The clouds of dust drifted in white into the small valley as if on a string, while the slow, mechanical sound of a shovel could be heard. Five days had passed since then, it was almost 6:00 a.m., and Wynand had apparently been awake for quite a while. He rhythmically shoveled a huge pile of cold ashes from two weeks of campfires into a previously dug, grave-like hole.

The fireplace was tidy and even strips of the rake were somewhat reminiscent of a Japanese zen garden. There was a sense of departure in the air, but it was still quiet and harmonious, because apart from Wynand and me, no one else was up yet. Today was the day of departure and we could therefore get up a little later than usual. Could.

But I wasn’t going to miss the last sunrise here in the bush! The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but it was already light and the sky in the east was already turning an orangey cream colour. The diurnal birds were already doing their best and warbling their song loudly. Otherwise it was quiet – except for the steady clacking of the shovel.

Twelve days of wilderness and camp life lay behind me and these were my last days here at the wilderness camp. I had now seen every rock in this game reserve and it had become a kind of home. The initial, over-the-top enthusiasm had given way to an awesome routine. This area, the animals, the plants and the sunrises and sunsets were still special – but at the same time they had become ‘normal’. After a total of four weeks, this wilderness had become a kind of (extra) ordinary everyday life and home.

I had become familiar with the paths, I was oriented and knew where to expect which animals, plants and stones. But what was particularly remarkable was that the paths were no longer just impersonal, simple surfaces for getting around. The paths, intersections and valleys had truly taken on ‘character’ and now told stories. They were now called ‘Bhejane Bay’, ‘Elephant Elli’, ‘Buffalo spring’ or ‘Lion Lane’. It was a little like my earlier days as a patrolman, on the beat. Over time, every corner and street had produced an experience. After a while, the paths had become so much more than just a public road or an anonymous, neutral place.

The last two weeks here in the wild were formative and we all developed greatly. For example, before South Africa I thought I wasn’t squeamish. I realised that I was. But living in Kuleni in Bhjane Camp and especially the first four weeks in the wild, really toughened me up. After three weeks in the wild, a week of ‘NQF2 Practical’ had already passed, my mind had fully adjusted to the wild. That was a stark feeling.

The greatest development, however, had taken place elsewhere. If we had suffered from the grey, ‘sterile’ theory in the classroom before these last two weeks, a lot had come together for many here. Personally, I had learned an incredible amount in the last two weeks. Much more and much faster than in Kuleni in the classrooms before – and almost automatically and unnoticed. By the end of our time in the wilderness, we had all grown into little ‘guides’. Everyone was now able to explain the surrounding nature and many had gained the self-confidence to actually do so.

I was super excited to see what it would be like when we set foot on Kuleni soil again and I suspected that we would see the environment differently. We would understand much more and build a different relationship with the place and the nature in it.

This may sound a bit exaggerated, over-interpreted and a bit too much wanted, too much produced. But in the last twelve days, a lot had happened and it was truly not exaggerated. Experiences and environments shape and change people – even in a short time.

We encountered huge herds of elephants almost every day, were chased by elephants twice, found two fresh carcasses of Njala antelope and a dead Baboon monkey. At night, hyenas, lions and leopards sang us ‘lullabies’; once a hyena and a female cheetah showed themselves and we spotted a total of five lions. Large herds of buffalo bore down on us with their aggressive gazes, while small, much more peaceful herds of zebra watched us curiously during our coffee breaks.

We regularly came across white rhinos, sometimes even with calves, and once we unexpectedly drove ‘into’ a black rhino with a horn that wanted to impale us as thanks for the ‘provocation’. The ‘smaller’ black rhinos are much more aggressive than the large, almost ‘friendly’ white rhinos, but they are also much rarer.

Farewell, rugged wilderness

I was now sitting on a pleasantly cool concrete step, drinking a strong cup of instant coffee. Everything was packed, stowed and tidied away, and we were ready to be picked up. It wasn’t even 9:00 a.m., and it was already 28 degrees. Today, it should hit almost 40 degrees… phew!

I took another sip of coffee, watched the lively little yellow birds in the tree in front of me and felt a little sad. This wilderness had done me good. I won’t come back here and I’ll definitely miss it. I already know that.

But I was also happy. I like it when things end and new things begin. It’s always a special, energetic mood. Well, we’ll spend the next two weeks studying like crazy in Kuleni. Theory. Again. This is nothing new for now. But after that we’ll have finished this section and exciting new adventures await me!