My most memorable experience
Far as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to see two animals: a gorilla and a polar bear. Being in this job, we’re lucky enough to experience some incredible animal sightings, all of which are special every time. But these two eluded me until 2017, when I made it to Uganda to tick one. I managed two treks to see mountain gorillas – both successful – and saw these amazing animals. There were tears, I’m not even going to hide that fact.
I’ll never forget when I was at the age of around 10, on one of our many trips into the far corners of Kaokoveld, and Dad stopped the car and got out to check on a really annoying rattle. Seconds later he very calmly got back into the car and quietly said, ‘Guys, look behind us’. That was when I saw my very first wild black rhino – trotting at a steady pace past the back of our car within about 5 metres, with a baby in tow! This experience taught me that, sometimes, you do just need to look back and see where you came from. That’s when you might see the best things.
Another time a leopard brushed right against my tent in Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park, at the head end of my bed. With me in it!
Trekking the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand was also something I’ll not forget. Incredible landscapes, and being able to say that I made it up to Mordor’s Mount Doom was pretty epic as well!
