Geoff Collins Programmes:South Africa Wildlife Conservation Course, India Himachal Volunteer, Thai Adventure, New Zealand Grand Island Explorer, Australia Jackaroo school, Tasmania conservation experience, USA National Parks of the West tour. Occupation: Supermarket resource manager

When Geoff separated from his partner and sold his house, he found himself in the position to take a career break from his role at Tescos as a Resource Manager. He found Gap Year for Grown Ups on the Internet and read about our sister company on Facebook, and decided to book a tailor-made, round the world trip. During his travels Geoff wants to see the world and maybe even find himself along the way! We are keeping up with his blog throughout his journey to see how he is getting on…

Day 1, July 22nd. South Africa Wildlife Conservation Course

After leaving Heathrow T5 it was a 10.5-hour flight with British Airways to Jo'berg. During the flight I managed to watch "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman. All about what two guys do once they have been told they have 6 months to live. They then write a list of thing they need to do before they kick the Bucket. During many of there adventure they visit Kruger Park and go Sky Diving, both things that are planned on my travels.

We arrived into camp at about 2.30pm. This was a green haven of palm trees and plants with many colourful flowers in amongst a bush that is very dry and bear due to fact its winter and its nice and warm still (22).

The camp is built around a main house were the family live, and a combination of caravans and huts. There is another large building which is the main cooking area for breakfast and lunch and a seating area. Upstairs is the classroom and above that is an outdoor area for sleeping out under the stairs, (so gonna do that tonight), there is then a higher tower from that which looks out for miles onto a never ending bush. This is where we saw our first wildlife, a family of Giraffe. OMG I’m in Africa and it still does not feel real yet.

This group is a mixture of age groups from the 18 to 22 year olds to another group of 25 to 40’s. The camp has a very relaxed atmosphere to it, where you make your own breakfast and lunch and the main meal is cooked for you. Our first nights meal was amazing. Salad with roast impala, which is a bit like deer and tastes fantastic, very lean and better than beef. After a couple of bottles of wine a few of us went to the top lookout tower and WOW I have never seen so many bright stars and even the Milky Way.

Day 2, South Africa Wildlife Conservation Course

Bit of a chill out today after a good nights sleep. Still up early for a lecture about survival in the bush. I now know that you can survive for 4 minutes without air, 4 days without water and get this, 32 to 44 days without food (great diet plan girls, not) also how to navigate by yourself if lost by finding North etc.

After dinner we then went deep into the bush and joined the experienced guys that have been out here for between 2 weeks to 2 months for a night out sleeping in the bush under the stars. They had set up camp with 4 fires anon the outside and we had sleeping bags in the middle, this is so the Lions, Hyenas, Elephants and Jackals went come into camp because they wont cross fire.

After a bit of a party most of the group went off the sleep. We then all laid down and starred at the Stars. Saw Juniper and Scorpio and even more than the night before. I was first watchmen to ensure the fires were kept going and wake up the group if danger was near by (Ok Ok Ok not all on my own, was paired up with a guy named Ben too). Was a little bit scary when we heard noisy groans but found out it was one of the guys snoring.

Our turn was up by 12.30am and we quickly woke the next 2 up, and off to sleep in my sleeping bag, under the stars in the middle of the bush with no safety fence around us. Was I scared? No, I felt really excited and just drifted off to sleep. I woke at around 5.30am fires still burning and the sun rising, what another fun day. We then walked back to camp and started the next amazing day. Only been here 2 days and don’t want to come home already.

Had a lecture today booked about the Dangerous 9, and what to do when face to face with one, so if you are face to face with a Lion you move back step by step slowly until the lion lets you know you are now out of his danger zone. If you are in the danger zone of a Rhino just move back slowly and find a tree to get up.
So after this lecture I feel like a real Indiana Jones (not) but loving the lectures and cant wait for the next.

July 31st, South Africa Wildlife Conservation Course

It just dawned on me, that all I have told you about are all the fun things that I have been up to since arriving in this fantastic part of South Africa. There is a serious side to the reason why I have chosen to spend 2 months on this project. First it is a conservation project to learn about the African bush and its wildlife, including not only the amazing animals, but also the plants, insects and weather systems that play an important part in a very fragile eco-system that me, you and the rest of the population are bit by bit disturbing for the rest of the planet.

Over the next 8 weeks I will be involved in some project work that will include removing snare traps left by poachers in the area and surrounding reserves (more on that subject later). Removal of alien plants not naturally found in this area. Help in the prevention of erosion in the area. I will also learn how to identify animals by their tracks, droppings and sounds. Survival, navigation and many more subjects.

The camp is run by a family, which was founded by Tinus & Suegnette, since Tinus passing last year both their daughters are involved in the education work. Both Laetitia and Adele are full of knowledge and experience that they can’t wait to pass on. They are also helped by Bee and Brass who are here to help out with everything from the days out and daily walks in the bush to ensuring everything is ok with the rest of the group.

Today we had an early rise at 4.30am to go on an elephant ride. We left camp at 5.00am in the back of the jeep, and arrived at the reserve at about 6.15.

About 15 Elephants were lined up waiting for us. Around the reserve we could see yet another fantastic sun rise but with the morning mist still amongst the trees. After a talk about how the elephants are now in this reserve after being saved from Zimbabwe, we were than allocated our own elephant for an hour and a half walk through the bush. These animals may be big but they walk so quietly and gentle, every so often they would walk of the track and grab a branch from the tree and munch away until they see the next one. My elephant was the pig of the group and was eating non-stop. She also had a 2-year-old calf by her side most of the time too. (So buy one get one free). Once back the guides then removed the elephants saddles and it was playtime for the herd. They went off into the bush with a couple of the guides. All this by 9.30am!