flight at dawn

We live complex and busy lives.

Returning to nature can often provide glimpses into the simplicity we left behind centuries ago.

While there is no going back there is certainly much that can be learnt from the natural environment that

we can use to enrich and broaden our lives.

Flight at Dawn is about two journeys: A physical journey into a wildlife reserve; and a spiritual and intellectual journey of the mind as Tony and his two boys explore the landscapes and the species that occupy them.

The book discusses the lessons that can be learnt from both the experiences they have on their journey and from the creatures they encounter. Tony also shares commentary on topical issues and on some of the vexing challenges and paradoxes of the working environment. The book’s key focus areas are leadership and organisational behaviour, but there are many other lessons that can be applied to the way one lives one’s own life.

Tony Frost is a recognised conservationist and strategist, and has received many awards in this arena. He is passionate about helping young people fully appreciate the future that belongs to them, and persuading the current generation of leaders that they owe the youth a positive and healthy future. He is founder and CEO of Sirocco Strategy Management, CEO of the Queen’s College Foundation, and a board member of the South African Biodiversity Institute.

Tony Frost is a frequent visitor to wild places and through his writing he is able to share his experiences in a rich, humorous and accessible manner.

Flight at D

awn

ANTONY J FROST

9 781920 292041

ISB

N 978-1-920292-04-1

ww

w.jacana.co.za

iii

FlightatDawn

byantonyJFrost

FLIGHT_AT_DAWN.indd 3 2012/05/17 11:32 AM

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FLIGHT AT DAWN

First published by Stonebridge – an imprint of Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd – in 2012

10 Orange StreetSunnysideAuckland Park 2092South Africa+27 11 628 3200www.jacana.co.za

© Antony J Frost, 2012

All rights reserved

ISBN 978-1-920292-04-1Also available as an e-book dPDF ISBN 978-1-920292-05-8 ePUB ISBN 978-1-920292-06-5mobi file ISBN 978-1-920292-18-8Cover design by Shawn Paikin and Maggie DaveySet in Stempel Garamond 11/15ptJob No. 001763

See a complete list of Jacana titles at www.jacana.co.za

v

COntentS

Contents

acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Chapter1:gettingthere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Chapter2:intothewaitingnight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Chapter3:SpeedofCheetah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Chapter4:atthewaterhole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Chapter5:UndertheStars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Chapter6:huntingwithlion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Chapter7:Mamba’sView. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

Chapter8:Buffaloleads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

Chapter9:Souloftheweaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

Chapter10:gameofthewildDogs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170


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aCknOwleDgeMentS

acknowledgements

whenyousetouttowriteabookyouslipintoacocoonofwhatseemstobeyourownlittleworld.

howeverwhenthetimecomestopublishthebookyourealisethatyouwereengagedinaboutofself-delusion.

itisneverasoloeffort.evenflyingsoloisnotasoloeffort.toarriveatthispointinone’sflyingcareertherearemanypeoplethatcontributetohelpingonetobeasafeandresponsiblepilot.

inmycaseitstartedwithmyparentswhogavemeabookaboutDouglasBader,theSecondworldwarleglessfighterpilot.hewasanylittleboy’shero,agreatsportsman,adaringpilot,anincrediblybravehumanbeing,apilotwhowasshotdownovergermanyandaftercountlessescapeshadhislegsconfiscated!iwantedtomeethimanddid;ievenspentaweekendwithhim!

iwantedtofly.iwasgiventheopportunitybymygreatfriendgraemeConlynandhiscolleaguesatnationalairwaysCorporation.ihadmanyinstructorsbothformalandinformalwhoshowedmethevalueofpatienceandofpayingattentiontodetail.

Myfatherwasagreatoutdoorsman,ahunter,aconservationist.he taughtmea loveof thebushand the fact that ithadsomanylessonsforlivingifyoujustopenedyoursensestothepossibilities.

Mymothervaluedherheritageandthecommunityofwhichshewaspart. Shegave somuchofherselfboth tous, the children, aswell as to the Queenstown community. She made me realise thatyoucanonlybethebestyoucanbeifyoufocusongivingtoyourcommunity.itwillalwaysgiveyousomuchmoreback inreturn.thishasbeentrueinmylife.


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andthepublicationofthisbookwouldnotbepossiblewithoutthe teamat Jacana:Bridget impeywhoencouragedme towrite itonedayatlunch;nataliegillman-Biljon,mystrictbutsupportiveandever-responsiveeditorthatmadememakesenseofwhatiwastryingtosay;andamyFlatauandJoanneScottwhotookcareofallsortsofdetailstomakesureitenjoystherightpublicprofile.ioweyouallalot!

Finally,withoutcaringfriendsandalovingfamily,lifewouldbeaprettydullaffair.thisbookisdedicatedtoyouandmyspecialkidsSarah,Roydonandkieranwhoneverceaseinspiringme.

tonyFrostBishop’sRidge

lanseria


1

gettingtheRe

ChaPteR1

gettingthere

it was very dark and cold as we dragged open the hangar doorat grand Central airport to pull my precious Cessna 210,

registrationzS-SPM,fromherwarmandprotectednookandintothecoldwinterdawn.theeasternskywas justbeginning tosendgreytentaclesoflightintothefrozenhighveldmorning.itwascoldenoughforthefeelingattheendofmyfingerstodisappearandforthemtobecomesolid,almostimmobile,relativelyuselesspiecesoffrozenflesh.

