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Andrew Airnes
Field Guide Training Course South Africa
 Field Guide Course South Africa
What was your motivation to take a gap break?
I'd changed my life in 2005 and headed off round Europe on my motorbike. After a year and a bit of camping and travelling I wanted to try something a little different. The thought of going back to work on oilrigs or back to construction really didn't appeal. I was looking for ideas and saw the training programme. It was just affordable so I thought what the heck and signed up.
How did you feel before you joined the programme?
I was looking for a direction, a focus.
Did Gap Year For Grown Ups compare with your expectations?
To be honest I had no expectations. I was happy for the opportunity to do something different and the assistance from Gap Year For Grown Ups was a real bonus. |
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What was the accommodation like?
The accommodation was ok for me, and because I am a little older I was given my own room. Sharing a house with young South Africans was fun but could be challenging at times.
I was glad of the company of fellow brits as the relative isolation of the accommodation and being cut off from the outside world (we were 40k`s from the nearest town) would have been more taxing on my eardrums without Sam and Mat for company! |
What did you think of the programme?
It's strange, I had know idea what to expect. So when it dawned on me that this was a serious training programme I just went for it. As to what I thought of the programme, I enjoyed it. I must have I averaged 97% for the many exams, much to the South African's frustration!
What was the most memorable moment of your trip?
Seeing a cheetah take down a springbok in the Kgaligadi Transfronteir park, passing all my exams, working on the Eco schools project at my placement. Raising an African Wildcat, the wildcat that Steph Taylor mentions, raising a bat eared fox, working with film crews filming Buster the Honey Badger and Caesar the Caracal. I learned Falconry and flew Peregrine Falcons. Saving and releasing a Cape Vulture after 2 months of rehab and teaching it to fly again. Discovering that I have a vast knowledge of Flora Fauna geology climatology astronomy tracking etymology and a knack of guiding.
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I've now been working as a guide in Namibia for 5 months. I'm on the road all the time with a different destination and taking different Nationalities around Namibia. I'm now a lead guide, which has meant 3 promotions in as many months.
Recently I was taking a group to see the Himba people North West of Opowa. We were on foot walking through Mopane forest. I heard crashing sounds ahead and was just moving my clients uphill away from the track and telling them there was an elephant ahead when it crashed through the trees about 60m ahead. I told my clients to move quickly uphill and I would attract its attention. He was a middle aged male in full musk. He charged at me. I was shouting and waving my arms but as soon as he charged I stopped making noise and stood perfectly still looking at the ground about 10m in front of me: I had been trained to do this and as I didn't have any sort of protection I just stood and waited… He stopped. He then kicked sand and dirt at me and trumpeted and sprayed me in saliva. Silence for a second then he trumpeted loudly and charged by me through the trees. I vividly remember my heart beating so hard that I was swaying back and forth.
When he was gone I found my clients up the hill: “Wow.... wow... great pictures...wow.... Your covered in dirt and elephant slime...wow”. I could feel the adrenalin but managed to stay standing and we continued our visit to the Himba, which was great.
Since I've been working I've seen so much and experienced so many things that it's hard to know where to start!!!
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What advice can you offer?
If you want to work hands on with animals then this perhaps isn't the course for you: The qualifications you receive may lead you into working with animals but the course itself is a serious field guide course for people looking for a career in guiding. I did work within animal rehabilitation but I was an exception.
Be prepared for isolation and for physical effort - during the course I did a game ranger exercise which involved carrying all my gear plus rifle in 40 degrees heat over steep mountains for 5.5 kms. As I went, I noted down field signs, carried out repairs, took notes of any maintenance required camped in the bush then walked back. |
Be prepared to compromise and work as a team.
How have you benefited from your experience?
On a personal level I found direction. I surprised myself with my empathy and found passing on information and seeing people enjoy it very satisfying. Basically the programme has changed my life.
Field Guide Training Course South Africa
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