This time last year, I was lucky enough to embark on one of the best experiences of my life. For the month of August 2023 I volunteered at a safari park/game reserve near Port Elizabeth in South Africa. 11 other volunteers from all around the world and myself, stayed in the very heart of the Kariega game reserve, surrounded by only flimsy wiring and a not so rigid gate, which we had to fix on multiple occasions!
Throughout the programme we worked with conservationist specialists in helping to keep the wildlife as free as possible and able to roam the rainbow nation with as little interruption from humans as possible, so that they could truly live in the wild. This included performing observations of lions, giraffes, elephants, springboks, and severely endangered rhinos. Poaching is extremely common in South Africa, with Kariega being home to Thandi, the first and only rhino that has survived an attack. From cleaning out cheetah bomas, to fixing fencing, it was a really unique experience but lots of fun.
The reason I did all of this – my mum is from Port Elizabeth very close to where the game park is so I thought this would be a great opportunity to visit family that I don’t get to see often and to see the real country and all of its beauty.
Related news
A trip down to Dorset, Durdle Door
Every year we take a trip down to Dorset, escaping the busy life of London as it offers a chance to relax. One of my most enjoyable things to do is visit Lulworth cove & Durdle Door. Durdle Door is a stunning natural limestone arch located on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England. […]
No place like home
The Kingdom of Tonga… my home. This small archipelago, nestled in the South Pacific Ocean just south of Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, holds a special place in my heart. Even now, at 29, memories of my childhood in Tonga remain vivid, filled with the sights, sounds, and […]
Why aren’t I reaching my fitness goals?
William Fowler
Fri 16 Aug 2024
One of the biggest changes I’ve made in my personal fitness and in preparing for events has been narrowing the gap between my training intention, and my final execution. In short, this means that on your easy training days, go easy, and on your hard training days, go hard. The smaller the difference between your […]