Butilovetheearlymorning.thereislittletobeatacoldwinter’smorning on the highveld. Flying when the world is so quiet andthe cold so intense that nothing stirs is something special, almostspiritual.

itisalsothetimegiventouseverydaytoremindusthateachdayofourliveswe’regiftedwiththisnewstarttoeverythingwedo.notthatwecouldn’torshouldn’t lookuponlifethiswayall thetime,butatdawnwe’regivenaspecialreminderofthisuniquedailygift.it’s a reminder that today we can make things significantly betterthan yesterday and certainly better than last week. it’s a real pitywesooftenturnaway,turnoverandtrytoblockouttherisingsun,


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FlightatDawn

insteadoffacingitandembracingit.weshouldtouchthetentativetentaclesthatcreepatusfromtheedgesofourconsciousnessasthesunstrugglesgamelyoverthehorizontowarmandgreetthenewday.it’satthistimethatourcreativity isat itspeakandweareatour freshest. this is the time to be conscious about grabbing thenewopportunitytomakearealdifferenceinourworldandtothosearoundus.thisworldcancertainlyusesomenewideasandanewapproach!

ilookedatthegreytentaclesandthoughtaboutthedaysaheadwiththetwoboysandwhatthetimewouldmeanforus.iturnedmyattentiontopreparingforthisflightatdawnthatwouldtakeusdowntothelowveldandawholenewrangeofcollectiveexperiencesthatwouldremainforeveretchedinourminds.

ihavebeentoldoverandoverthatgreatflightsstartwithcarefuland detailed planning and a thorough check of all the aircraft’ssystemsandcontrols.asaresult,ialwaysconductmypre-flightsasthoroughlyaspossible.it’saloteasiertofixthingsonthegroundthan when up in the air! the prescribed pre-flight processes andproceduresweremademoredifficultpartlybecauseofthecoldandpartlybecauseitwasstillsodark,andsoeverythingtookjustalittlelongerthanusual.Myusuallyquitenimblefingersseemedclumsyand slowandworkingmostlyby torchlightwas certainlynot thebest,soweburntsomecarbatterytoproducebetterlightingforthejob.the torchwas stillnecessary for someof themanydarkandmoreinaccessiblespots.

asireplacedthelastoftheoildipsticksandsawhowcoagulatedandthicklyviscoustheoilwas,ithoughtitmighttakeabitofeffortthismorningtogettheCessnastartedandkeentofly!

there was the buzz of adrenaline and anticipation that arisesbeforeanyflight.But therewasalsoaunique serenityaroundus.itwasalmostasifwewerecocoonedbythedarkness.Ourworldexistedonlywithinthecircleoflightthrownbythetorchandcarlights.

wefinishedthepre-flightingandwerereadytoclimbinandfireherup.

SierraPapaMike,orSPMasweallknowher,wasreadyforus.


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gettingtheRe

Myyoungestson,kieran,andhisbestfriend,Benele,werewithmefortheflight.

theyhadbeenfloatingaroundpackingourgearintothebaggagehold,makingsureitwasallsecurelystowed.it’sneverfunwhenthecargostartsmovingmid-flightinanunplannedfashion!

i always enjoy having the boys with me because they are stillyoung enough to ask an uninhibited stream of questions but oldenoughtotemperthemwithquiteastrongdoseofknowledgeabouttheworld.ithadbecomemuchmoredifficult formetogetawaywith the half answers and grunts that would have worked a fewyearsbefore.theirmindsandmouthswerejustasenquiringastheyalwayshadbeenbutnowtheyweremuchmoreexacting, inboththequalityanddetailoftheanswerstheyexpectedanddemanded.theypursuedissuesalongwaypastmylack-of-interestpointandwell into the weariness stage. and so i knew that the process ofuncoveringthemysteriesoflifewouldcontinuelikethewavesoftheincomingandoutgoingtide.

Ourflightwasgoingtotakeusintothebushforafewgloriousdaysofescape,renewalofthesoulandsomefreshlearningadventures.

we’d been planning this trip for months. we’d had to make itcoincidewithschoolholidaysandabreakfromconsultingforme.ihadtomakesuremyveryvaluableclientswouldunderstandmyunavailabilityforaboutaweek.insomeways,myprogrammewaseasier from this point of view than the boys’. the school didn’tusuallyadjustschooltermstocaterfortheextraneousholidayneedsoftwo13-year-olds.

Ourchoicewasoneofourfavouritespotsnearhoedspruit inthefamousSouthafricanlowveld.thismeantprevailinguponthekindnessourgoodfriends,thewolters,whoownaspecialpieceofthispristinepartofgod’skingdom.Rudi,hisusualaccommodatingself,hadgenerouslygivenusthekeystohisholidayhideawayinthebushandwisheduswell.Soallthatwasleftwastheflightplanandtheprovisionswewouldneedforthefourdays.

i’dbeentograndCentralthedaybeforetorefuelandtofiletheflightplansowewouldwastenotimeinthemorning.

