Nothing beats the Magic of the African Bush!

Mark and Linda Calverly’s story, and that behind Zingela Safari & River Company, is about the love between two people and the bush.

Mark grew up in the bush, and his early childhood games were of riding zebra and living on a fantasy river boat on the mighty Zambezi. Linda grew up in Pietermaritzburg where she went to an all-girls school for 12 years, so it was quite a change to go to Teacher College with boys who didn’t sit down and behave. Mark was the worst of the lot, and Linda admits she used to look at him with much disapproval and fascination. Life was a whole lot of fun when they finally linked up in third year.

Mark has always claimed modern life has its priorities back to front, and he dreamt of owning a piece of wild Africa. When Zingela came up the Calverlys closed their eyes and bought it without the vaguest clue of how they would ever pay it off.

The adjustment from the bright lights to full moon over the Tugela was not too difficult, but learning Zulu took a little longer for Linda. Sawubona was the full extent of her vocabulary, but she is now is able to converse with staff and locals about anything from culinary delights to serious issues. Linda is the backbone of the Zingela business and runs the camp in a unique and delightful style.

Mark is a professional hunter, and in the early days of Zingela he would go off on extended three-week hunts leaving Linda and the small children at camp under the watchful eye of the Nduna. If Linda was ever nervous out in the remote bush on her own with no phone and the barest of radio links to the outside world, she never showed it.

Mark and Linda’s three children Trevor, Kathryn and Pete all grew up at Zingela. The common thread through the boys’ school reports was the comment that they seemed to have a problem with time management and organisation. Running free and wild has its drawbacks. Today all three are trained river guides, and Pete’s kayaking skills make him one of the top guides on the Tugela.

Future plans for Mark and Linda are to try and keep Zingela as uncommercialised as possible, but maintain a simple and sustainable livelihood for the family.

PRACTICAL INFO

Whether you are looking for relaxation or an adventure-filled holiday, a conference or a teambuilding session, the magic beauty of Zingela assures you of a special and memorable stay.

Deep in the Kingdom of the Zulus you will discover Zingela’s stone and canvas bush camp – only a stone’s throw from the historic Tugela River. Established in 1983, the camp has been lovingly created from the natural materials that occur in the area. From simple beginnings, it has evolved slowly over the years and has stretched the concept of outdoor living to its limits.

Zingela can comfortably host groups of forty and erect extra tents for larger parties, and has been the venue for weddings and adventure races – catering for over seventy guests.

Zingela’s average rainfall of 600mm falls mainly over the summer months. This is when the peaceful Tugela wakes up from its hibernation and provides some of the most exciting rafting in the country. The river is also great for kayaking, zip sliding and fishing, the nearby cliffs for abseiling, the terrain for 4×4, quad and mountain biking and the large variety of birds, game and trees for wonderful walks.

Tel 036 354 7005/7250 or email zingela@futurenet.co.za for more info