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the Degree Confluence Project
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South Africa : Mpumalanga

13.9 km (8.6 miles) WNW of Carolina, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Approx. altitude: 1633 m (5357 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 26°N 150°W

Accuracy: 4 m (13 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: Looking North #3: Looking East #4: Looking South #5: GPS readings #6: Rutger crossing the fence #7: Our two parties meeting at the Confluence #8: Farm workers' houses

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  26°S 30°E (visit #1)  

#1: Looking West

(visited by Ferdi Schenck, Rutger van Mazijk, Walter Sigl, Ellen Lenz, Angela Noske and Heinz Noske)

09-Aug-2002 -- This day, 9 August is a public holiday in South Africa. We arranged a party of 4 to hunt down above Confluence. The members of our small party where Walter Sigl, his friend, Ellen Lenz, my husband, Heinz Noske and myself, Angela. We left Johannesburg early in the morning with 2 motorcars and arrived at the Mission Station Helpmakaar near Wonderfontein in the province Mpumalanga shortly before 10 am, when the GPS readings warned us that we were very close to the above Confluence.

When we left our vehicles behind to do the last view metres on foot we saw a white off road vehicle in the distance. It was at first concealed by the fog, but when the mist clouds lifted we saw 2 people moving towards the same point, but from the other side of the fence that encircled a large maize field. When these two men climbed over the fence there was no doubt about their intentions. As we drew closer towards them, we recognised each other from the pictures in the Internet. After grinning at each other rather sheepishly we shook hands and introduced ourselves. They where Ferdi and Rutger who had already visited the Confluence 25S 29E just two weeks before it was visited by us. This time we had the same idea on the same day and arrived at the same time, so we agreed to share this Confluence between ourselves and I was allowed to submit the story.

As already mentioned the Confluence was near the Mission Station Helpmakaar, which is situated on the farm Leliefontein of Mr. Willie Cronje, who granted permission to visit the point on his property. The farm is within the district of Carolina. The Confluence is quite in the centre of a fallow maize field. The area around is commercial farmland and fairly featureless. Nearby is Nooitgedacht dam.

After the mapping of this Confluence our newly found friends went home to register the Confluence, whereas we carried on towards Swaziland to register the last available Confluence 26S 32E there.


 All pictures
#1: Looking West
#2: Looking North
#3: Looking East
#4: Looking South
#5: GPS readings
#6: Rutger crossing the fence
#7: Our two parties meeting at the Confluence
#8: Farm workers' houses
ALL: All pictures on one page