| I was born on a farm in
Africa – this set the stage for my lifelong
absorption in the land and everything on it.
The area where we lived was flat and featureless
but not without beauty. The Western Transvaal,
as it was known then, was punctuated with rocky
outcrops and rugged acacia trees. The life-supporting
band that flowed through it was the Vaal River.
Willow trees smothered its banks – the
tips of their branches hanging just clear of
the Vaal’s swollen waters. I
was one of four girls and my father selected
me to accompany him on farm duties. He was
a man who rose early and went to bed at sunset,
and I had little choice but to fall into his
rhythm. For many years we set off early to
fix a fence or tend to a sick animal. We watched
over the land and ministered to an endless
succession of projects. My father was a practical
man, a self-taught engineer, and he devised
innovative ways to bring water to the land
and feed his crops and cattle.
During our excursions I began
to recognise the signs of the wild as well
as understand them. I was taught to notice
the constant changes that take place in the
environment and became aware of nature’s
patterns. What’s more, I could appreciate
why these changes occurred. Unwittingly, the
legacy that my father passed to me was his
love of the land. While boarding school disrupted
our partnership, my father provided me with
a grounding that I will never forget.
Years later I went on safari
to Botswana with a man by the name of Izak
Barnard and instantly recognized his similarity
to my father. He had the same unassuming strength
of character and was equally dedicated to
things practical. He devised creative repair
jobs for his safari vehicles and invented
novel improvements for them. Moreover, like
my father, his knowledge of the bush was immense.
I travelled with him for short stretches over
a period of ten years, this time learning
the beauty of the land that is Botswana, Namibia
with its haunting landscapes, and Zambia,
mother of the most amazing river on our continent.
My love of the land led me into
the safari business over twenty-five years
ago and blossomed when I established my own
company specialising in Namibia, Botswana,
Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa. We design
and arrange journeys to these remarkable destinations
and take pride in providing our guests with
amazing experiences.
We
are passionate about sharing the things we
love about Southern Africa: beautiful people,
fascinating animal and plant life, dramatic
rivers and mountains, haunting deserts and
spectacular coastal regions.
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