Day 2 Spion Kop + Weenen Game Reserve

07.00 We woke to a slight frost (were we really in Africa) Following a fantastic breakfast (English style) we gathered our kit and got back on the bus and headed out to the foot of a steep sided hill (430 m) called Spion Kop. We followed a route up the hill which had been disastrously set by the British Forces who battled in vain to hold Spion Kop in January (1900) during the Boer War. At the top of we were given a very moving short tour of the monuments and graves.


Without delay we clambered back on the bus and headed towards the Weenen Game Reserve. Within an hour’s travel we arrived on location and met our hosts/guides for the next 2 days Marcel and Herby. Our purpose was to complete an environmental awareness course (EAC) Our first lesson was on the tracking of wild animals, which mainly consisted of a very interesting hands on chat on the subject of animal dung, which included shape, size, substance, moisture content and age.

After a short discussion it was decided that both groups would cram themselves into and onto 2 vehicles as neither group were prepared to miss out on a night drive through the bush. This proved to be a wise decision as within minutes the cadets armed with a search light were picking up Giraffe’s, White Rhino, Kudu, Red Hartebeest, Ostrich and to finish the evening on a high, the energized cadets were treated to a sighting of the very rare Black Rhino (of which there are only 16 in the reserve). In addition to the animal sightings Marcel introduced his now faithful disciples to star gazing in the Southern Hemisphere.



21.30 Spaghetti Bolognese was consumed by all back at camp, Following camp fire discussions the exhausted cadets declined the offer of Hot Chocolate and crawled to their tents remembering Marcel’s deadly warning “Do not leave your tent under any circumstances until instructed that it was Safe to do so”. We fall asleep to the sound of Hyenas calling from the bush.