And we are half way...

Hi there everyone!

Can you believe that we are already more than half way through the FGASA level 1 course?? It has been another hectic yet incredible couple of weeks here at Nkombe camp and the excitement is building as the assessments and exams are approaching.

We have been on intriguing and interesting bush walks which are rapidly helping the students to get the "real feel" of nature and to see things from a different perspective. The students have also been driving the game-viewer to get used to the feel of a real bush vehicle! They have also started preparing for their practical assessment drive and doing their pre-drive briefs. Everything is coming together in the preparation of becoming the ultimate field guide :)

The students also took a well deserved break as we went to Perry's Bridge in Hazyview to enjoy some pizza and restock on everything we need. It was definitely a great time to relax and do some bonding...

Let's not forget about the leopard and lion sightings as well as a genet near camp and many elephants and buffalo! A massive troop of baboons have been heard daily near camp with the sounds of screeching and barking.  We even  found leopard tracks in between the tents which caused a lot of excitement in camp yesterday.

To top it all off, the students have started their lodge placements! For +/- two weeks they will be gaining some valuable experience in various departments such as maintenance, kitchen, laundry, workshop as well as the privilege of shadowing the experienced guides. We also got involved in some exhilarating conservation management as we assisted in a bush fire used to removed moribund.

It is definitely something the students will never forget! Truly a smokin' experience ;)

The sunrises and sunsets are also worth a mention as they have been incredibly beautiful and they never seem to get old. This is an amazing time of year in the bush as everything is constantly changing and never fails to disappoint!

We hope you have a wonderful week from all of us here at Nkombe camp!


P.S. We had the absolute privilege of witnessing a stealthy male leopard feeding on an impala today.

The kill was hoisted up into a tall Brown Ivory and it was an amazing experience to see this scene unfolding...After a good couple of chunks, he moved further up the tree (almost above our heads!) and started to groom himself.

What a day! I don't know if we will ever witness something like that again but it was breath-taking :)


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