Week 1 at Bushwise
Well 2019 has started with something I’ve been looking forward to for months… Bushwise! On the 5thof January, Ryan and I said some tearful goodbyes at Heathrow and got on our plane to Johannesburg. We had a day to catch up on sleep in a swanky hotel, before meeting our course mates for our transfer to campus. It started a little crazy with one student being left behind at the airport and driving round and round the airport to pick him up, so this should have really been a sign of all the craziness and laughs to come.
After a long drive to Hoedspruit full of laughs and getting lost once, we arrived at Mahlahla – our home for the next 6 months, and wow it was gorgeously hot! Going from -3°C to nearly 40°C and high humidity is a bit of a shock to the system though, so the next few days were rather sweaty. Campus is much more equipped than some place we’ve stayed in previously – we have electricity, WiFi, hot water, washing machines, a pool, and amazing staff. After our long day we headed to bed early in our rondavels, which get hot as hell but have a fan and lights – a luxury!
The next day was full of paperwork, with lots of forms to sign and lots of information to take in about our forthcoming course. This was one hell of a hot day, and although the classroom has fans, they didn’t scratch the surface of keeping us cool. Luckily we were all sweating buckets so it has now become the norm to look drenched! It was worth it though for our welcome braai in the evening, where we all got the chance to hear more about each other and have a good laugh over amazing food. I knew at this point everyone was just as mad as me and we were going to get along great.
Wednesday came and we started yoga club in the morning before our activities. Although we now have some awful embarrassing photos of us in strange positions (thanks Tyron!), we’re all really enjoying starting the day this way. We then had our first lecture which was an introduction to guiding. This really sparked our excitement at what we were about to learn and experience and motivated us to start working our butts off. In the afternoon, the South Africans did their driving assessment and demonstrated tire changes while us internationals took a trip to Polokwane to get our traffic numbers. Next stop is to get our learner’s licence!
After a particularly sweaty yoga session on Thursday morning, we went to the Kinyonga Reptile Centre in Hoedspruit for a reptile orientation, a place and orientation I have been to and done countless times now, however every time I go I absolutely love it and would definitely recommend to anyone in the area who want to learn more about some amazing animals. We then got our uniforms in the afternoon ready to look the part for the upcoming weeks.
Friday was the start of our two-day First Aid course which was full of practicals and taught by the awesome Jan. He was so knowledgeable and experienced, we really couldn’t have asked for anyone better. His teaching ability was shown off when we all passed our theory and practical test with flying colours on Saturday, with most of us getting 100% and no one under 98%! Talk about setting the bar high for the rest of our tests, let’s hope we can keep this up!
Us internationals did our driving assessments on Saturday afternoon and as always, being a short 5’3” gave me a few problems. Thankfully I could reach the pedals, and with a few cushions under my bum I could actually see over the steering wheel, but there was almost a foot between me and the back of the seat. If no one has ever had to try driving like that, you’ll know the struggles I went through! Somehow I managed to drive in between hoisting myself forwards to keep in touch with the pedals, but I definitely need to take pillows with me when I’m the one driving… how embarrassing!
Saturday evening was one to remember (or forget!) when we went for our first night out at the bush pub in Mahlahla. We finally got to meet Kim who was the one to get us this far, as well as some local game rangers, owners, and managers – always useful to get your face out there and meet everyone. After a few drinks and competitive games of pool we called it a night before we caused too much mischief.
Sunday a few of us awoke with sore heads, myself included. Have you ever tried to do yoga when you’re a bit heady? I recommend not, I’ve never been so unbalanced! However, it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences as a herd of sable came galloping past to drink at the water. We watched them for about half an hour, drinking and fighting each other, full of energy after the rains. Sadly, I didn’t have my camera with me but I won’t forget that morning easily! The rest of the day would turn out to be just as good, filled with studying for Monday’s test and breaks in the pool to cool off in the sun, followed by a gorgeous sunset. Who could want anything more than to be with friends somewhere as amazing as the bush?
It feels so good to be back in the bush again, it’s like coming home. I love being able to hear the roar of the lions, the huge variety of bird calls, and of course listening to the frogs singing happily at night after a rain storm. One thing I’d forgotten about was how I love being able to smell such a wide range of animals and plants so strongly out here. There’s no car fumes, no city smells, and no city noises. You can sit under the stars at night and feel so small, yet so connected to everything around you. I feel so privileged to be here right now, finally able to do something I’ve wanted to for years. Let’s see where this year takes us all!
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