Wild Coast Equestrian Rehabilitation Centre Programme

Orientation

Upon arrival at the Wild Coast you will spend your first few days at a fantastic backpackers lodge with your fellow volunteers, getting to know each other and settling in to the local area and programme. Here you will be given a thorough orientation to enable you to develop your understanding of the new (and at times challenging) environment that you will be working in. The orientation is great fun and allows you, the co-ordinating team and the other volunteers working alongside you, the chance to bond and develop a good working relationship.

During the orientation you will be provided with an active and informative programme. This will be presented by the co-ordinators and specialists in a variety of fields through information documents and videos etc. The week will cover the topics below and includes a number of inter-active excursions:

History of South Africa and understanding Apartheid and the dawn of a new democracy
Socio-political developments in SA
Introduction to your volunteer programme: Expectations and understanding
Introduction to basic Xhosa language and understanding local customs and norms
The fragile eco-systems of estuaries, rocky shores marine life and coastal systems
Floral diversity of the Eastern Cape
Various excursions, which include a 4x4 adventure, which ends in a rural Xhosa village where you will spend one night, coastal hike, estuarine exploration, bush walks and ocean excursion on a motorised boat

Accommodation and Meals

During your orientation, you will spend the first few nights at a very popular and well-known backpackers lodge, within walking distance of the beach with amazing views of your private lagoon. You will be in a lovely cottage, with a kitchen and living area. This is a great place to settle in and get to know your fellow volunteers, over a few beers in the evenings and a game of pool.

During your project, you will be staying across the lagoon and facing a green, in a fantastic house in a quiet suburban area just 2 minutes from the beach and private lagoon with all of the other volunteers. The private volunteer house has 3 twin bedrooms, a bathroom and shower, large dining and kitchen area and a lovely garden at the rear for relaxing in your spare time. You may choose to spend some of your evenings at the local backpackers lodge on weekends, meeting other travellers and enjoying yourself at the bar, practising your snooker skills and watching a bit of TV.

All of your meals on the project will be catered for by a house cook, who is employed locally to help you keep the house clean and prepare your meals. It would be nice if you offer to assist her whenever possible. The breakfasts will be a continental style help-yourself breakfast while dinner in the evening will be hot, wholesome and very tasty. All the ingredients for your lunches will be provided and you can make your own packed lunch and sandwiches each day.

Free Time

Weekend Activities at the Wild Coast Project
Your weekends on the Wild Coast are designed for you to have free time to enjoy the local area. There are many adventure activities available on this programme if you are looking to be active. Please speak to one of our travel advisors for more information.

Project Support

During your time at the project, you will have the support of Project Manager Mike and his team in South Africa. They will be on hand to provide you with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you may need during your stay. In addition, you will have access to a 24 hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.