Dispatch 36 - An Interview at Chobe
The Boundless Southern Africa Expedition is all about nature, community and culture, it's a journey through nine countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and seven Transfrontier Conservation Areas. The objective is a single symbolic Land Rover journey to link 2 oceans, 9 countries, 30 game parks and nature reserves, 7 Transfrontier Conservation Areas and the communities that live within or alongside these conservation areas. The Boundless Southern Africa Expedition has now reached Kasane where it is being hosted by the Chobe Marina Lodge, Chobe Game Lodge, Mowana Safari Lodge, the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism, Botswana Tourism Board and Hospitality Tourism Association of Botswana. With the elephants crossing against the setting sun on the Chobe River journalist Calviniah Kgautlhe from the Gazette Newspaper met with National Geographic adventurer Kingsley Holgate for an interview
Kingsley, what drives you and your team to do all these wonderful journeys across Africa?
The truth is we are just an ordinary family, friends and volunteers with an extraordinary passion for Africa. We've spent our lives adventuring in Africa. We've crossed the continent along the waterways in open boats from Cape to Cairo, travelled in the footsteps of explorer Livingstone and Stanley from the month of the Zambezi to the mouth of the Congo, circumnavigated the globe along the Tropic of Capricorn and more recently in an expedition called the Outside Edge we tracked the entire coastline of Africa through 33 countries.
What are the objectives of the Boundless Southern Africa Expedition?
It's clearly to link nature, culture and community in a single journey from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic and to create a Boundless Southern Africa Route which we believe has the potential to become one of the greatest adventure routes in the world.
This high-profile expedition to link two oceans has now reached Botswana, how were you received?
There is no doubt that Botswana is a jewel in the Boundless Crown to link nature, culture and community across Africa. After crossing at Pont Drift we were given the most wonderfully warm welcome. Botswana TV, Tourism authorities and the chairman of the Northern Tuli land owners association were all present together with Piet le Roux and his team from Mashatu Private Game Reserve. Within half an hour we were on a game drive with wild dog researcher Craig Jackson, the result was one of the finest Wild Dog sightings we have ever seen. There followed a lunch at the Tuli Airport attended by Minister of Environment and Tourism and local tourism stake holders. Minister Mokaila did an excellent piece to camera on the importance and Botswana's commitment to Transfrontier Conservation.
Did you have an opportunity to explore the Northern Tuli Game Reserve Area?
Absolutely - it's a paradise, made even more special by the fact that that morning we had been at a special ceremony with the environmental ministers of Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia at which the Limpopo Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area had been renamed the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area. And now, here we were on the Bostwana side experiencing it's ancient beauty, a sunset view from Mmagwa Hill at a Baobab which Cecil John Rhodes inscribed his initials, below us a herd of Wildebeest walking across the plains and in the rocks around us darted small Elephant Shrews. We're carrying a traditional calabash across Africa - it's a bit of symbolism, the gathering of water from iconic places from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic, so we added water from a crocodile infested pond at a place known as Solomon's Wall on the Motloutse River.
I understand that you've slept under the stars in the Kgotla?
Yes, it was a special evening. Under the spreading branches of a 30-meter high Mashatu tree our home for the night was a fine example of a traditional Kgotla - a circle of leadwood poles, a hard wood fire in the centre, a stick gate to pull across in case of predators and a circle of stretchers on which to sleep. These Kgotla's are what makes Botswana so special - a safe place and peaceful place where people have respect one for each other, a country that upholds its traditional dignity - it was great to spend a night under the stars at a place that signifies the very heart of democratic Tswana culture. The Ratray Mashatu Resort and their delightful staff made it a memorable evening with expedition members and hosts using the famed expedition talking stick to express their observations of this beautiful Transfrontier Conservation Area.
This Boundless Southern Africa expedition is linked to a number of Community Days across Africa. How was the one here in Botswana held at held at the village of Lentswelemoriti?
This was one of the best organised and best attended community events to date which highlighted Botswana's commitment to linking nature, culture and community.
The key note address was given by Her Excellency Botswana's High Commissioner to South Africa / Mrs Motlhagodi Molomo and the event included welcome and environmental speeches by Kgosi Mmirwa Malema, The District Officer Mr Nfila, and the delightful Director of Ceremony Mr Batsidi Tsae, presentation of gifts, cultural events, art and craft displays brought to the event by a unit from the Gaberone Museum, environmental displays and a delightful Junior Boundless Soccer Challenge at which Her Excellency Botswana's High Commissioner to South Africa / Mrs Motlhagodi Molomo (whom had also been the key note speaker) presented the man of the match certificate, a floating trophy to the winning team and facilitated the presentation of balls and whistles to the community.
The Modisaotsile Primary school Traditional Dance Group was fantastically well choreographed and will make great footage for the Botswana chapter.
We will always remember 8 year old Pako Mooketsi who recited a poem about the need to live "in Peace" rather than "in pieces", to live together with Nature, Culture and Community in harmony.
I understand that a second expedition came from South Africa to meet with you in Botswana.
Yes, organised by local Botswana operators Kwa Nokeng, 20 Land Rover enthusiasts, together with media, drive from South Africa to Makgadigadi Pans to meet with the Boundless Southern Africa Expedition and experience a Boundless Soccer Challenge at Nata.
With all the unseasonal winter rains on the pans the difficult mud crossing from Kubu Island to Gweta will make this one of the most talked about 4x4 adventure of the year.
Our fireside talk to the visitors created a great deal of awareness and interest for adventurers wanting to participate in the planned Boundless Southern Africa route in the future. SA 4x4 Magazine, Bush Editor Partick Cruywagen, together with the head of Land Rover Experience and the Land Rover Owners Club of South Africa fully endorse the idea of making the Boundless Southern Africa Route available in the future.
What have been your Botswana highlights to date?
It's all been great, Northern Tuli, sunset over the Makgadikgadi Pans filled to the brim with water, an expedition camp on the banks of the Boteti River and the beautiful wildlife of the Makgadikgadi Game Reserve, Baines Baobabs - such an iconic place, taking the old cattle track from Nxai Pan to Pandamatenga, leopards in the night, red billed franklins announcing the dawn, the Chobe elephants at sunset, the friendliness of the people - lets face it, there's no place quite like Botswana.