Despitetheoilinthesumpbeingcoldandsticky,SPMwaseager


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FlightatDawn

toflyandittooknotroubletogetthemotorrunning.i just lovethesoundofthepowerfulContinentalmotorasshe

coughsintoherfull-throatedroar!especiallywhenthereisnoothernoiseoractivityattheairport.itaddstothatsenseofprivacy.thatfeelingofbeinginacocoon.italsoreallyfocusesthemind.

‘grandCentraltower.thisisSierraPapaMike.goodmorning!’idon’tknowwhetherwewoke theair trafficcontroller fromhersleeporjustanearlymorningreverie,butshesoundedalittlesleepy.wewereprobablyherfirstcustomersoftheday.

‘goodmorning,SierraPapaMike.goahead.’‘Your taxi instructions for a flight to a private strip in the

hoedspruitareaasperflightplan.threeaboard.’‘taxiholdingpointrunway35.Qnh1025.’wewereonourway.i applied just enough power to get her onto the runway and

linedup.wedidonelastcheckthateverythingwasasitshouldbe–windsock,directionindicator,landinglights,tempsandpressures,flaps.

everythingwasgood.i slowly pushed the throttle in for full power, held for a little

whileforthepowertobuildandthenreleasedthebrakes.Shequicklyreachedrotationspeedandweliftedeasilyofftherunwayintothecoldearlymorningair.

SPMisagreatlittleplane.thebig300horsepowermotorkeptusscootingalongatahealthypace.itwasnotlongbeforewepassedMiddelburgontherightandgroblersdalbelowus.Quitesoon,themountainsoftheescarpmentbegantobecomevisibleinthedistance.BythistimeJohannesburginformationhadgivenusourflightinfoandsoonwe’dbediallinguplowveld.

‘lowveldinformation;goahead,SierraPapaMike.’asusualitwasafriendlyvoicethatwelcomedustohoedspruit.

VeryquicklywewereovertheescarpmentandheadingtowardtheuphillgravelrunwayattheOlifantsRiverReserve.theviewaswecrestedtheindentationnexttoMariepskopwaslittleshortofmind-blowing!inthedistancewasMozambiquebutthehorizonwaslostinabeautifultranslucentbluehaze.itwasstillquiteearlyintheday


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gettingtheRe

–justafter07:00zulu–butitwasperfectlyclear.aheadwassomeofthemostprizedbushveldintheworld!within

our vision we counted eight bushveld strips. if you didn’t knowexactlywhichstripyouweregoingto,ordidn’thavethebenefitofagPS,findingtherightstripcouldbesomethingofanightmareforanewcomertothearea.

wecouldn’twait togeton thegroundandsmell thebushandhearitsuniquesymphonyofsounds.

itwasjustafewminutesbeforewehadourlandingstripinsight.thelandingwasquickandeasy.therewasnogameontherunway

astheresometimesisandnowindtospeakof.weflewparalleltotherunwayforabouthalfitsdistanceandthenletdowngentlyontoitsroughishbutwide-enoughdirtsurface.

we completed our shutdown procedures, conducted a walk-aroundoftheaircraft,installedallthesafetyequipmenttomakesuretheaircraftdidn’tbecomeanestingspot,orrunaway,orbeflippedbythewind,removedallourgeartothewaitinglandCruiserandatlastwewereinthebush!

africa’slandscapebeckoned.itisabouthalfanhour’sdrivefromthelandingstriptothehouse.

aneasydriveand,ofcourse,itprovidesanearlyopportunitytospotsomegame.wehaveneverbeendisappointed.

weweren’tthatmorningeither.and,asusual,itwouldmakethedriveunique.that isoneof themysteriesandwondersofnature:it doesn’t matter how many times you visit a place, every timesomethingwillhappentomakeitspecialand,initsownway,unique!

Forawhilewesatandjustabsorbedoursurroundings.Rightoncueweheardthegreatafricansummons…thecryof

the african fish eagle. we couldn’t see this magnificent bird butit couldn’t have been too far away because the call was loud anddistinctandsoundedasthoughitwasjustnextdoor.it’snowonderthatthiscallisaniconicsoundinafrica.it’sjustsodistinctive,soplaintiveandsobeckoning.

after the call there was no sound at all. absolutely none. Forcitydwellersthisisstrange.it’snotsomethingweexperienceeasily,or often. it’s a once-in-a-while experience. it’s truly special. the


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FlightatDawn

worldlookssoalivebutsoundssoempty.Butyourbrainandsensestell you that you’re anything but alone. indeed, you have a verystrongsensationthatyou’rebeingverycarefullyobservedandfromdifferentquarters.

