Third Report - Campfire & Daktari

Dear family and friends,

A few days have passed since my last report, but it feels like a much longer period because so much has happened. Looking back on the time I have spent here so far, it feels on the one hand that it has gone by very quickly. On the other however I feels as if I have been here much longer than just eight days...I guess I have quickly adjusted to life here in South Africa.

Due to extreme circumstances – the arrival of a 28-strong church group at Campfire – we decided it wise to spend the weekend at a different location. One of the students here, Marjolein, a Dutch girl who has worked for 8 months at Campfire and now runs her own volunteer agency, suggested we visit a wildlife “orphanage” called Daktari, managed by old friends of her from Hoedspruit. Everyone agreed that this would be a good plan, especially as it gave us a chance to see another part of the area and observe how a wildlife rehabilitation centre is run. This worked out for Laetitia as well because she had to go pick up her sons from boarding school (2 hours away) on Friday anyway and would now be able to spend the entire weekend with them.

So me, Tim (from England) and Marjolein set out for Daktari, about 1,5 hours away. This orphanage is relatively new – they’ve been living there for two years now but only just got their license, after waiting that same amount of time for it – but they already have a few creatures great and small. During the trip down there I asked Marjolein who owned the place and was surprised to find out I actually knew them. True, around this area everyone knows everyone else, but as an outsider it is sometimes difficult to get to know any of the locals so I was a bit relieved to see some familiar faces. The couple who own Daktari are Michelle and Ian; she used to run a well-known bar/restaurant called the Trading Post which I visited several times in 2005; he was head ranger for 8 years at one of the better known private game reserves in the area, Tshukudu Game Reserve, which I had visited twice before. They are both very easy-going but they have a strong work ethic and are now finally trying to realize their true dream: a wildlife orphanage which caters especially for disabled people. Unique.

There are only two reasons a person will live the rest of his or her life in this part of Africa: a passion for the bush or a passion for someone. Michelle and Ian have both and it is what keeps them going. They live in the middle of the middle of nowhere in their own game reserve which they bought when Michelle sold the Trading Post; they have not received a salary since they began two years ago, making just enough money to pay their employees, buy food and provide for the animals; Ian broke several discs in his spine (which is why he left as head ranger) and cannot lift or pick up things; they have more or less adopted an orphaned boy from a local village for whom they have bought a small house close to a school so he can get an education, he comes home for the weekend – and finally they have to manage their new business every day, trying to get funding from the government or private organizations, doing marketing and trying to attract guests and volunteers. But their passion for the bush and each other keeps them going, they make it look easy even though it is anything but.

Despite all the problems they face and have faced their house and surrounding gardens are absolutely stunning. After making introductions we quickly settled into our respective accommodations (brick rondawels/huts, thatched roof, with bathroom), which were also stunning and definitely satisfied our vision of what an African lodge should look like. Due to the fact that there was no electricity (yet), light was provided by a legion of old fashioned oil lamps which were lit all around the camp in the evenings, adding even more to the “Out of Africa” feeling. On Friday we went out for a short bushwalk before dinner. The property belonging to Daktari is fenced in and there are no “Big 5”, so I was a lot more at ease than when I go for walks at Campfire (which is connected to the Kruger Park). They do have a respectable population of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and many smaller mammals. One or more leopards also live in the thick, swamp-like terrain, but even an experienced ranger like Ian has not seen one of these shy cats yet, the many tracks that can be found on the roads and the occasional zebra carcass as the only proof these shy cats are present.

After dinner the discussion ended with a proposition from Ian that, if we wanted, we could do some work during the weekend. Perhaps it was because we were instantly charmed by the location and the work Ian and Michelle are trying to do, but something made us drop our laid back, African-time-way-of-doing-things (read: lazy, spoiled European butts). The work Ian proposed to us was the building of a large birdcage/aviary for a group of spotted owls that they would receive in the coming week. On Saturday morning we first did a little mathematics, planning out the size and height of the cage considering the materials we had available. I blacked-out a little while they were doing the calculations, very strange, but I do recall thinking it was a bit on the small side. If we were going to build something, I wanted it to be a little bit more impressive. Let me also mention that this was the first time I was going to work in construction.

Several packs of bandages, a few bottles of disinfectant, a sun-burned back too painful to even look at, an endless supply of lukewarm water and about 5 kg in bodyweight later…
Our “small” aviary was finally finished on Sunday evening, much to our relief. Luckily Tim has worked many years in construction and he was essential at directing me and Marjolein in the right direction. We nervously awaited Ian’s verdict. The man is very kind but also very critical of anything related to his business – 18 years in the Zimbabwean (and South African) Special Forces will do that. But we had nothing to fear. Compared to the other cages ours looked like something out of a posh zoo, or so Ian thought, and he said it would probably stand for at least ten years. A job well done.

We wrote our names in the concrete floor (Bird – Marjolein’s nickname; TP – Tim’s initials and toilet paper; Dikdik – my own nick from 2005), took a few pictures and that was that.
Right now I am back at Campfire after two days spent living at Laetitia's appartment in Hoedspruit, where yesterday evening we had a farewell party dedicated to me and another friend of Laetitia's who is leaving. I don't have time to go into all that I'm afraid, but as you can see I am still alive and well. This afternoon we are driving to the Kruger Gate (about 1,5 hours away) where I will meet with the people from South African National Parks to start my 2-week training period.

There is much more to say, but we are heading to the Olifant's River one last time before I leave so unfortunately it will have to wait for another time.

I hope you are all well and still enjoying my writing (if you're not just don't tell me).

Pictures: 1) All of us having sundowners after a hard day's work. 2) The three of us at the finished Campfire Owl Cage (patent pending).