AROUND SOUTH AFRICA IN 80 DAYS

On Friday 5 December 2020, Kingsley Holgate and members of his Mzansi Edge Expedition team stopped off at Station 5 (Durban) at the start of the final leg of their 14 000km journey tracking the entire outline of South Africa. It was a day to remember. By Wendy Maritz

KINGSLEY HOLGATE NEEDS LITTLE introduction. Adventurer. Explorer. Author. Most travelled man in Africa. In fact, we can add ‘humanitarian’ to the list too, because all of his expeditions use ‘adventure to improve and save lives’. Each expedition the Kingsley Holgate Foundation undertakes (many of them world firsts) supports one or all of the following causes: malaria prevention, provision of reading glasses, wildlife conservation, early childhood development, clean drinking water and, more recently, during Covid-19, hunger relief.

The Mzansi Edge Expedition was an 80-day 14 000km journey tracking the outline of South Africa that took the team through eight provinces, around the border of landlocked Lesotho and along the coast. During their adventure, they canoed the Orange River, traversed the Diamond Coast of the Northern and Western Cape, made 30 river crossings, and visited 52 lighthouses, seven World Heritage Sites and more than 40 nature parks. En route, the travellers collected water from every ocean, river and harbour in a Zulu calabash, the idea being to empty the water into the sea once their journey ended at Kosi Bay – the same place it started in September 2019.

Mzanzi Edge Expedition team members at the start of the final leg of their journey.

The calabash has been filled.

Each team member discovered a renewed passion for South Africa’s natural beauty and its people. Their travels took them to remote areas of the country, where they distributed, among others, 250 000 nutritional packs (in conjunction with the Do More Foundation) and spectacles (Rite to Sight). They also shared knowledge about nature conservation and engaged in work at early childhood development centres.

Ian Gourley, one of the expedition members, and Station 5 station commander Jonathan Kellerman are colleagues, and when the expedition was nearing Durban, Ian contacted Jonathan to ask if the station could host Kingsley and his team as they embarked on the final leg of their journey. Jonathan happily agreed and arrangements were made with Helen Wienand, NSRI’s public relations officer and guest speaker for KZN.

‘We met at the station, and gave Kingsley and his team a tour of the base. Kingsley’s son, Ross, put a little harbour water into the calabash and then we took him out to Umhlanga on the offshore rescue craft (ORC). From there, a lifeguard came to fetch him on a jetski and took him to shore,’ Jonathan says. ‘It really was an exciting experience for the crew. Kingsley has done amazing stuff over the years.’

The Kingsley Holgate Foundation and Sea Rescue share a common goal, says Helen. ‘We have the same values and core beliefs. We speak with one voice on conservation and saving lives.’ The relationship is one that is set to grow in the future as strength lies in unity. If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to work together, look out for each other and share what we have with those around us.

We commend Kingsley Holgate and his team – conservationist Richard Mabanga; Kingsley’s son, Ross, and grandson, Tristan; Ian Gourley; Sheelagh Antrobus; and mountain-bike veteran ‘Shova Mike’ Nixon (who rode the entire length of the expedition) – and those who joined at various stages, such as adventure runner David Grier, mountaineer Sibusiso Vilane, who first summited Mount Everest in 2003, and André Bredenkamp. Thank you for allowing Sea Rescue to participate in a small way on that Friday.

Kingsley Holgate and Station 5 station commander Jonathan Kellerman.