The Great Trek is now over, we have travelled from Capetown to the Mozambiqu and Eswatini borders and skirted Lesotho and now returned to Capetown. We have seen all the large animals except for whales and added at least 6 bird species to add to ebird. Walked with elephants, played with monkeys, flirted with parrots! We saw great scenery, camped under the stars, endured a storm deluge, drove in a small car on roads suitable only for 4x4s, dived in the Indian ocean and met great people. When I return to the UK I will reveal all.

We have many talented people in The Wildlife Lens and we would love to see their art, whether its photography, sketches, watercolours or even AI generated and its yours. Do not be intimidated, a Robin, a cardinal, a cockatoo or anything local to you is also exciting for us, really! (We want yours, not someone else's as we are connected to many of the best wildlife artists and photographers in the world). Its easy to feel intimidated, but honestly, what we see is the passion for the outdoors and nature and that's good for us.

There’s always that tiny flutter of panic when you head off on a long expedition. You can be as seasoned as a cast‑iron skillet, but the moment you close the front door your brain starts whispering, “Did you pack everything? Did you actually pack everything? What about the pets? The family? The socks?” And then come the classics: the “what if I leave something behind?” and its equally charming cousin, “what if I lose something important?” These thoughts are universal. No amount of resilience or experience seems to grant immunity from the last‑minute gremlins. Over the years, I’ve managed quite the highlight reel: leaving my luggage at home, leaving my wallet at home, picking up the wrong passport, booking a hotel for the wrong day, and—my personal favourite—turning up at the airport bright and early… twelve hours early. Morning instead of evening. A bold choice. And all of this despite having everything written down, planned out, and checked twice like a nervous Santa. It’s astonishing how one tiny, unrelated hiccup can trigger a domino run of chaos that ends up far bigger than the original problem. But that’s travel for you: equal parts adventure, preparation, and sheer comedic timing.

We have had an awesome journey so far with wildlife, birds, flora and scenery ro please eveybody interested in travel. Imagine mountains (Golden Gate) that look like they are paintings, a Cherry farm with sweet, succulent cherries and an assortment of Cherry products to fill a supermrket, a visit to the Mountain National Zebra Park with a wide range of birds and wildlife, the 2 days in Addo with Elephant, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard and much more. I will tell all on my return and share photos. We are niw in the TsiTsikamma forest.