‘timetogo,boys,’isaidandiflickedthelandCruiserintolife.it hadn’t been driven recently but it had no difficulty in suckingoxygenanddieselintoitssystemandcoughingintolife.withapuffofblackdieselsmoke,theenginegurgledhappily.

itwastimetoexplore.First we offloaded all our clothes and the provisions we had

brought with us from Johannesburg. the closest shops are inhoedspruit,alittlelowveldtownthatwhilenotfarasthecrowfliestakesalotlongertoreachbyroad.inanycase,wedidn’twanttobedrivingtotownandshoppingwhenwecouldspendthattimeinthebush.thatkindoflittleexcursioncantakemostofamorning.Sowetooktheprovisionsweneededandreliedonthefactthatsomeonefrom the reserve would head to town at some stage, happy to dosomeminorshoppingforus,ifnecessary.

thesunshonebrightly.itwasoneofthosedayswhenifeltveryluckytobealive.thedrivetothehomeinthebushwasitsusualbumpyself.But

thesedrivesalwaystakeonuniquepersonalitiesandtheroadfromtheairstripwasmoreruttedandbumpythanusual.

wehadn’tdrivenformorethanfiveminuteswhenwecameacrossamightycommotion.

twowildebeestbullswere sparring furiously. itwas their timetotestwhetherthesizeoftheegowasasgoodasthestrengthofthehornsandthedeterminationoftheirowner!

theyweretotallyabsorbedintheirbattle,obliviousofus.theirfocus was complete. in the grander scheme of things they werefightingnotonly for themselvesbutalso for the long-termhealthandviabilityoftheherd.thestrongestandmostpowerfulbullhadtowinthisfightfortherighttoimpregnatethecowsintheherdandwithitthecreationofastrongergenepoolforgenerationstocome.

Sothebattleraged.Oneminuteonebulllookedasthoughhe’dgainedtheascendancy


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gettingtheRe

whensuddenlythetableswereturnedandtheotherlookedasthoughhewasabouttobecomethekingofthepile.

this intensebattlekicked and stirred andblewgreat cloudsofdust,andlookingatthebattlethroughthedustintothesunlightgavethewholeexperienceanalmostetherealexperience!

theircoatsglistenedintheearlymorningsunwiththesweatthatwaspouringofftheirsurgingbodies.

Slowly,however, thebigandpowerfulbullwithscarredhorns,hugeforequartersandmassivehindquartersbegantodominate.atfirstthechangeintempowasnoteasilyevident.itwasinthenuances.heturnedquickerthantheyoungerfellow,heusedhishornsmoreeffectively,andhisfootworkwasmoreadept.hisconfidencegrew.

Suddenly,insteadofhorninginandthenbackingoff,hejustkeptongoing.hekepthishornsatabouthalf-mastandkepthischargegoing, rather like the way expert rugby forwards use the rollingmaultomaketheiropponentslookweakandineffective.which,ofcourse,theyarenot.Justmomentarily,theopponentsinsuchacaselose their focusandbalanceandsuddenlyfindthemselvesmovingbackwardsatanalarminganduncontrollablerate.whenthishappensandyou’reawildebeest,yourealiseyou’reinaverypoorpositionandthehornsofyouropponentaresharpandpointedatyourchestatbestandribcageatworst.thebestoptionistoturntailandrunasfastaspossibleandsolivetofightanotherday.

theyoungerandslightlysmallerbulldidexactlythis.hewhirledaroundandchargedawayfromhisassailant.inhisfrenzy,hehadn’tnoticedusand initiallychargedrightatus. itwasonlyat the lastmomentthatheswervedpastuswiththebigbullinfullpursuit.

the victor didn’t follow for long. as soon as he realised hisopponentwas in fullflight,he stopped.his chest and lungswereheavingwithexhaustion.Sweatanddustandbloodmingledandran,leavingtangledrivuletsdownhissides.heponderouslymovedhisheadandlookedinalldirections.hiseyesstoppedonusandforagoodfewminuteshejuststoodandstaredatus.hewastiredbutinnomoodtoargueorbearguedwith.wesatextremelystillandstaredback.wewereinawe.thepowerandenergythathadbeenpouredintothefighthadleftusspeechless inwonderattheways


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FlightatDawn

andpowerofnature.hewastiredandsorebutforthetimebeingtheundisputedking.hewastheboss!

every time ihave theopportunity toexperience thispowerofnature,ifeelmysoulhasbeendeeplytouchedandcommunicatedwithatalevelidon’tfullyunderstand.ifindthesespecialnaturalexperiencesareuniquelyspiritual.Proofofamuchgreaterpoweratworkthanwecanfullyunderstand.

wesatthereinthemorningsunandsoakedupthegrandeurandmagicoftheoccasion.therewasnodiscussion–noneofthenormalbanter–aswetriedtoprocesswhatwehadjustbeenprivilegedtowitness.

