Category: Student journeys

BY: Sarah Bennet

Camp manager blogs are written by our students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

A really curious fact for those of us into wildlife is that the spotted hyena is immune to anthrax and rabies.

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to write about for this blog. In the end, it had to be about this, the spotted hyena – a species I’ve become passionate about since joining Bushwise.

PHOTO BY: Sarah Bennet

At the beginning of our second semester, we were given an assignment to do a presentation on a mammal species (chosen at random out of a hat). This presentation had to be roughly between ten and 12 minutes long, and was due for the end of the semester.

I picked the spotted hyena, an animal I hadn’t given much thought to before. My first thought when I pulled the name was of Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, the three hyenas from The Lion King. My second thought was that hyenas are dirty, mischievous scavengers, who steal food from other animals and don’t do anything for themselves.

PHOTO BY: Sarah Bennet

But, to my surprise, hyenas are incredibly smart creatures. The spotted hyena is one of the most successful pack hunters in the wild, and has complex social structures. 

Studies on this species’ social intelligence show it rivals that of primates. Everything from their complex reproduction process to the chemical makeup that affects their social system, became so interesting to me. 

I shared my newfound knowledge with anyone who would listen, even though I would be putting it into my presentation anyway. I wanted everyone to know how cool spotted hyenas are. 

My presentation contained way too much information, because I didn’t want to leave anything out, and I ended up being cut off 15 minutes in to give the other students a chance.

PHOTO BY: Matthew Nash

I hold such passion in my heart for these amazing mammals. And luckily for me, we had a small clan that lived around our campus. We would see them hanging out by the cruisers every night, hear them calling out as we would fall asleep, and find their tracks around the camp every morning.

Every time I see or hear a spotted hyena, I will always be reminded of Bushwise and the memories I’ve created here, which have a special place in my heart.

Visit the Bushwise website to learn how you can develop your wildlife passion like Sarah has.

BY: Kevin Lefevre

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

Knowing exactly what to pack for any trip can be a mission. I have to admit, I struggled getting my luggage sorted for the six months of the Bushwise Field Guides course. 

PHOTO BY: Christian Rabie

Nobody likes to carry unnecessary things in an already heavy backpack. So, in addition to the list of things to pack that Bushwise provides, here are a few tips from a student’s perspective.

1) Leave some items for local shopping

The town closest to the Balule campus is Hoedspruit. Although not massive, it has character and there’s an array of shops to peruse. I found that prices are often cheaper here than back home, especially for international students. Some shops to check out include:

1. The Great Outdoors for camping gear 

2. Pick n Pay for overall shopping

3. Ruggedwear for bush clothing 

Since we wear our uniforms every day, it’s a good idea not to overpack on leisure wear, and buy extra uniforms instead. And the plus side is that uniforms get washed for you on campus.

Leave the fancy suitcase at home, too, and take a sturdy backpack that can stand a beating. Choose one with good back support for walking with, and make sure you can carry everything by yourself.

The local Postnet is a great delivery point when shipping in extra gear. And this can be useful when you miss something you left back home. 

2) Pack books for downtime

When you arrive on campus, you’ll receive a number of books that will assist you throughout the course. The campus library also offers a range of reading material and is available at all times. 

My advice to you is to only pack books for leisure reading. Don’t bring loads of nature books from your own collection. The wifi on campus works well for being in the bush.

Take comfortable clothes. The amount of times I repacked my bag, thinking, ‘should I take this?’, or ‘do I look cool in that?’ is ridiculous. Remember, you’re going to do a nature-course with like-minded people. Nobody cares if you bring five pairs of walking shoes. 

Pack one of each essential item of clothing and wear neutral-coloured clothing that you feel comfortable in. 

3) It’s in the little things

Here are some items to include if you want to pack smart: 

1. a microfibre towel

2. hydration backpack instead of a water bottle

3. a small torch that’s easy to carry, or a headlight

4. earphones over headphones 

5. a multi-tool instead of a sheath knife

6. a good sleeping bag (South Africa can get very cold in winter) 

Compare your gear with your fellow students, and make a list of what you feel you’re missing. You will have enough opportunities to buy the remaining things in town. Keep in mind that you have to take everything back home with you when you leave, so don’t buy too much to carry!

In the end, you can only prepare so much for an adventure. Don’t forget to stop to enjoy the excitement.

Ready for your bush adventure? Browse through our courses and read our FAQs to see what other students want to know before going abroad.

