Australia received the first official crop circles of the 2006 season, as reported here by RICHARD GILES...



Here are the first piccies from the Conondale crop circles of 29/30th March 2006. These have appeared in the same area as the circle formation in 2004 and almost to the exact same date. For those not familiar with the Malenty-Conondale area, it’s located in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, which is about 100 klms north of Brisbane, Queensland.

In late March 2004, a four-circle formation appeared in pasture grass on Aherns Road, Conondale, out of sight of the main road. It was discovered by some local boys on bikes.

This 2006 appearance of a circle formation is a two-circle set on Cookes Road, which is just a few kilometers from where the first circles appeared in 2004. It is also out of sight on the road and was again found by some locals on bicycles.

The formation is simple, with one larger and one small circle. The compass line-up of the centres of the two circles, according to Paul Boulton (pictured), is just about exactly the same as the compass orientation of the line of centres of the circle formation of 2004 - this is just off true North.

In 2004 the local farmer eventually destroyed the formation, but not after it was thoroughly recorded. He did this because of the publicity and a stream of visitors. This time around the farmer is concerned about his land, so no visitors are being encouraged to visit the site, though a few days later he did appear on a TV news story, so his position has somewhat changed.

The question we need to ask is what makes Conondale, of all places in Australia, so unique that we have experienced two circle formations in two years that stand the test of genuineness? Is this region special in some way? Are there some unique soil properties here encouraging the circle makers or is it a message to small communities to get their acts together because of this shifting moment in history?

Just down the road from Conondale is Crystal Waters community village, a property of six hundred acres with 200 people living on it in a test of small self-sufficient communities established outside the mainstream. You can visit the websites if you go to:

http://www.ecologicalsolutions.com.au

If you wish to see the 2004 and 2006 formations and photos at Conondale go to:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bwratten/ccc.html