Suddenly, almost as though he’d decided we really weren’tworththeeffort, thebigbullgaveasnortandmovedoff.hewascompletelyunhurriedandstrolledoffinthetypicalhead-downwaythatwildebeesthavewhentheyarewalkingandfeedingatthesametime,relaxedabouttheworld.hewascock-a-hoopandfeelinggoodaboutlife!

itwastimetomoveon.ikickedthelandCruiserintogearandwe pulled off noisily. these vehicles are an intrusion in the bushand it’s somuchbetter andmore exhilarating towalk rather thanpowerthroughinnoisy,smellymachines.apartfromanythingelse,youmisssomuchinavehicle.thenoisealonemeansyoumissthesounds of the bush that tell you so much. and then because youmoveso fast andcanonlymoveon the roadsand tracks,youseeonlywhatisnexttothem.Onfoot,theflexibilityandvariabilityofthejourneyissomuchgreater.

the journey to our bush house wound its way down throughratherbushyterraintowardsthesluggishOlifantsRiver,whichwehadseenfromtheairaswehadflownintothearea.itlookedlikeagiantbrownsnakewindingitswaythroughtheentanglementoftrees,smallerbushes,scrubandgrass.

wecamearoundthecornerandaheadofuslaythelazyriver.itssilt-ladenwatermovedslowlybutquietlyandponderouslytowardsMozambiqueandthenintotheindianOcean.

westoppedatthesightofthisgreatriver.itwassosymptomaticofourcontinent.itwaschokedwithtopsoilthatshouldhavebeen


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gettingtheRe

protectedandkepton the landso thatpropercropscouldalwaysbeproducedorthenaturalhabitatprotectedforfuturegenerations.ButinfrontofustheOlifantsRiverwascarryingalotofthefutureawayandintotheocean.Poverty, lackofforesight, ignoranceandinequitable distribution of income and wealth have caused thisfrighteningproblem.

theviewfromourvantagepoint,however,waswonderful.wecouldseeoveragrassyplainandtherivertotherollinglandbeyond.Ontheplainswereherdsofzebraandwildebeest.hereandthereyoucouldseethenecksandheadsofafewgiraffeanddownneartheriverwasasmallherdofwaterbuck,withthedistinctivewhitecirclesontheirbuttocks.inthedistancewasthelittlepointedpeakofMica.itwasanidyllicsightthatmadeuspauseinourconversationandthoughtsandjustabsorbthebeautyandtranquilityofafrica’sartwork.

it was difficult to imagine at that point why anyone wouldwillinglywanttoliveanywhereelse.

Youcansmelltheafricanair.itisdistinctiveanddifferent.Onlyinafrica.itismesmerising.ittransportsyou.takesyouaway.it is almost impossible to categorise exactly what the smell is

orwhat its components are. it is apotpourriofafricanbushveldfragrances.

Suddenlythemagicwasbrokenbythesoundofanothervehicleinthedistanceandsoistartedtheengineandwecontinuedontheshortdrivetoourhouse,whichwasattheveryendoftheroad.Onceintheprecinctofthehousenooneelsewoulddisturbus.wecouldn’tsee any other human habitation from anywhere in the immediatevicinityofthehouse.amagicalplace.itisnomorethan30metresfromthatgreatswarthyandlazyOlifantsRiver.Ofcourse,it’snotalwayslazy.Sometimeswhentherainscomeitrageswithaterrifyinganger.itbecomesaboiling,churning,punchingmassofwaterthatsweeps all before it with a relentless and unstoppable energy thatfrightenseventheboldestandmostdaringofmen.


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FlightatDawn

But this time itwasmoving at itsmostbenign andwelcomingpace.

Onthesurface.those in theknowwouldneverventure into itsmurkywaters

becauseit’sgenerouslypopulatedwithratherlargeandalwaysveryhungrycrocodiles!

Becausethehouseissoclosetotheriveranddoesn’talwayshavepeopleinit,theanimalsareoftenrightthereinfrontofyournose.it’strulyaspecialandsecretplace,farfromthemaddingcrowd.

itdidn’ttakeuslongtounpackourgoodsandchattelsfromthelandCruiser,stockthepantryandthenstarttoplanourtimeinthereserve.

itwasnotverydifficultbecausetheboysandihaveverysimilarinterestsandneedsandsoourplanningwaseasy.

we would do a certain amount of game driving but we alsoplannedtospendsomequiettimeunderthestars.

wewerereadytostarttheprocessofimmersion.

•

This is the type of immersion that so many organisations try with their staff with so little success. Immersion learning is probably the only way people can really begin to internalise the nuances, values and rhythms of an organisation. It is so important but it does require a deep commitment.

A terribly important part of gaining this understanding is to begin to understand our own rhythms so that we can also use them most positively and effectively. This is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance.

‘Tuning in’, as I call it, is such a useful tool. It has multiple uses. It helps by allowing us to pace ourselves effectively; it helps us to relate to others and understand them better; it facilitates being able to predict when we will be best capable of handling the challenges that inevitably confront us. Of course, if we can’t sense our own rhythm, it’s unlikely that we will be able to make an effective connection with anyone or anything else, let alone begin to understand their rhythms and motivations.


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gettingtheRe

One of the quickest ways of getting a fix on your rhythms is to look back on your life and plot the ups and downs. This will give you a good feel of the intervals and the time between them. Another useful technique is to keep a journal of your activities and feelings about your life and environment. This, too, will give you a sense of when your rhythms move and how far they move. It also enables us to begin to spot the trends that track our life’s journey and the triggers of incidents and events that characterise us and who we are. Once you understand this you’ll be much better able to make sure of your best moments to make the life decisions all of us have to make from time to time.

It is these decisions that give us a sense of direction and purpose in life.

Of course, life is full of paradoxes that are not always easy to resolve. It is much easier to deal with these if we enjoy a purposeful and directed journey along, down and through the valley of life.

