Artist Andrew Bone’s South African Safari

Park West Gallery’s wildlife artist Andrew Bone is in process of putting the finishing touches to the planning of a Southern African safari for the end of the year. The trip will involve 4 African countries and more than 6,000 km.

Here’s the plan as Andrew explains it…

“We shall begin our journey in my faithful Land Rover Defender from our home on the Southeast coast of South Africa, west through the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, a small proudly independent country surrounded by South Africa, boasting some of the most rugged mountainous country (and the highest altitude bar in Africa) in Southern Africa. We will be entering Lesotho via the Sanipass, one of the steepest gradients of any graveled road with plans to tar it. Since living in South Africa, I have wanted to drive up the pass.

Exiting Lesotho through it’s western boundary we shall proceed northwest into the dry hinterland of South Africa, towards the Orange River and to the Kgalagdi Transfrontier National Park. This unique park is a perfect example of the possibilities of African states working together to benefit wildlife. Three independent national parks have joined to form one large park that encompasses the three countries of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Kgalagdi is renowned for it’s cheetah population.

Entering Namibia we will travel to the capital Windhoek and onto the inhospitable, desolate skeleton coast, boasting the highest sand dunes in the world and a Cape seal population numbering over 100,000. I have heard that time spent viewing the colony is limited to how long one can stand the aroma! We will then head inland towards the northeast to the Etosha National Park.

Situated in the north of Namibia, close to the Angolan border lies the Etosha. An area rich in wildlife since the introduction of waterholes, it is famous for it’s enormous elephant, springbok and Oryx. Lions follow the herds and I read a report of a pride of lions tearing through the middle of a game viewing hide, chasing an eland, scattering wildlife enthusiasts in every direction.

After spending as much time as possible in Etosha we will journey west along the Caprivi Strip to the point where, on the Zambezi river, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet. We will take a bit of time out at the Victoria Falls and enjoy bungee-jumping and white water-rafting. It will, I’m sure be a nostalgic trip as we have not traveled back to Zimbabwe for 5 years or more – and our favorite place is the Falls. We shall enter Botswana through the Chobe and travel south to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

This is not for the faint-hearted. The oldest desert in the world is also home to the desert elephant, the black-maned Kalahari lion and the Bushman. Everything that survives in this area has learned to adapt and live on the meagerest of water and food. It is here that I want to ‘discover’ the San people, record their ways and paint and sketch them in their wonderful environment. The Bushmen were the original occupants of Southern Africa and some of their rock art dates back 5,000 years.

We shall then re-enter South Africa through southern Botswana and journey home again.”

Safe Travels Andrew! Park West Gallery looks forward to Andrew’s safe return and all of the inspired artwork that is sure to follow!