1. The Appeal of the African Bush
It is all about Africa – this vast ancient continent full of sights, sounds and smells that mesmerize the soul. For anyone interested in participating on the Bushwise Hospitality course, a natural yearning to immerse oneself in the African bush is an essential prerequisite to maintain motivation and sustain enthusiasm for the duration of the programme. It is amazing how easy it is to adapt and adjust to bush living – the world of cars, street lights, skyscrapers and
Tim’s Personal Log – I had the good fortune of being able to visit Africa for the first time in October 2013 for a two week period. During this time I gained my introduction to the safari lodge experience in Kafue National Park, Zambia with wonderful animal encounters, and moved onto Livingstone where I witnessed the force of nature that is Victoria Falls. Upon returning to my home in Australia I suffered the worst case of traveller blues that I had ever experienced; the Africa bug had bitten and after weeks of dreaming about Africa every night I resolved to take action. My plan was simple. Discover a way to work and live in a safari lodge in Africa. Fatefully I sat down in front of the computer and googled three words, ‘Africa’ ‘hospitality’ and ‘volunteer.’ Bushwise appeared on top of my search engine screen and after scanning the information on the website it appeared I had instantly discovered my pathway back to Africa. Life was never supposed to be this simple! I did not act immediately but searched around for other options but nothing came close to the opportunity that was being offered by Bushwise. I contacted GVI Australia about my interest in the Bushwise Hospitality Internship programme with a start date in March for a twenty week period. I received an application form which I completed and sent to Bushwise Communications Manager, Rachel Greenwood on 31st December 2013. My last action of the year proved to have the most decisive influence on the course of my life in 2014. A telephone interview with Rachel was scheduled and after a half hour conversation it was evident that Bushwise was my new path. Fast forward to June 2014 and I am currently living and working in a safari lodge in the Limpopo Province of South Africa bordering Kruger National Park. Here I have had three fantastic months of experiences to being substance and reality to what was once a dream called Africa.