The same principles apply in, and for, any organisation. The more a real feeling of purpose can be generated at all levels in the organisation, the better the chance the organisation will become the best it can be.

There are so many factors that influence the way people think about anything. But a key to it all is to generate enthusiasm for the task at hand. And a sense of mystery. There must be a feeling of adventure. There needs to be the anticipation of a journey about to commence that will leave all of those involved enriched at the end of it. So often in this pressured world in which we live, people are left with a feeling of hopelessness and a feeling of having no control over their lives. Part of the journey needs to include a strong belief in the future and a feeling that the journey is going somewhere. There must be a discernable destination. It is this sense of destination that makes sense of life and provides us with that important feeling of at least being able to control a part of our life’s journey.

It’s about creating excitement and hope.

Buttherewasnoneedtocreateanyexcitementorsenseofpurposewith the boys – not that this conundrum had in any way beenoccupyingtheirminds!

they were ready and anxious to get our adventure underway.


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FlightatDawn

therewasnotalkofschoolorthetensionsandchallengeswehadallleftbehindus.

Sandwichessufficedforlunch.Sandwichesandcolddrinks.wewantedtobeinthebush.Soonwe’dloadedacoolerboxwithdrinksandsnacksforlater.

wealsopackedtorchesandwarmclothesforwhenthetemperatureplunged as it tends to do very quickly after dark in the lowveld,especiallyinwinter.wewerenotgoingtobecaughtbyunexpectedcoldweather.

then we loaded ourselves and our snacks and drinks into thelandCruiseragainandheadedouttoourfirstportofcall,wildDogPan.itisalargeopenplainjustwestoftheMozambicanrailwaylineandisalwaysagoodplacetoseegameatitsbest.Ofcourse,wewerehopingitwouldrevealsomeofthedogsmentionedinitsname.theyaresocolourful,bothintermsoftheircoatsandintermsoftheircharacter.it’soneofthereasonstheyaresosought-afterbytourists.in the bad old days and occasionally even today they are shot asvermin.Fortunately,ithasbeenrealisedthattheyarenotnearlyasbadastheirreputationandafterstrenuousconservationeffortstheyarestartingtomakesomethingofacomeback,andarebeginningtoextendtheirrangeandtoreappearinplacestheyhavebeenabsentfromforyears.

thechallengewiththemisthattheyareplainsanimalsandtheyneedalotofspacetosurviveadequatelyand,withthereductioninhabitatsalloverthecountry,theyhavehadtheirlivingspaceseverelypressurised.likesomanyotherspecies!

wefollowedmuchthesameroutebackthatwehadtakentotravelinfromtheairstripbutinsteadofwindingthroughthehillsabovetheriverwewentaroundandtravelledalongnexttotherailwayline,keepingoureyespeeledforanythingtoreassureuswewereindeedinagamereserve.itisamazinghowoftenwefailtoseeanythingofnote for, sometimes,hoursonend. iamendlesslyamazedathowadeptevenverybiganimalsareathidingthemselves!theydoitsowell that they become virtually invisible behind or in or amongstsometimestheflimsiestofcover.

Butifwearepatientandpersistentthereisalwaysareward.


13

gettingtheRe

thisdaywasoneofthosedays.we drove and drove and eventually arrived at wild Dog Pan

quitedisappointedthatallwe’dseenwereanumberofyellow-billedhornbillsandquiteafewlong-tailedshrikesbutnotmuchelse.

itwasenoughtochallengeourenthusiasmandsenseofadventure.it was time to put all our skills to work to make sure we at leastsawsomethingexcitingtoreporttothosewhohadn’tcomewithus.Reportageisoneoftheimportantritualsofbushvisiting.Youhavetobeabletosay,‘Youknowwhatwesawinthebush?’

thepanwaswaitingforusthough.everywherewelookedtherewassomethingtosee.Upaboveusinatallmarulatreewasatawnyeagle.Magnificent.

alert.watchingus.the eagle’s golden feathers were ruffled slightly by the small

breezethatwaftedacrosstheveld, itsgolden-yelloweyespiercingrighttothebackofthehead,especiallyintheclose-upseenthroughthebinocularsormycamera’stelephotolens.

Ontheothersideoftheplainwasafidgetyherdofimpala.theirtailskeptflickingandeverynowandthenoneofthemwouldhopandskipandjump,whileanotherwouldtrotafewyardsandthensettledownagain.Beautifulantelope.andgreatlyunderrated.thisisprobablybecausetheyaresoabundant.Butitcanbeanabsorbingexperience to spend some time sittingquietlyandobserving thematplay.thereisaninterestingsocialdynamicandtheherdisneverstill.alwayswatchful,everalert.Dangeriseverpresentinthebush!

Peekingout from the topsof the trees at the edgeof thegullyontheedgeoftheplainwerethreegiraffewiththeirhugeeyesandsensuous eyelashes keeping watch over proceedings on the plainwhiletheypluckedandpulledatthesucculentleavesatthetopsofthetrees,wherenooneelsecouldreach.

inthetreesaboveus,fourlong-tailedshrikesweresingingtheirlittlesongsandflutteringtheir longblacktails. itwasalmostas iftheyweretryingtoattractattention.then,suddenly,theyflewofftoacopseoftreesafewhundredmetresawayandstartedtheritualalloveragain.