PHOTO BY: Zlicke’ Slabber

BY: Zlicke’ Slabber

Camp manager blogs are written by our students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week. 

Zlicke’ was the camp manager on Friday 30 July, before the Bushwise students went on a week-long break. After their break, Zilcke continued as camp manager between 8 and 13 August. Let’s hear about her experience.

Being a camp manager

I took over as camp manager on the Friday before our week off. Friday’s tasks were easy to do, with the biggest task being temperature checks, which is part of our health and safety protocol. On Saturday morning, most people were getting ready to leave for the week off. 

PHOTO BY: Ben Klunder

Sunday night after everyone returned, was great. We missed each other quite a bit. But, getting back into routine was hard, and getting everyone to do their tasks was challenging. 

On Monday morning, after I had a meeting with our camp leaders, Ben and Ross, things went much smoother. I asked them to check in on each student so everyone was clear of their expectations and tasks. 

On Wednesday, I organised a braai (barbeque) and got marshmallows for everyone. I also created a personalised playlist on Spotify with each student and trainer’s favourite songs. I planned a touchies (touch rugby) match, but we didn’t have enough time.

It was a fun experience overall, and I liked being the camp manager for a week. I had been looking forward to it. The only regret I had was that I didn’t get to be the camp manager on a Saturday. Saturdays are when the camp manager plans fun games and entertainment for the weekend. 

What are the camp manager’s tasks?

The camp manager’s main responsibility is to ensure that the camp runs smoothly. This happens by making sure group leaders have given tasks to each student, and that everything that needs to get done around camp gets done. 

I had a number of tasks during my week as the camp manager and I also assisted some of the students with completing their tasks. I took everyone’s temperatures in the mornings and evenings (before brunch and dinner). I wrote the menu down on the whiteboard before every meal. 

I also had to keep the camp radio with me (which I forgot behind a few times). I read out the news and current affairs happening worldwide. I also made sure everyone knew what the schedule for the week was.

What an exciting week it’s been

The students were split into two groups. My group saw most of the Big Five in one day, only missing a leopard sighting. Seeing a leopard is what we are all still wishing for. And, we saw a dagga boy (solitary male buffalo) on camp on Thursday morning.

The second group was pretty jealous because the group I’m in also saw a lion sleeping next to the road on our way back to camp, and we had an elephant sighting. 

The drives got better as students became more confident in their driving, and some students even started interpreting sightings like they were talking to guests! We were extremely lucky to have Jack, Lindi, Ryan and the rest of our trainers. They have so much knowledge and are great to be around. 

While on a drive, we stopped to look at some plants and trees. Jack found a plant with a white flower that he couldn’t identify, so we started a competition to see who could identify the plant first. 

We also went to Green Fire Lodge to help Adrian, the General Manager, with the borehole. It was quite fun, and it was amazing to see the lodge and have Adrian tell us about all the things he has done for the lodge. It was inspirational to see how proud he was. 

Time to wrap this up

I would’ve liked to be a camp manager for a bit longer, to learn more about managing a camp, but it has been great fun. 

I struggled at the start of the week with people not doing their tasks, but after bringing it up with our group leaders, everyone was motivated again. 

PHOTO BY: Ben Klunder

The week has been exciting, and as the weeks continue, we become more of a family. The students have made apps and games to help us remember and learn about bird species, and we’ve also started study groups to help us learn about trees.  

We are learning so much more as the course continues and I’m getting more excited about the career I’ve chosen to follow. Lindi is a personal inspiration to me as a woman in field guiding, and I think she is excelling in this male-dominated industry!

Interested in a career as a field guide too? Head to the Bushwise website to learn more.

PHOTO BY: Hunter Ferrier

BY: Francois Theron

This blog was written by one of our trainers, Francois. With years of guiding experience, Francois shares some of the experiences he’s shared with the students this semester.

We’re at the end of the first semester and what a semester it has been! Excited, energised, and full of enthusiasm, the new group has really grabbed the bull by the horns and dug right into the work and duties associated with campus life at Bushwise.

PHOTO BY: Ryan de Villiers

With the first test already done and dusted we’ve had the opportunity to have some spectacular sightings, both on campus and while on game drive at the Greater Makalali Game Reserve, which hosts a variety of game including the Big Five, cheetahs and wild dogs.

