The Explorer
October/November 2006
News from the Bush!

Osunyai ~ Secret Sands of Tarangire ~ Journal entry:

Osunyai Wilderness Camp
Wilderness Travel Serengeti Wildlife Safari-12 guests

My function this safari, slightly different from my usual role as head guide, was to back up Noel Mbise as an additional Walking Guide for the overnight fly camp and sand river walks over the next three days and four nights.

As with most things related to our small, exclusive company, there is always an element of un-predictability and today’s arrival into camp proved, if nothing else that we always have to be prepared for the unexpected. Mzee, the Trip Leader on the SWS (Serengeti Wildlife Safari), had called in by HF radio, to request that the first of the two nights fly camping be moved forward one day and that the first group would like to fly camp this evening.

Fly camp of course, refers to the smaller satellite camp that we outfit from our large Wilderness Camp and by its very nature/description is a small, intimate camp, set in an area of outstanding beauty.

Whilst the size of the camp is small, it still requires an element of lead-time to set up, which had just been removed by Mzee’s request to start this evening. With the exception of our two chefs, busily preparing the first nights feast, everyone else in camp had been set duties to quickly load the fly camp, and help transport it to the site some 5 kilometres away.

Running alongside the fly camp preparations, Noel and I went through our pre-walk planning, which, like the lead-time for the fly camp, had just been severely reduced.

Walking at Osunyai is a tricky business, the area, quite intimate in its size, is primarily suitable for game walking along the banks and beds of the sand rivers that lead into the Tarangire National Park and as such are regularly frequented by large old Buffalo, whose only purpose in life, is to enjoy a peaceful retirement, away from the breeding herds of their youth and not as a subject of interest for the likes of us!

Therefore, we always prepare ourselves as best we can, with in depth briefs of where each walking guide intends to guide his guests, what might be expected to be encountered, and what precautions each guide will take to ensure a happy, safe and exciting time, whilst on the walks.

Five days previously, when I had recce’d out the walks that I intended to do, I had walked around a corner in the sand river to find three, very large, old, cantankerous Buffalo males blocking my trail! Seeing no sense in pushing a point, I slowly retreated and circuitously avoided the three retirees.

Professional planning therefore, is essential when walking in this sort of environment and so, vehicle back up, radio checks, ammunition selection and emergency procedures were discussed and agreed upon, as well as who would back up, each of us on the walks.

The evolution of Guided Walking Safaris within our company has moved through several different stages, as we fine-tune our needs, based on the type of guests that grace us with their company. Emphasis is now placed on our Professional Walking Guides to ensure the safety of our guests, whilst primary information giving on the walks, is left to the main safari guide who accompanies his guests, this allows minimum distraction for the armed tracker/walking guide at the head of the group, to assess risk and select suitable spoor/game to track as the walk unfolds. Of course, in a tracking situation, the Walking Guide provides the main lead and has ultimate discretion when deciding how far to push a stalk.

The walks, as it turned out, were exciting, but not that exciting! ie, we had great game viewing on foot without incident, fabulous night noises whilst trying to sleep at the fly camp and above all else, the elephants were outstanding just a few metres from our lounge tent so the afternoon walks consisted of a short walk in the Osunyai bush to a nice position on top of the river bank overlooking the elephant herds as they came and went, sloshing noisily as they took their fill of the fresh water streaming beneath the Osunyai sands.

Southern Africa  

With not a little excitement, we have just finalized planning for what we believe to be an ultimate Southern African adventure, featuring some of the finest camps in Botswana on the Okovango Delta and Kalahari Desert, plus the magnificent Victoria Falls.

There will be two departures for 2008, one in September and one in October, both peak viewing times before the rains hit, so game viewing is set to be outstanding with an incredible diversity of habitat from lush wetlands to skeletal salt pans.

Spaces are limited to 12 guests on each safari.

Please have a look at the itineraries.

Sebastian Chuwa - Restoring the Forests of Kilimanjaro

Well, Sebastian has yet again been recognized for his conservation efforts.

Featuring in the recent Conde Naste awards, Sebastian was honored for his flourishing projects on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro where re-planting of indigenous trees has now exceeded 1 million!

We as a company, and personally as friends of Sebastian, are very, very proud of his untiring efforts to conserve his beautiful country, well done Seba!!

Read about this latest accolade (PDF file, 876KB)

St Anthony’s Fund Raiser

We are proud to be supporting St Anthony’s in the city of San Francisco with its fund raising event next autumn 2007.

St Anthony’s is responsible for feeding many of the unfortunate homeless people of the city and relies on generating funds through donations and other avenues to sustain the valuable contribution to the community that it makes.

Wildlife Explorer has donated a complete Luxury Tented Safari for two during the Great Migration, plus wildlife photographs to auction during the event.

The event, promising to be one of the social fund raisers of the year, will be held right in the heart of the city with invitations only, to attend.

More information on St Anthony’s

Enough!!

Olerai is humming, with camps being sent out, mud to be wrestled from the short rains that have produced a green never before seen at this time of year (at least for a good few years), and children’s activities, including sports weekends, violin recitals and news from the colonies, as Hannah travels abroad on her gap year!

Quite something, to juggle it all and wait for results.

Jo and I are quietly, happy to be preparing for Christmas to be spent in the UK, and a first season of snow activities in Austria in the New Year.

In between then and now of course, it’s full on with the rest of life, flights backwards and forwards to The Ngaroi, then Kalifi to meet our good friends Mark and Victoria Stone the world renowned film makers and just a few Christmas puddings to be iced before our guests arrive for their festive safari.

So with that, we bid you farewell, have a safe and Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

With warm wishes,

Gary & Jo