There was a time when Londolozi’s only ranger was a lanky 19 year old with a wispy 60’s mustache and a torn pair of khakis. This young reprobate fell into guiding by chance, knew only ten birds and five tree names that he would recite with such confidence that guests would be blown away by his enormous breadth of knowledge.
Great Safari Man identifying engine trouble on his early Land Rover
He could drop a landy gearbox onto his knees and service it in fifteen minutes, returning minutes later, unfluffed, to take an afternoon game drive.
Having grown up hunting big game he seemed to have an almost preternatural sense of big cat movement combined with almost no concept of direction, often finding himself temporarily uncertain of his whereabouts or put more plainly LOST ! Guest described his game drive game drive as a wilderness experience with a Dakar rally ambiance.
Great Safari Man on Safari
He once did the whole safari in reverse after the gear stick of the 1959 ‘109’ Landy broke exiting a lion sighting in a hurry. Story’s of “great safari man” spread from the Sand River to the Serengeti, wherever men tracked rhino and campfire smoke clouded the whiskey filled night air.
Great Safari Man braving the crocodile infested Sand River
He had a reputation for burning chairs to create a “vibe” in the boma. And he once threw a pineapple at a guest holding a spade during an impromptu cricket match late one evening.
Great Safari Man
His career would take him all over Africa and then later the world. He would forward the cause of nature wherever he went. But what would never change was his love for finding animals at Londolozi and his consistent abilty to get lost, falling into a hole or calling for tow rope back up. His game drives remain unconventional, brilliant and at times scary.
Great Safari Man about to fly across Africa
The man who once tripped over a leopard he was tracking is our Dave Varty, but we still call him GREAT SAFARI MAN and these are the pictures taken from his private portfolio collection
Tamobti Female on Termite Mound
Southern Pride Young Lion
Red Sunset Sky
Marula Tree on the Open Areas
Impala Rutting
Cloudy Sunset
Zebra at Sunset
Leopard on a Termit Mound photographed by Great Safari Man!
Sounds like a wonderful character to know. Did he snap that leopard as he was tripping over it to fall in a hole?
oh my gosh I love this
makes you think ……..how time flies……how everything chances
but in essence all stays the same!
shanny
Totally enjoying the Londolozi blogs. It is a continuation of our trip.
With my highest respect to him.
Fantastic photos. THat sunset is spectacular.
Cool story! Imagine camp fire stories Dave could share!
AWESOME photos. They show how much he loves the land and the animals. Thank you!
What a great blog.. thank you Safari Man, for giving us a peek into the Sabi..
And thank you also to the leopard you tripped over for not making you dinner! LOL
you really should write a memoir…
thank you.
Yeah, but what’s great safari man done lately? Has he still got it? That’s what i want to see.
I am sure that the readers of Time magazine would be pleased to know that great safari man, just yesterday, led the entire ranging team to locate a single elusive free ranging cheetah in 6 million acres of wilderness. The great safari man looks forward to welcoming you and kate to londolozi some time during 2013. Best wishes to you all. Great Safari Man