#3: [10-Sep-06]

#2: [21-Dec-04]

07-Jul-2002 -- After the successful visit of Confluence 24S 28E our ambitions grew bolder and we decided to attempt to find one more Confluence (25S 27E) that same day, which is located some 150 km to the southwest. We decided to take the cross-country beeline trail that led us on sand tracks through wooded terrain, alongside the border of Marekele National Park, before joining the tarred road to Thabazimbi where iron ore is mined, hence the native naming of this town, meaning "Mountain of Iron".

From Thabazimbi we headed further south to another mining town, called Northam where Platinum is mined, where we gained access to the Swartklip mining area, where the Confluence was located in the adjoining villages for the mine workers who are natives from the area. Although, it is normally extremely difficult to negotiate through the untidy ramble of native huts, it proved to be fairly plain sailing and in the village of Magong we found a "hot spoor" in front of an empty, but fenced property.

Due to the fact that we were in a residential area, the scaling of the fence seemed to be improper and might have raised the suspicions of the people in this village. But luck was again with us, for we found the gate leading inside the property to be unlocked and we slipped inside. After not more than 5 minutes we were able to locate the Confluence 25S 27E. I really felt great, for it was my first time and I put it down to beginners luck that our mission was crowned by such success.

When arriving in Johannesburg, we registered that we clocked 800 km that day and felt tired but satisfied.