Michael Wilcox is an all round adventurer with years of experience in the outdoor space.
His introduction to hiking and the love for nature happened at the early age of five when he started joining his father on fishing trips to the coastal regions of the Cape of Good Hope section within the Table Mountain National Park. This included hiking through the fynbos to reach fishing spots at the water’s edge. He remembers playing in the rock pools of the intertidal zones as well as catching “klip vissies” (small rock fish) there.
In later years he went on to join a swimming club, become a water polo player and a lifeguard. The aquatic activities further expanded his love for the ocean. In fact, he spent over 25 years of his life volunteering as a beach lifeguard along the False Bay coast, as well as volunteering as a crew leader on the Cape Town Helicopter Surf Rescue service.
Soon after getting married, Michael and his wife Bridget embarked on an extended backpacking venture across Europe and the Middle East. Over time the two of them have been fortunate to travel to and experience 25 different countries around the world.
It is this love for nature, the outdoors, hiking and travel that made for perfect ingredients to become a Cultural Guide, an Overnight Off Trail Mountain and Adventure Guide, and to register a Tour Operator business called Tusk Adventures & Tours.
Here are some of Michael’s achievements over the years:
Be out and be safe
This little known secret is actually an extremely captivating story for anyone with an interest in South Africa. And should be for the locals as well.
This ambitious initiative under the command of comrade Joe Slovo, used a converted Bedford truck which took adventure seekers overland in a southerly direction from Kenya to a country at the tip of Africa, one which was on the brink of a civil war at the time.
These happy go lucky tourists were completely unaware of what they were letting themselves in for. Some of them eventually found out about this ploy once the African National Congress party (ANC) felt that it was time to reveal the operation, however, most of them did not.
Lilieslief is a farm near Johannesburg where ANC activists including Nelson Mandela were captured and arrested by the then State Security Police of the apartheid South African government. It is at this farm where advance plans were made by key ANC comrades regarding the implementation of what was to be called the “armed struggle against apartheid” which included the formation of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) military wing of the ANC.
The farm was code-named “CEDRIC” by the underground operatives, and today, it is a National Heritage site with a museum and other interesting displays for visitors. And the accompanying coffee shop is aptly called “Cedric’s”.
It is here at Lilieslief, that the old Bedford truck stands today.
Welcome to “Africa Hinterland Safaris”
Click here for an article by news24.
The videos below tells the tale from the side of the driver/guides.
Credit:
Johannesburg Today and News24 (print)
Ruby Parker-Harbord (video)
Tom Zubryiki-director of Safari Secret (video)
