of the local inhabitants at "The Wool Station" in the main street which specialised in wool products.

Coordinator's note: After visiting this confluence on 30 August 2003, I've changed the status of this visit to incomplete. Mike was probably using the older Australian datum, AGD84, which would give an apparent location 200m to the southwest.