27-Dec-2004 -- 04 South / 120 East

An incomplete Confluence Visit on the Island of Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Team: Joerg Lieberei (Germany), Kathrin Mengel (Germany), Alex Perry (Australia) and Mr. Amir our guide and driver (Indonesia)

We attempted this confluence on the morning of December 27th. Alex, who hitchhiked in our car was happy to join the trip although she had never heard of the Degree Confluence Project and probably found our agenda a bit strange.

Having studied our tourist map of Sulawesi, it was obvious that the confluence lay in or just on the shore of Lake Lapompaka near the town of Sengkang. There is another bigger lake close-by, which is famous for its birdlife, Lake Tempe. However these lakes are not really huge surfaces of open water. Since they are very shallow, the lakes are covered with reeds and vegetation and the water level varies considerably depending on the seasons.

A good road brought us 1.500 metres close to the confluence. From there we followed along a river on foot. At this time of the year water levels are low and the area which is flooded during rainy season was now accessible on foot. The bottom of the lake was now cultivated with pumpkins and other crops. Approximately 650 metres away from the confluence, walking was not possible anymore because we reached a lower lying area that was now a swamp. Some locals who we met there told us that at this time of the year boat access was not possible. However, one could try to get to the confluence when water levels were higher. The locals also advised us not to attempt to wade through the swamp because of the crocodiles in the area. Therefore we decided to call this one incomplete and returned back to the car.

Although no successful visit, still an interesting trip and some nice walking.