MAKULEKE AS I SEE IT...

In this blog Vaughn will take you on a journey to the bush and make you want to leave everything behind to get that same down to earth experience he is describing. This is what he had to say:

"Tucked away in the far North of Kruger National Park, hugged by two rivers and littered with baobabs, lies a truly remarkable piece of land. 26000ha of pristine wilderness, as rich in ecological biodiversity as it is is in cultural history.

I first set foot in the Makuleke concession, also known as the Pafuri triangle, one unusually balmy day in July a few years ago. I had just embarked on a life changing adventure, a transition from overworked and underpaid diesel mechanic on South Africa's platinum mines to intrepid trails guide and all round quality South African safari guide. Well, at least that is what I thought at the time anyway. I had no idea of the roller coaster ride of self discovery, laughter, tears, love and friendship that lay ahead of me.

Looking back on an unbelievable couple of years, there is without a doubt, one element that stands out. The starting point and solid bedrock of my personal journey. A constant in a continually changing and evolving set of memories, decisions and chances. Makuleke.

Sure, I understand, how can I possibly expect you to believe that a piece of land can have such a profound affect on a person's life. I mean, when you break it down and strip it bare, it is merely a bunch of biotic and abiotic components reacting and inter-reacting, creating relationships and inter relationships and forming a canvas on which a picture of life can be painted... But Makuleke is not just another piece of land. It is an expertly woven tapestry with a beauty and complexity very rarely seen. It is a small piece of wild heaven, a big step back into Old Africa. It is a place where magic not only exists, but where you can see it every single day. Join me on a walk through the heart of one of South Africa's last true remaining wilderness areas as Alan mcSmith an I, try to shine a gentle light of understanding on some of the secrets of the ebb and flow of life and history in the unique and truely memorizing Makuleke concession." - Vaughn Du Plooy