Hello world!I know you are probably irritated with me for not updating my blog for almost 2 months! I know, I’m useless, but life just happens and then the day is done and I have forgotten to update my blog, or email any one. Don’t worry I won’t tell you what has happened every day since the last update, just some highlights of life as an Nkomazi guide and skivvy.
The beginning of July brought our first guests. This meant that Hannah and I were taking out guests together, usually to help out with the lodge being full, or taking company site inspections out. This also meant taking all willing guests out on the mountain bikes (just me, everyone else is to unfit, or has been sick). In the vehicle we have been exploring the reserve, looking for rhino or taking guests for amazing coffees or sundowners’ views. On bike, we approached giraffe, rhino and other animals, or chase herds of wildebeest, hartebeest and Blesbuck across the plains.
Later in July I played Ambulance-Ambulance as I drove our head chef to the Barberton Medi-clinic as she broke her foot whilst preparing lunch for the guests. This worked out quite well for Hannah as she was stuck in Nelspruit, returning from her days off. She got a lift through to Barberton and back to the lodge with us.
Whilst our wildlife manager was on leave (during which time she was forced to leave the reserve) we had to feed the cheetah for her. So with Jannie (our head ranger, and my boss) ill, Kirstin (our duty manager) and I went to feed the cats their defrosted, slightly smelly, bloody leg of Blesbuck.
When the lodge is not full we get to drive around the reserve clearing roads, marking roads for our reserve map, and just exploring. On one of these exploration trips we were taken to the other side of the reserve, to Mawelawela. Mawelawela is a beautifull part of the property which is not included in the big 5 reserve as it is filled with mountains and valleys in which our elephants would love to disappear in. Whilst driving around a frantic radio call came through for us. Our whereabouts were questioned as our help was needed! A fire was raging on our highest peaks in the reserve, Belvue. We were closer than the other fire fighters so we rushed over. On the way a green and pink flash of feathers past us. Breaks screaming we stopped in amazement at the Nerina Trogen that had come out to tease us. No time for second looks and photos, we drove on. We fought a fire for 5.5hrs which burnt down almost 4 thousand ha. It was exhausting work as the wind would pick up and chase us up hill every so often. Eventually, dehydrated, shivering from the sudden disappearance of the sun behind the mountains, and utter exhaustion we left. The fire had crossed over our boundary, jumped our fire breaks and was beyond our reach; at least Nkomazi was now safe. We headed back for the staff braai which had been postponed for us so that we could also relax around the fire with a boerewors roll in one hand and a savanna in the other.
Earlier this week we were given the day off as a thank you for a helping with a conference group which sent us running in all directions. We were allowed to go with to drop off Hugo (one of our guides) at Jock safari camp in the Kruger (one of our sister lodges) to help them for a few days. We were given a tour of the concession and had lunch on the deck. It was a great road trip which was made even better by our leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino sitting whilst there.
Life is good, some days we sit and twiddle thumbs and other days we run around, but there is always something to smile about. Whether it is the sunny weather and blue skies or giraffe waiting for their family portrait to be taken, a smile is never far from my lips out here in the bush.
