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the Degree Confluence Project
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Botswana : Central

36.4 km (22.6 miles) W of Sesume, Central, Botswana
Approx. altitude: 944 m (3097 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 21°N 156°W

Accuracy: 4 m (13 ft)
Quality: good

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

#2: South View from Confluence #3: West View from Confluence #4: North View from Confluence #5: East View from Confluence #6: View of GPS Screen #7: Tree near Confluence #8: Land Rover parked near Confluence #9: Coppery coloured Baobab tree in the near vicinity #10: At Kuke Corner after the successful visit

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#1: General View of Confluence Area (to the left of the large tree)

(visited by Peter Tiedt and Debby Darwent)

22-Aug-2007 -- During my vacation in Botswana from 9 - 24 August, I decided to fulfil a long term objective and visit this Confluence which, because of time constraints, I could not do when I was last in the vicinity in August 2005.

The Confluence lies in cattle post country, just to the East of the vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) in central Botswana, and is possibly one of the most remote Confluences in this beautiful country. Not far from the Confluence, at the north-eastern edge of the CKGR is a spot named as Kuke Corner, where two veterinary cordon fences meet. Vegetation is sparse mopani bush scrub, with only the occasional tree to break the monotony.

On this trip, I left Xwaraga camp on the border of the Makgadikgadi Pan's Game Reserve and headed southwards along the main surfaced road to a track running due west which I had marked from a GPS map sent to me. Analysing the map, I could see the track ran very close to the Confluence after a distance of about 38 km. I found the turning without any difficulty, and after crossing a salt pan, entered the mopani bush country, with the track in reasonable condition. Progress in the Land Rover was quite swift (for Botswana tracks) at about 35 - 40 km/h.

After about 30 km, I came across an abandoned cattle post and had to stop the vehicle and search on foot for the continuation of the track from the far (western) side of the village. I eventually found the track continuation, but this had obviously not been driven for many years, and the mopani bush had severely encroached on the track width. Forcing the vehicle through this for 7 km, I eventually arrived at a point about 40 meters from the Confluence, which was then easily documented.

So as not to scratch the vehicle any further, I decided to carry on westwards to Kuke Corner. The narrow track carried on for a further 3 km, and then exited onto a wide cutline running directly to Kuke Corner. From there I went south-eastwards to the main CKGR Matswere Gate - Rakops track and successfully got back to the hard-surfaced road about an hour later. Mission accomplished.


 All pictures
#1: General View of Confluence Area (to the left of the large tree)
#2: South View from Confluence
#3: West View from Confluence
#4: North View from Confluence
#5: East View from Confluence
#6: View of GPS Screen
#7: Tree near Confluence
#8: Land Rover parked near Confluence
#9: Coppery coloured Baobab tree in the near vicinity
#10: At Kuke Corner after the successful visit
ALL: All pictures on one page