On campus, students have had the opportunity to see rare species. This included an aardvark, and the remains of a bushbuck that was taken down by the resident leopard. It has been very exciting times around the Bushwise campus.

PHOTO BY: Callum Evans

We have had many chats and laughs around the campfire. One can feel the group’s excitement for the start of their new careers and new lives. After all, this is a lifestyle and not just a mere job. It’s a career and life that will always be rewarding and fulfilling. It’s accompanied by adventures, friendship, and an unrelenting love of nature and all its miracles.

I can only wish each and everyone one of them the best for the future and congratulate them for the best decision of their lives.

Ready to start building your field guide experiences? Head to the Bushwise website to learn more.

BY: Jack Hutchinson

This blog was written by one of our trainers, Jack. With over ten years of guiding experience, Jack shares some of his most memorable moments on the job.  

As a guide your best and memorable experiences happen in your early years. Your first placement lodge, your first lion sighting, your first experience with a bad tempered elephant, your best and, unfortunately worst guests, etc. 

But in over ten years of guiding, this is my most memorable sighting. 

It was a rainy, slightly miserable day with overcast clouds. It was dark, gloomy and cold. But we were optimistic and ready for anything. My guests were keen to see lions. On our concession (a subset of a reserve) in Kruger National Park we had good lion sightings if we could see them on the road or at least had tracks.

Today we had nothing, no sign of them anywhere. Still filled with hope, we drove around trying to find anything that resembled a cat. 

Our head guide and I were a bit competitive, in a friendly way. It was just a little fun with the guests on who will see the best stuff. So I was determined to beat him. If only I knew what was coming during that morning game drive. 

It’s time to go off road!

We were driving down one of the main roads out of the concession. We had spotted two male lions trotting down the road towards us. We were so excited that we had seen them before the other vehicle. It was nice bragging rights. The lions ran past us and we turned around and followed them. 

PHOTO BY: Ben Klunder

Because of the rain, they had soaking wet manes, something I had never seen before. We followed them and they turned off the road. Luckily we were in the concession where we could follow them off-road. 

We followed them to a marula tree, roughly 30 metres off the road. The one lion disappeared into a thicket so we lost sight of him, but the other lion was milling around this marula tree. 

What’s that smell?

I could smell something dead. Lions often scavenge, but I couldn’t see anything.

I watched the lion carefully, his gaze tracking up the tree. I followed his stare. There in the tree was an old impala kill, left by a leopard. So now at least I knew what I was smelling. I looked again at the lion, his posture changed to what resembled a house cat ready to jump onto a table. I yelled at my guests, “This lion is going to climb this tree!” Before we could blink, there goes this 200-kilogram lion up the tree trunk and into the canopy for the dead impala.

I mean, WOW! They don’t say that lions climb trees in textbooks. But here we are sitting with a full-grown male lion sitting on a branch you would normally see a leopard on, feeding on an old, dead impala. 

Now with all the excitement going on, I had to call my head guide and share this with him. I called and guided him into the sighting. But the best part was watching this lion climb down.

But I suppose jump down is a more accurate description. With a massive thump, the lion hits the ground. He strolls off with his trophy. 

PHOTO BY: Ross de Villiers

After that sighting, we went straight home. Nothing else could beat that for the day. So when guides and guests asked me, “Do lions climb trees?” I always reply with “Yes, but they jump down”.

Ready to start building your field guide experiences? Head to the Bushwise website to learn more.

PHOTO BY: Callum Evans

BY: Quintin Swart

Camp manager blogs are written by our students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

Managing the camp for this bunch of hooligans isn’t as bad as I thought. So far no real problems have come up. Hopefully it stays that way.

Bushwise has done an excellent job of bringing together a group of like-minded individuals. We began creating strong bonds from the first day, which is important considering the fact that we’ll be stuck together for the next six months. A tight knit group will be a massive advantage.

But although we’re well and settled now, from week two everyone has become somewhat homesick, but the support from the group has managed to pull some people through and they seem to be doing a lot better.

Being a camp manager is not all fun and games. I’ve found it tedious at times, since the majority of the work is temperature checks twice a day as a COVID-19 safety protocol, switching of lights after everyone has gone to bed and making sure the fire has been killed. This is quite a challenge especially when you have a sleep routine that does not allow late nights. But the job must be done.

First sleep out 

I had the pleasure to be camp manager during our first sleep out on Makali Private Game Reserve. This added the responsibility of having to get all the supplies and gear necessary for us to survive the night. And what a night it was. Once the fire was started, we gave our favourite American classmate his first proper braai lesson. 

