I have always been a wildlife enthusiast, my love stemming from the many fortunate opportunities I have had whilst growing up, visiting game reserves, conservancies and pristine holiday destinations all over South Africa. Being amongst nature is certainly my favourite outdoor pursuit and I am extremely proud of the natural beauty that this country has to offer. However after spending a week at Londolozi I have a new-found connection to the bush. My appreciation for nature has gone from a somewhat tame form to an obsession that I want to share with the world.
Londolozi is a special place. For me the most special aspect of it is the way in which the wildlife resonates Africa’s beauty in the simplest yet most effective way – through transparency. There is no façade to what nature has to offer.
Humans have built monuments, towers, cathedrals and art pieces that attract tourists from opposite sides of the earth. Great attention is drawn to how long ago these structures were created, who designed them and for whichever king or ruler they were meant for. History books emphasise how these creations have withstood the weathering of time and what they symbolise. Sir Winston Churchill once said that history is written by the victors. What I interpret from this quote is that sometimes the truth becomes lost and we idolise people and monuments based on misconceptions or sometimes even deceit.
Photograph by Ian Wilson
However nature is not the result of human’s intentions to be remembered in history books. Nature functions around a single goal and that is to survive. What you see is what you get and I find that blatant honesty truly beautiful. Being at Londolozi made me realize this beauty – through standing amongst an ancient Leadwood forest that will overshadow the history of the structures that we are so proud of, by sitting on top of a termite mound and grasping the hidden complexity of its architecture, feeling the energy of the unmeasurable intelligence of an elephant matriarch, watching a cartoon-like African sunset in the west while a full moon rose in the East and witnessing the magnificence of how every niche of an ecosystem is interconnected to function far beyond the capabilities of a manmade system.
Once you grasp this understanding of nature you feel a sense of belonging, the feeling that this is where we stemmed from and as a species have sadly diverted from so drastically. Londolozi helped me grasp the beauty and honesty of Mother Nature. I know now that I will never take what the earth has provided us with for granted and it has taught me that if society can replicate just a fraction of what nature has to offer, the world would be a much better place.
Photograph by Sean Cresswell
I cannot wait to visit this slice of heaven once again where I can witness the magnificence of a virtually untouched piece of nature that, wonderfully, is oblivious to the effect it has on me.
Written by Josh Attenborough, Londolozi Guest
Awesome blog Josh. You are so right about what we idiolize and look up to, instead of looking to nature to learn what life is really all about.
We came over in March and i am still watching the blogs and wishing i was back there, i am a bit of a classic car nut and never realized you were restoring your original Landie – missed it! My eighteen year old son loved the photography and keeps saying he would love to do his gap year at Londolozi – Dream on!
Beautifully said !!
Beautiful photographs… inspiring words. Thank-you. I love the African bush and all it gives just by being, and will be forever grateful for the privilege it was to grow up in so many diverse and beautiful places… as much as I love my home in Kwa-Zulu Natal, it’s only when I’m in the bush with the sounds of the wild, that I truly feel at home… you captured so eloquently how I feel about Nature. 🙂
So beautifully written Josh. It expresses exactly how I felt while at Londolozi and yearn to return to. You truly feel like you’ve come home when you are at beautiful, magical Londolozi amongst nature and all the beauty and serenity that surrounds you.
Hi Amy, you didn’t credit the photographers of the shots you used in the blog for once? I recognise the leopard and the giraffe as my husband Ian’s photos and the time lapse night sky is Sean’s isn’t it?
Hi Lisa. These photos were put into this blog by someone who wasn’t aware that some were Ian’s. They saw them on the system and thought they were beautiful. Sorry for missing the credit, I have subsequently updated the blog. Hope you’re well! Thanks, Amy