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| Nature
rules OK!
It’s 05H00 Monday the 25th April 2005 - I’m in a hut in Shingwedzi camp in the northern Kruger National Park. I drove up from Satara the day before in order to position myself for a 14-day safari itinerary with a couple from the United Kingdom. Their safari starts today and ends on the 9th of May 2005. This will be a testing itinerary. My son will be born by caesarian section on the 4th of May – I will leave my guests for two days during their safari (in the capable hands of field guide who will replace me for the three days) My chef – Doug, will host a birthday and anniversary “special occasion” meal on the 4th and 5th as my guests will celebrate his birthday, and their second wedding anniversary on safari. I will return on the 6th and continue the safari until the 9th when they depart. All sorted – everybody is happy with the arrangements. The correspondence and planning started many months ago. 14 days guiding two people is quite a long time and my head moves through the various landscapes and eco-zones we’ll be moving in – the activities and the evenings, my guiding will concentrate on observation, my guests have requested that I guide them, and have specifically requested that they are keen to learn and observe animal behaviour during their time in the bush. 06H05 Monday the 25th April 2005 – I am about to leave camp for Sirheni Bushveld camp – unpack and then drive up to Punda Maria gate for 14H00 to collect my guests, I’ve reserved an hour 05H00-0H600 to relax, watch the sunrise, listen to the birds and basically mentally prepare for the next 14 days – and then I get a phone call…. “Hi Neil it’s Tina (my wife) I‘m in labour what should I do?” Tina and I had basically done just about everything humanly possible to allow me the opportunity to be at my son’s birth – We had visited the doctor a couple of days before to assess the situation “Everything is on track for the fourth of June – This boy will wait!” My heart sank. It’s going to happen and I’m not going to be there! Tina and I had obviously talked about it before – Guiding is a profession in which many personal compromises will need to be made – this was going to be one of the biggest sacrifices we would have to deal with. 06H10 – Monday 25th April 2005 – My emotions are running wild – I can’t be there, and if I leave Shingwedzi now – I’ll loose cell phone signal until just before Babalala picnic spot – OK, I’ve got to move but I’m torn between staying with the cellular signal or loosing it until Babalala - Tina is organising someone to drive her to hospital and I’m in the middle of the bush. My guests have just left JHB and are now on their way to Punda Maria gate. 06H30
– Monday 25th April 2005 – I call Tina on her
cell phone. “Neil, I’m on my way to the labour ward
– I’ll let you know what’s happening when I get
there.” OK, I make a quick time calculation – I’ll
get to Babalala at about 07H45 – “I’ll call you
at 07H45 to find out – I should be at Sirheni at 08H15 –
I’ll call you from the public phone there. OK, good luck.” 07H50 – Monday 25th April 2005 - I reach the turnoff (S57) to Sirheni bushveld camp. No signal (I know it comes and goes) I make a quick decision and head towards the camp. 08H15 – Monday 25th April 2005 - I get to the camp, jump out of the vehicle and call Tina’s cellular number from the public phone booth. “Tina!” “Neil – Jack has arrived – Jack’s here he’s beautiful Neil.” Tina was crying, I was crying – the joy, the lump in my throat and a all encompassing urge to get home immediately – I could only hold on to the phone as the Mopane bushveld around me blurred into a watery rinse. It took a couple of minutes, a couple of minutes for me to pull myself together, a couple of minutes for the management and staff of Sirheni bushveld camp to comprehend the situation (which must have been odd) A field guide, open vehicle and trailer in tow, arriving at the gate, jumping out of the vehicle, on the public phone immediately and then bursting into tears and shouting “I’m a daddy!” And of course – a couple of minutes for reality to set in – I had a few hours to unpack, set up the guests cottage and get my frozen foods, etc into the camp freezer, and then head off to Punda Maria gate to meet my guests and start guiding. I would not be able to get home for eight nights – and I knew they would be the most difficult eight nights away from home that I would ever have to endure, especially since my news and needs must remain second to my guests needs while on safari. When my guests arrived at Punda Maria they had their own news – His father had sadly passed away a week before, and although they almost cancelled the safari they had decided to dedicate their adventure to his memory as he was the one who wanted them to see African wildlife in action and it was because of his wish that they had not cancelled the safari. All this plus a second wedding anniversary, a 30th birthday and 14 days in the presence of the greatest teacher of nature – The Kruger National Park. Nature rules, OK! A sense of humility and complete understanding that no matter how much we believe that we can manipulate the natural processes of life and death – we cannot, and this still remains my biggest lesson. I made a cup
of substitute coffee from the roasted seeds of a Baobab tree –
it really is a pleasant drink, especially because this time I really
meant it when I commented – “From the tree of life –
We drink to the soul of Africa!” I include feedback
received from my guests on this particular safari. |
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| Thank
you for your initial information on bearded heron safaris. As you
are aware we have just come back from a 14 day safari in the Kruger....in
one word it was.....SPECTACULAR.
The Safari exceeded our expectations by far. It was a once in a lifetime experience. My husband and I were overwhelmed at not only seeing the wildlife but understanding the animals. Neil our guide provided us with a proper interpretation of the wildlife, how the animals behave socially and how they live. We learnt how to track animal by using our senses. The trip was very well organised from being picked up from J'burg airport to being dropped off before returning to UK. The standard of accommodation was great and varied from chalets to tents to guest houses. And the food Doug prepared was just mouth watering. All in all we could not expect much more. |
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Neil
Heron The Bearded Heron Send your comments to neil@beardedheron.com
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Jack Douglas Heron