As Dylan strolled along the little red path and got closer and closer, I started to feel a little excited. Today was assessment day – the final step to becoming a nature guide!
Actually, it wasn’t really about anything for me. I had already had some great experiences, learned a lot of new things, developed myself and made some great new contacts. I had already photographed some amazing subjects, recorded a few interviews and my English had improved considerably. Today’s practical assessment was really just the icing on the very delicious, very large cake. The ‘icing on the cake’ – and yet my pulse was at 110 – at rest. I just couldn’t turn off my ambition; I wanted to pass this (with flying colours).
So I had prepared very well! I had walked the planned route countless times and now knew every tree, could tell you something about every possible mammal and knew most of the insects that populated the area. So it was more like a ‘theatre performance’ than a proper guided tour. I was still not entirely comfortable with the birds, and the fact that migratory birds from the northern hemisphere, i.e. Europe, were now returning to Africa did not alleviate the pressure. At least I already knew one ‘new’ species: the crow.
But Mother Nature was really kind! On the way to the meeting point, I heard all kinds of bird calls I recognised, and during my tour I could have talked about birds a lot more – but I wanted to stick to my rehearsed ‘programme’.
In addition to the birds I knew, five curious zebras appeared, almost as if planned, right in the middle of my path, so I even had some large, hairy companions to talk about. Only the giraffes I had grown fond of, which I always encountered on my walks, did not show up during my walk. I guess our relationship was meant to remain private.
Overall, I was able to talk a lot and at length, but this assessment wasn’t so much about demonstrating my in-depth knowledge. I had already done that in the theoretical exam. The main focus here was on proving that I could create a good guiding experience. So I came up with all kinds of interactive activities, such as using a magnet on a string to search for iron particles in the red sand or mixing yellow curry herb and the lemony leaves of small knob wood to make a kind of fragrant marinade in my hand.
‘Thanks Kirk, you can stop now!’
After 40 minutes, Dylan abruptly ended the assessment.
He was satisfied with my performance and wanted to move quickly on to the next point: management – an important part of any good tour!
I was happy, of course, because it meant I had passed, but at the same time I was a little sad. I still had so many points I wanted to talk about.
For example, the ‘strong place’. A place I had found that was covered with strong trees. There was, for example, the Green Thorn Torchwood. It was so sturdy that even elephants couldn’t knock it over. It had countless solid green thorns and the oil from its seeds was used in the past to lighten the darkness – as oil for torches. Next to it stood the White Iron Wood. Its strength lay above all in its solid, stable wood, as its name suggests. It was so solid and stable that the wood did not float in water, but simply sank.
Both trees were often planted in the gardens of the Zulus to bring strength to the house and protect the house and the family. The leaves of the white ironwood were burned and the smoke used to drive out evil spirits. Well, at least now you’ve heard about the ‘strong place’.
After me, it was the Englishwoman Becky’s turn for her assessment, but before that there was to be a short break with drinks and snacks. Becky and I had come up with something special for the refreshments:
Since we knew that Dylan also appreciated good coffee, we had organised a sturdy metal French press to brew fresh coffee. There was also a huge bag of biltong (dried meat), fresh fruit such as berries and melon, English tea, as Becky was from England, and, in addition to the typical Rust (pastries), which were a must, there was even cake! This had been donated by a student who had celebrated his birthday the day before. Together with the colourful tablecloth, the table looked quite impressive, and all the participants were delighted – including Dylan.
In addition to Dylan, I had also invited Tom and Reni, as well as Cameron and Mak. Becky herself had invited her boyfriend Ross and Kyle from the Umoya group. This brought the group to nine people, which was quite a respectable number for an assessment of this kind.
Beaming with joy, I was now able to relax and take care of the guests, while Becky became increasingly tense: after all, she still had her assessment ahead of her. But I wasn’t worried about her at all. She was incredibly knowledgeable and was able to convey this in an elegant and refreshingly English way. Dylan shared this opinion, and after another thirty minutes, her exam was also cut short.
It had been a particularly intense day! It was the crowning glory of an intense and eventful period, and we had finally taken the last, final step in this chapter: we were no longer students, but NQF2 Nature Guides – licensed to guide.