14

FlightatDawn

in thebushes to the rightofusa little familyofwarthogswastrottingaroundwiththeiraerialtailsup,lookingveryimportantandbusy.

On the road right next to the land Cruiser was a long line ofblack ants making their disciplined way across the road, enjoyingthesun.thelevelofcommunicationamongsomanyantsoversuchbig distances always amazes and impresses. and they are such anorganisedcommunity!

wesatandjustabsorbedtheambienceandthetranquilityofthescenebeforeus.itwasanopportunityonceagaintoappreciatethevalueofimmersionobservation.

thisisquitedifficulttodowhilesittinginaveryprominentandobtrusivevehicle,butnotimpossible.it’saprocessmoreofthemindthanofposition,althoughpositionmostundoubtedlyhelps.thetrickistositveryquietlyandtoconcentrateyourselfrightintothesituation.Youhavetoattempttogetyourselfabsorbedintotheenvironment,makeyourselfverymuchanintegralpartofwhateversituationyouwanttobepartof.itiscriticaltoseeyourselfaspartofthesituationandnotseparatefromit.itisalsoalittlelikeimaginingyourselfaspartofamoviescene.thewholescene.itisnotasceneofparts,butonecontinuouspicture.notoneofdisjointedlittlepieces.itisabitlikeclimbingintoacupboardandfindingawholesceneinthereofwhichyou’reaninextricablepart.Youmustbeabletofeeltheentirescene–itsambience,itstensions,emotions,dynamicsandthemoves.

This technique is not just useful in the bush; it is particularly useful in the corporate jungle. The more you can learn to become an unobtrusive part of the background the easier you’ll start to pick up things that had previously passed you by. This doesn’t mean you may not participate in the action. You must participate but you must also learn to choose your moments. Learn to fade in and out of the scene and in and out of the action. In this way, you’ll have mastered the best of both worlds and will have an advantage over those who are always visible and obtrusive. In the macho world in which we live, much emphasis is placed on being upfront and visible while almost no effort is put into learning how to observe and thereby derive maximum benefit from the learning that comes from acute observation.


15

gettingtheRe

thelessobtrusiveweareinthebush,themorewewillseeandthatiswhyweareurgedtowearclothesthatfadeintothebackground.

weallowedourmindstodriftintobackgroundmodeeventhoughwewereinthebig,uglyandveryvisiblelandCruiser.Fortunatelyforus,theanimalshadhabituatedsomewhattothemachineandwerenotoverlyconcernedbyourpresence,especiallywhenweswitchedofftheengineandjustsatquietlydaydreamingandwatching.

itwasn’tasthoughtherewasanairofexpectationovertheplainastheresometimesis.Onsomedaysyoujustfeelthatsomethingisgoingtohappen.notthatmorning.itwasjustatranquilbushveldscene.wefeltverymuchpartofitastherushandpressureofthemodernworldandourflightdownbegantoebbaway.thebushhasthateffect.Veryquicklyit’salmostasiftheonlylifeistheimmediateone. the life of pressures and tensions dissipates so quickly onceyoubegintosmellbushveldair.ifyoureallywanttofadeintothebackgroundandbecomepartof it, it’s absolutelycritical thatyoustayverycarefully inthepresent.Youneedtobetotallyawareofwhatisgoingonallaroundyouandallyourfacultiesareneededforthat.thisismorechallengingforcitydwellersthanmayappeartobethecaseonthesurface.wetendtobevisualbeingsandperhapsonlyuseourearsasasecondoption.inthebush,ifwereallywanttogettheverybestoutoftheexperienceandreallyobservetothemaximum,wehavetolearntouseallofourfacultiesandsenses.

it is also an excellent plot to leave such reminders of the dailygrindsuchaswatches,cellphonesandiPadsathome.thiswayyouhave a much better chance of disconnecting from the busy worldproperly,andofstayingtotallyinthepresent.Beingintime,insteadofontime,isnotsomethingwe’reverygoodat!

Suddenly kieran nudged me excitedly. he pointed. Just infrontofuscrossing the road inabsolute silencewasanenormousblack mamba, one of africa’s deadliest snakes, on a journey fromsomewhere to who knows where. this monster had been aroundforagoodfewsummers.Shewascompletelyunperturbedbyourpresence even though we were no further than five metres away.wewatchedquietly.Shewasjustabouttocrosstheroadwhenshestopped.thereasonwasnotobviousbutperhapsbecausesheisa


16

FlightatDawn

cold-bloodedcreatureandtheroadisbeautifullywarmatthattimeof day, she fancied the warmth on her belly. it was fascinating. ihadn’teverseensuchabigmambathisclose!thiswasthefirstblackmambaeitheroftheboyshadeverseen.wewatchedmesmerised.Shedidn’tmove.

