Scouts - Borakalalo

As is tradition, at the start of the winter holidays we headed off to Borakalalo Nature Reserve. With the Soccer World Cup on the go, the holidays this year started earlier than usual. After last years experiment, we went back to the traditional work party weekend.

As school holidays had already started, we left early and got to Borakalalo in daylight. Chris had decided the scouts needed to build shelters for Saturday night, but since we were there so early, everyone built their shelters on Friday. While the construction was going on, the pojtie was on the fire. After dinner we had a traditional camouflage and stalking exercise before bed.

Saturday morning dawned and we prepared for our work party day. Two hours later, we were ready but no sign of the rangers. After Norman chased people around the reserve, he found the right person and they were not prepared for us - again - despite having been in touch with them for the last 6 weeks. So we took the kids for a nature walk and a game drive. After lunch, there was time to improve some of the shelters, look at the hippos and play some cricket. Darkness came and the scouts were given raw ingredients and tasked with cooking their own food. They were also not allowed matches or lighters With a bit of help from the experienced adults, everyone managed to cook their dinner and we had short campfire before bed.

On Sunday morning, we again rose early and prepared breakfast. Again the scouts were cooking on a fire without utensils. This morning's fare was eggs, boiled in a orange. Lucas arrived at 8:30 with the tractor and the scouts loaded up. We travelled out to a section of the Serolo Loop were the vegetation was starting to encroach on the road.After about 25 minutes driving we stopped to start working. Using machetes, saws and clippers, the vegetation was pushed back.

Since it was Sunday and we had to go home, we could only work until about 12:00 then we had to return to camp to pack up and have lunch. Too soon it was all over and we headed back to the madhouse that is Johannesburg.