PHOTO BY: Christian Rabie

Stories were told and some of the students kept on getting the giggles. One of our trainers, Darren, has taken to calling them the “whoo crew”. We even had our first night sky lesson. Everyone managed to learn how to identify the constellations, including Scorpio and the Southern Cross.

21:00 came on quick, with it the first night watch shift started. After listening to Vaughan and the other trainer’s stories of amazing encounters, we were ready. Everyone had this sense of anxiety and excitement. Shift one already provided us with the sounds of the bushveld at night, starting with lions roaring in the distance. 

Soon after, hyenas started. It sounded like they were getting closer too. It was evident that they were coming to investigate us. After listening for hours waiting to know what will come, Hunter called out three pairs of eyes shining through the bushes. Naturally, we wanted a better view so we moved towards our audience. Sure enough the monster from the bush emerged. It was a spotted hyena. 

Discovery documentaries do not do them justice. These animals are big. We assume it was a female. She moved with speed and disappeared back into the bush as fast as she appeared. We aren’t sure what happened with the other two.

The rest of the shifts were uneventful. Dawn came and a new day started, along with the last few hours of my week as camp manager. 

Want to hear about more student camp manager weeks? Check out the Bushwise blog.

BY: Zoe Zietsman-Brits

Camp manager blogs are written by our students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

I’m terrified of hyenas. And I never thought I’d be so close to being hyena chow (that’s how I felt out in the bush, at least). But my time in the bush has tested my fears, strengths and weaknesses. This was especially true during my week as camp manager.

My first day as camp manager was so fun. I quickly got the hang of what it’s like to be a manager of a lodge or a safari. I’ve also found it rewarding to watch and learn about the things that challenge us, and the things that help us to flourish. As the days went on I discovered how being a camp manager is not for the faint of heart, at least, this was true for me

As the week continued, it got more difficult to keep up with my duties. I found myself stressed and all over the place. Luckily, I had a great group of friends who helped me. They would remind me of my duties, help ensure everyone else’s duties were done and of course, checked that we had enough milk and cereal. 

Despite the challenges, being camp manager was a privilege. I can now build on what I’ve learnt and flourish in that department. 

The wildlife sightings were exciting during my week as camp manager. There were lots of close encounters, primarily of the Big Five. But my opinion on hyenas hasn’t changed. They are beautiful, but savage in my opinion. I would not like to cross paths with them!

I know everyone else will do great as camp manager even if it’s not their strong suit. Come to Bushwise and find out for yourself!

BY: Emily Elliott

Camp manager blogs are written by our students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

Waking up in the morning has been no small feat. Friday topped the charts, with temperatures plummeting across South Africa. It felt like the coldest day of the year. We all had to bundle up against the bone-chilling cold for our early morning drives. But with spirits high, coffee in hand and our rusks in tow, we carried on!

Our designated guides drove us all over the reserve as we started to explore more of what will be our home for the next six months. Later on, the highly anticipated sleep-out would give us an opportunity to explore the northeastern part of the reserve.

We piled into the back of the vehicle with our sleeping bags, backpacks and pork chops. Our classmate and brilliant camp chef, Sibo, was ready to put the chops to use. We raced to claim our sleeping spots, some close to the fire, others daring to venture beyond our little semi circle. With the sun setting and fire built, we gathered around drinking coffee and taking photos, documenting what would become a night we would never forget. 

For dinner, the braai masters took charge and dished up some of the tastiest pork chops and garlic bread this side of the Mohlabetsi River. After a few rounds of roasting marshmallows and sharing stories around the fire, we hopped into our sleeping bags. We rotated night watch shifts, with groups of two to three students taking on an hour and a half each time.

I was tasked with the 1:00 to 2:30 block, along with Christian and Ross. We made a solid team. Not even the bravest hyaena dared to approach us too close, even with the tantalising aroma of leftover pork chop in the air. When our watch ended we gently nudged the next two students awake for their turn.

But the real magic happened just before sunrise. Peeking out from my cosy sleeping bag, I was greeted with millions of stars speckled across the night sky. We talked about the moment. That’s when the reality of living and studying in the bush hit us. It is worth making time and pursuing things that make you feel alive. And then do it with all your heart. 

Learn how you can get your hands on some of those mouth watering pork chops by visiting the Bushwise website.