Onethingshedidforus,quiteinadvertentlyi’msure,wascauseourattentiontobecompletelyfocused.wehadallofourattentiononher.thishappensinlifetoo.Somecrisishappens,orsomethingspectacular,orevennotsospectacular,attractsourattentionandweimmediatelyloseperspectiveandcontext.weforgetthatmostoftherestoftheworldcontinuesunawareoftheshiftinourattentionandinterest.itisinmomentslikethisthatweareexposedtothegreatestdanger. in the bush, too, if we allow ourselves to become totallymesmerised,itbecomeseasytobeattackedfrombehind!

i’m not sure how long we sat and watched before we realisedshehadnoplanstomoveon,althoughwemostcertainlydid.thispresenteduswithaminordilemma.wehadplannedtodriverightondowntheroadshewaslyingonbutclearlythatwouldmeaneitherdisturbingherorrunningoverher,neitherofwhichreallyappealedtous.Orwecouldturnaroundandfindanotherwaytoheaddeeperintothereserve.

we chose the latter option and soon crossed the railway lineandheadedeast.weweregoing tofindoneof thedamsatwhichtopositionourselvesinthehopesthatwewouldcatchsomegamecomingforalateafternoondrinkbeforethesunwentdown.theywould have had a very hot day and they prefer to drink wheneverythingaroundthemisstillvisibletomoreeasilyavoidbecomingsomeoneelse’ssupper.

thebirdlifeonthewaykeptusbusy.itwas thehottest timeofday. itwasapproaching that timeof

thedaywhenthesunhaspasseditsapexbutthetemperaturekeepsonrisinguntilaboutmid-afternoon,whenitpeaks.atthistimeofday, virtually everything hides away from the all-encompassing,envelopingheat.thereisnorealplacetohidebutatleastyoucanescapetheworstofitbyfindingsomeshade.

itwasnottoofarforustodrivebeforewewereatRhinoDam.it


17

gettingtheRe

hadabeautifullyconstructedhideanditwasjustminutesbeforewewereinandhidinginitsshadyandrelativelytemperateclimate.ithadahighroofofthatchandnowindows.theelevationoftheroofandthefactthatithadplentyoffree-flowingairhelpedtokeepitreasonablycool.

westretchedoutonthewoodenbenchesanddozed.weweren’tgoing to see any game at this time of day but we’d be very wellpositioned when the game started to come down for their pre-nightfalldrinks,or‘sundowners’.

we sucked almost continuously on cold drinks and bottles ofwaterinanattempttoreplacesomeofthewaterlostasaninevitableconsequenceofthehot,dryenvironment.

idozedoff.itwaseasy.wehadarisenveryearly.ialwaysfindtheflightpleasant,butenervating.

itwasadeepanddreamlesssleep.idon’tknowhowlongiwasout,butiwasawokenwithastrange

ticklingsensationundermynosethatmademesneezeandrubatmynosefuriouslywiththesideofmyarm.

theboyslaughedoutloud.theyhad founda stray feather somevisitingbirdhad left and

amusedthemselvesbyticklingvariouspartsofmybodytoseehowlongitwouldtakeformetoawake.theyalsowantedtofindoutwhichthemostsensitivepartofmyanatomywas.

theyfoundoutandsoonwewereallgigglingattheirhijinksanddescriptionsofmyreactionsastheytickledmyelbow,mouth,ear,eyelid,bellybutton,knee,backofknee.iwasquiteamazedthey’dtackled all these spots without waking me because usually i sleepverylightly.Obviouslyi’ddroppedoffintoadeepsleepveryquicklyandittooksomepersistencetoreviveme.

thesunhadbeguntodiptowardssunriseontheeastcoastoftheamericancontinentanditwasbeginningtocooldowninafricaaswedonatedoursuntothepeoplethereforafewhoursbeforewecalleditbackagain.alittlebreezehadstartedtowhisperaroundthehideandtherewerea fewwispycloudsaroundthepeaksof thedistantmountains.theweatherwasfartoostableforthemtomeananythingsinister.weweregoingtohavegreatweatherforourvisittoparadise.


We live complex and busy lives.

Returning to nature can often provide glimpses into the simplicity we left behind centuries ago.

While there is no going back there is certainly much that can be learnt from the natural environment that

we can use to enrich and broaden our lives.

Flight at Dawn is about two journeys: A physical journey into a wildlife reserve; and a spiritual and intellectual journey of the mind as Tony and his two boys explore the landscapes and the species that occupy them.

The book discusses the lessons that can be learnt from both the experiences they have on their journey and from the creatures they encounter. Tony also shares commentary on topical issues and on some of the vexing challenges and paradoxes of the working environment. The book’s key focus areas are leadership and organisational behaviour, but there are many other lessons that can be applied to the way one lives one’s own life.

Tony Frost is a recognised conservationist and strategist, and has received many awards in this arena. He is passionate about helping young people fully appreciate the future that belongs to them, and persuading the current generation of leaders that they owe the youth a positive and healthy future. He is founder and CEO of Sirocco Strategy Management, CEO of the Queen’s College Foundation, and a board member of the South African Biodiversity Institute.

Tony Frost is a frequent visitor to wild places and through his writing he is able to share his experiences in a rich, humorous and accessible manner.

Flight at D

awn

ANTONY J FROST

9 781920 292041

ISB

N 978-1-920292-04-1

ww

w.jacana.co.za

flight at dawn

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