Wednesday 28th May 2014

I couldn’t join in on the activity this morning as I needed to pick Alan up from the “Very big baobab” as that was the rendezvous following their five night wilderness skills sleep-out.

I didn’t get the chance to run today as the pick up took much longer than hoped, then it was a case of cleaning the rifles before joining the afternoon jaunt up to Mutali Gorge. Before we went to the look out point we walked down through the narrow gorge to the river. Beautiful but challenging walk with two huge specimens of tree to make it worthwhile. A propellor tree and a jackalberry had grown so tall reaching for the light. There were some interesting spoor, a big croc had walked up to the forested area and then back down to the water and there were also some leopard tracks. Unfortunately no cape clawless otter.

It was the end of the Advanced birding course for Jomi’s group, he passed which was really impressive so we toasted his success. Duncan McKenzie the chap who takes the courses is a brilliant instructor and inspirational but I don’t think even he is going to get me through the course with a pass. There only tend to be one or two that pass, this means I’m going to have to work incredibly hard on my birds over the next month if I want to stand even the remotest of chances.

Sarah and Cara came round this evening to pick me up as I’ll be guiding at Outpost for the next four days. Really looking forward to it although slightly apprehensive as I’m not sure what to expect – hopefully there’s no keen birders. They stayed for dinner and a few drinks. After the long and very cold journey up to the lodge it was late, very late by our standards, 00.15. I was shown to my room, luxury compared to what I’m used to, 24/7 electricity and a solid walls. I made the most of a bedside lamp as well as a wall to lean up against and read a chapter of “The ivory trail”, it’s the story of Bvekenya by TV Bulpin, he was one of the many hunters that made their home in Makuleke at Crooks Corner