Published in the Horse & Hound magazine, UK, 28 January 1999.

1 September 1998:

Louise (Bates) and I giggle like naughty schoolgirls as we try to go to sleep in the tent we are sharing on our first night in the South African bush. Each time we settle down, there is an unnerving grunt uncomfortably close by - a reminder that only a thin strip of canvas separates us from the game outside.

Louise, my best friend and former joint-master of the Pytchley and the Cottesmore hunts, has joined me as official photographer. We are at the start of an adventure which is to take us on a monumental ride through Africa. Starting with Equus Horse Safaris, deep in South Africa's Lapalala Wilderness, we will be in the saddle for a month, covering thousands of miles.

Our tent is surprisingly comfortable. There are twin beds, gas lamps, rugs on the floor, a cupboard, bedside table, deck chairs on the veranda and even a tiled bathroom en suite with hot water and a flushing loo! But sleep doesn't come easily that first night. We hear a leopard's rasping cough - eerie in the moonlit darkness.

2 September:

Up early to a delicious breakfast and our unshod native Boerperd horses ready and waiting to go. This is bliss!
Equus Horse safaris is run by Wendy Adams. Nine years ago, she gave up a career as an independent television producer to set up a riding safari company in the heart of the Waterberg Plateau. The safaris are fascinating, learning how to creep up on one of "The Big Five", our camp's neighborhood rhinos. Wendy gradually creeps closer, always speaking to the rhino , which seems to relax them. The horses also seem to soothe the animals and mask the smell of humans.

4 September:

By torchlight after midnight, ( can't sleep).
We had a hilarious time this afternoon. Our South African companions were treated to a fine display of British horsemanship. Fellow Brit Fiona Webber's horse stumbled on rough ground and she was unceremoniously dumped. Meanwhile, I shot past Wendy, out of control, and Louise let go of her horse while taking photos.
David and Christopher laughed, saying: "This is what you get when you're riding with a bunch of amateurs!"

6 September:

Today, we met Clive and Conita Walker, conservationists who head the rhino reserve. They told us how the rhino are still and endangered species. It's a sad thought that, in 1961, there were 65 000 rhino in Kenya alone and now there are a mere 2600 in the whole of Africa.
Dinner is the high point of the day. After a long day in the saddle, you cannot wait to shower, change into clean clothes and be treated to a meal under the stars. Not that we have anything glamorous to wear.

Our packing instructions were quite specific - only take the bare essentials. Jeans, chaps, T-shirts and tops in safari- friendly hues and a wide brimmed Australian bush hat. I had slipped in lots of moisturizer, some gloves, a fleece for the cool evenings and a torch, which came into it's own when I needed to go walkabout in the middle of the night. All our washing is done for us daily - so there's a quick turn around of clothes.