MUTINONDO
Writer: Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson Photography: Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson
LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
‘M
y pen has danced over paper… up big granite boulders, in painted shelters, by splashing rivers, among waving grasses[and] under shady trees, recording Mutinondo through the seasons….’ These are the words of Zambian artist Quentin Allen in his beautifully illustrated booklet Mutinondo Magic. And now I too was to explore Mutinondo, and who better to accompany me as guide than Quentin – the man himself. I am not in the habit of getting lost – and certainly not in a location as remote and untrammelled as Mutinondo Wilderness, a huge tract of privately owned land comprising 10,000 hectares and located to the west of South Luangwa National Park. The inclusion of this area on my Zambia itinerary was a hearty recommendation by Leslie Nevison of Lusaka-based Mama Tembo Tours and I took her at her word.
To reach Mutinondo, we had travelled south down the Great North Road to the turn-off and then driven for about 24 kilometres along a reasonable dirt road through miombo woodland, our journey punctuated by stops to photograph flowers and plants. And I’d caught my first glimpse of majestic Mayense, one of the inselbergs or whaleback hills that characterise this region. We reached Mutinondo Wilderness Lodge and were met by Frank Willems and Inge Akerboom, the then management couple. I was shown to my accommodation, Mulombwa, a splendid stone chalet with a separate bathroom facility including an enormous bath, shower, basin and a loo open to the elements on one side. There was also a basin in the bedroom – cold water only. Water is solar-heated and boosted by wood-burning boilers. Each of the lodge’s four chalets is named after the local wood used in its handcrafted furniture and fittings. Quentin decided to camp at Mutinondo Wilderness Camping, a lovely campsite not far from the lodge. The friendly bar operates an ‘honesty’ system: you mark up your drinks and pay when you leave.
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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA
While having a cup of coffee before setting off for a walk, as a devotee of anything that crawls, creeps, spits or slithers, I was delighted to spot what Frank told me was a rainbow skink. This
