South Africa Summer Team Leapers Diaries

Natasha Cornelius

Hi

South Africa was awesome! Had such a wonderful time, made incredibly good friends whom I'm sure will stay in my life for years to come, and have some seriously fabulous experiences under my belt. Christmas in Kenya was also wonderful, you missed out!.

Hope you are well, I have some brilliant photos I'll send as soon as I can. Warmest regards Tasha X

Emily Watson

Hey Guy!

So sorry for not writing to you while I was in S. Africa, every moment we got on the internet was precious so I hardly replied to anyone! I've been back just over a week now and Africa feels like a lifetime ago. After Kwa Madwala I went traveling with a friend from home, who was also in the country. We spent 2 weeks in Cape Town and Durban then flew home. Cape Town is definitely worth the visit- its a gorgeous city.

The project was AMAZING, i loved every second. We were so lucky to see the leopard on the farm TWICE! Well i unfortunately missed the first time because I was in the shower when Carol got radioed about it and they had to rush straight out to see it! But on the second sighting I was on my microlight flight (which was awesome by the way) and somehow I saw it on one of the Kopjies. We drove to see it straight away and ended up being 10 metres from it.

It was an amazing experience to be so close to one in the wild. My favourite excursion had to be Mozambique, it was beach paradise! I would never have believed it if we hadn't gone and seen for ourselves. There were lots of travellers there as well so it was nice to meet new people and find out about the travelling scene and what everyone does.

I generally just loved living in the bush, getting up at 5am to go on a morning game drive was brilliant. I've learnt so much about the bush, Boy Boy has got to be one of the best trackers in Africa!! He found so many animals for us and taught us loads. Anyway I could be sat on here telling you about how good it was for hours!!
I've got so much from the experience and I'm so happy I had the opportunity to do it, thanks so much for all the help from yourself and the Leap team.

Hope you like the pictures I've attached... Just a snippet of the 800 or so I actually took!!

Please feel free to give my email address to any Leaps heading out there, I'd be glad to offer any advice or help!
Emily

Laura Dykes

Hiya!

Sorry you havn't heard from any of us yet, we hardly ever get time on the internet!!! But basically, we're having a great time! Ya I think it's meeting my expectations, I have no complaints so far! The food is great, the work is good, sabie was brill, we've seen the leopard TWICE!!! Very lucky apparently! Still no lions, but we've seen just about everything else! We've been finding loooads of time to party! the boys are a bad influence! Only thing missing is a sun tan! But we've still got 6 weeks left!!!

If you want to see any of my pics, you can check out my bebo page: http:://l-dizzle-fo-shizzle.bebo.com as I dont have time to email any.speak to you soon!!Laura

Hi Guy!!! I'm just writing for one last update. My time at Kwa Madwala was AMAZING!!! Me and Emily are so depressed it's over. The people we met there were awesome, and sooo fun and friendly. Gazebo lodge was so nice to live at! So luxurious! Apart from all the bugs :-P

I actually want to go back there to properly work! Africa feels like home now!We learnt so much there about tracking etc. I was chatting to a ranger from Namibia in Zambia afterwards, and he was so impressed with my knowledge! We spoke for about an hour about tracks, and animal poo, and trees. People I met on my travels after Kwa Madwala were also so jealous of the things I got to do and see. We were very lucky!

You guys at the Leap were really helpful as well. When I had troubles changing the dates of my return flights, it was sorted as soon as we contacted you! Also, poor Alice had to put up with my hundreds of questions before I left for Africa, and that really helped.

If I somehow come across extra pounds that I don't need I would be back at Kwa for another 10 week program!I know a group has just arrived there, but for future groups, please give them my email or facebook, because I know I was totally lost about what to bring and what to expect before we got there, but I feel like I'm an expert now!Ok well I'll speak to you soon.Laura

Kelly Baddeley

Hi,

The first couple of days have been great, everything is just amazing, photos really don't do it justice!We have already been on 2 bush walks and a game drive and seen lots of game (2 of the big 5 ticked off!) Everyone is wonderful out here and I know the next six weeks are going to be amazing! Will email again soon.
Kelly

Everything is going great here, we have been doing so much!
We went to see the elephants for the first time yesterday and spent some time interacting with them (including playing football!) and then we went for a ride on them - a truely amazing experience there really is nothing like it!

We are all going to be coming back much fatter than when we left with all of DuDu's great cooking - the food is absolutely wonderful.
We are in Nelspruit today and have got our uniforms as we start work up at Manyatta tomorrow. We have also been to visit Thembalethu; it's really interesting to experience all the different lifestyles led by all the people out here.

Have been taking lots and lots of pictures although it is impossible to capture the true beauty of this place with a picture (I will try to remember to upload some soon!).

We are off to Kruger for a day trip on Saturday which I am really looking forward to, and hopefully off to Mozambique next week for 3 nights.

All of the staff are so friendly and welcoming; it really hasn't taken long for Gazebo to become home (I now find myself having to specify whether I mean home in England or back at Gazebo!).
Will be in touch again soon! Kelly

Hi Alice,
Everything is still absolutely wonderful here, this place really has become home for me. We have recently come back from 3 gorgeous days on the beach in Mozambique where we had a wonderful time, but I did miss the bush!We are off to a rehabilitation centre tomorrow for a couple of days. We have also been on a day trip to Kruger and up in the microlights- that was really amazing!
Love Kelly

Katie May

Hey!

We are having the time of our lives out here, Kwa Madwala is beautiful and everyone is so lovely. John, Boyboy and Carol have been looking after us so well and Dudu the cook is just brilliant we are all eating so much we are getting pot bellies! We went on our first elephant ride the other day which was incredible, Tswali and Modjadji (the ellies) are gorgeous and Tswali is very greedy!

We have been on several game drives and bush walks and have even seen a couple of rhinos, we are still searching for the elusive leopards and lions though.

The weather is gorgeous too, though the guys here wont admit it - they think its freezing and that we are crazy english girls to go swimming! On friday we are going on the micolights which should be incredible, and then next week we should be off to Mozambique - fingers crossed.

Speak to you soon xxx

Sarah Dade

Thank you so much for everything. I had an absolutely amazing time in South Africa!! Everybody was lovely and looked after us so well - I really felt at home. We travelled to Mozambique where the beach was stunning and Swaziland, Moholoholo Wildlife Centre and Kruger National Park. The microlight flight and the elephant interaction were incredible - it was definitely an experience to remember!
I had such a lot of fun - thank you again!!

Hi,so sorry for the lack of responses - we have all been too busy having fun. Have spent the morning at the community centre in Thembelethu where we are rebuilding a stage which they use for their drama group which performs to local people to teach them about the dangers of AIDS.

We are all having a really good time here and we really are enjoying it. The staff are amazing, especially John and Boy Boy, and have been doing whatever they can to improve our experience. We have just spent the weekend in Kruger which was absolutely incredible - amazing weather, and some fantastic sightings, including seeing lions walk beside the combi within minutes of entering the park.

So the main message from me is that I am really enjoying myself, more so now that we actually have a structured programme of activities.

We are all looking forward to seeing Alice when she arrives for the weekend and hope that all is well in England.
Sarah.