"Robinson Crusoe" – A Family's Adventure in Africa…..
We first met Steve in 2006 at SCI’s National Convention in Reno via good friends, Rich and Ann-Marie Adams. At that stage Rich and Ann-Marie were planning their 7th safari with John X Safaris and Steve decided to join them on his first hunt to South Africa. Like so many before, Steve fell in love with Africa and his quest for a Cape Buffalo saw Steve return during 2009 to join us on safari in Mozambique.
Enjoying hunting along the banks of the Mighty Zambezi during our 2009 safari.
It was on our Mozambican hunt that Steve first expressed his dream of bringing his family to Africa. It had changed his life so much and he wanted to share in the wonders of this great continent. We toiled with the idea and jokingly decided that 2010 would be the year that he introduced his family to Africa.
We decided the East Cape of South Africa would be the ultimate destination to take a family on their first safari. Not only does the East Cape boast with some of the finest Plains Game hunting on the African Continent, it also has a remarkably diverse landscape with over 30 huntable species on offer. It caters for non-hunters in way like no other, and who could ask for more than the scenic Garden Route between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town to spend a few days shopping, touring and relaxing.
Steve with his son, Hunter, would join Professional Hunter, Carl van Zijl, in search of a variety of Plains Game Species. Their hunt would stretch from our areas on the Coast to the mountains in the North. Lynda, Ashley and Kaley joined Trish on a safari of their own. They were out hunting with cameras for the Big 5, shopping up a storm and taking part in numerous activities in the surrounding areas to camp.
Day 1. While the ladies were out in search of the Big 5, the hunters got lucky with Hunter bagging his first African trophy.
Hunter's 1'st African Trophy - A great old Warthog.
The ladies weren't doing to badly themselves!
A worn out but EXTREMELY HAPPY team. Steve clearly sweated for his long-awaited 50'' East Cape Kudu bull.
One gets a better appreciation of Steve's bull once we had got him out of the forest into the sunlight. Not every hunter gets this lucky and hunting a bull like this can be considered a once in a lifetime!
Day 3 we had planned to all meet down on the Indian Ocean for lunch. The hunters were after Caracal with hounds, while Ashley was interested in going for a horse ride along the beach. Lynda and Kaley joined Sue down at Kenton on Sea to experience something for the very first time.
Kaley on her way to experiencing something for the very first time - dipping her toes into the Indian Ocean.
What was to be a morning of Caracal hunting quickly took a different course once this magnificent Nyala was spotted. Hunter needed no second invitation on this opportunity and bagged his first spiral horned antelope. What a start for an 11-year-old!
Of course traditions must be maintained with the blooding of a hunter with his first African antelope.
Hunter wasn't done for the day yet and brought down a great Impala with a good shot.
Steve was starting to feel left out with all Hunter's luck. His turn finally came with this great Caracal.
Steve capped of a day to remember with this super Cape Grysbuck. The rare Cape Grysbuck brought him ever closer to achieving his "Tiny 10", a personal ambition both of us have embarked on.
Day 4 saw the family sleeping in after the previous days activities. Then at midmorning we decided to take the family on an Elephant back Safari.
The family enjoying the interaction with these big animals.
Later on Day 4, Ashley joined in on the action and got her first African trophy. A Blesbuck.
We had spotted this Blue Wildebeest on the very first afternoon of the Safari, but never got a shot. The bull finally gave us half a chance and Steve pulled off a heck of a shot. 387 Yards over a valley in a 30 mile/hr cross wind, fantastic shooting my mate.
Day 5 – 8. The guys were going North to the mountains and plains of the Karoo and the ladies were heading West along the Garden Route to Knysna and surroundings.
The view when coming over Wilderness to Knysna. The ladies getting ready for 4 days of fun.
Looking out from your room at Augusta Bay guesthouse in Knysna - Pure Luxury!
While the ladies were enjoying the Garden Route, Hunter's luck shone once again. The biggest Black Springbuck in 3 years.
Steve adding this fantastic Steenbuck to his growing "Tiny 10" collection. Steve made a great shot on this Steenbuck at long-range, even though it was hit well he still took off and went quite a way. Luckily Bongo was at hand to save the day on a quick-setting sun.
The girls were still at it - Enjoying the scenery! Trish with Kaley and Ashley at the highest Bungy Jump in the World.
"Better Lucky than Good!" I had warned Steve that his Klipspringer would be one of the hardest trophies in his "Tiny 10". As luck would have it, we rounded the first bend of the morning, 20 minutes into the hunt and there he was. A proud Steve and Hunter with a truly magnificent Klipspringer.
After the lucky break on the Klipspringer, Steve opted to sit up in an adjacent valley to turn his hand at calling in a Jackal or Caracal. Hunter, Neil and myself continued hunting the mountains and bagged this old Mountain Reedbuck male.
In the meantime the ladies had travelled over the mountain from Knysna to Oudshorn to ride some Ostriches!
Kaley found out exactly how tough Ostrich eggs really are!
We looked long and hard for a good Springbuck. When it finally came we were just about caught out with our own stalk. Hunter brought this ram down at 15 yards.
A proud father and son with Hunters priority trophy on Safari, Burchell's Zebra.
We used our last evening in the Karoo to search for a Steenbuck for Hunter. Bad weather was on the way and finding a representative was proving to be a big ask. Then, as by now it had become very predictable, Hunter had more luck than a winning Lottery ticket. A monster Steenbuck crossed our path.
The poor weather was setting in on the Garden Route to,and the ladies visit to Monkeyland was not as busy as usual. They did however spot a few new friends!
According to Kaley she found Ace Ventura's lost monkey! Must be the little guy from the movie....
When we woke for our last morning in the Karoo we were met by a light snow storm and extremely cold weather. Good friend Neil helped us out for the last time with a huge White Blesbuck.
Day 9 of our safari saw us all back at Base Camp on the coast. The hunters were trying to get in some last-minute hunting while the girls were snapping away at the Big 5. Ashley joined us for the morning hunt and turned out to be quite the hunter with her second African Trophy.
An excited Dad unable to hide his proud grin.
Day 10. The weather was fantastic, the Bushbuck were out all morning and it was sunny. The late afternoon we spent hunting Kudu. There were Kudu everywhere – in fact there were probably to many, we couldn’t make up our minds which bull we were going to pursue. The opportunities were endless. In the end our time ran out. Just like our adventure together.
Our last evening was spent around the campfire. Reliving the hunts, our cultures, the side trips and the many great memories we had come to share with the Robinson family.
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