Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa - Blue Mountains

By Rich Field: To be honest I wasn’t expecting a 10 am wildlife drive through the Wolgan Valley to be too productive.  There are an abundance of kangaroos and wallabies in the valley (including four albino wallaroos), but the sightings are always best in the early morning and late afternoon.  I was just hoping to get an idea of the lay of the land for future excursions, and certainly not expecting to do any serious wildlife photography.

However this all changed when we reached Naglow Knoll – a small well vegetated hillock with a fantastic view of the incredible Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, as well as the valley itself.

I was walking up the hill with Ben, the head guide at Wolgan Valley, when a rustle in the bush caught our attention. I saw a flash of thick reptilian skin and thought perhaps a python might be disappearing into the bush. A second glance however showed two enormous goannas engaged in what appeared to be a fairly significant battle.

Initially I thought it might have been a mating ritual, but the length and the sheer ferocity of the battle seemed to indicate that it might have been two males fighting over territory. They would scratch, shove and bite each other, with one repeatedly tearing chunks out of the others shoulder, but neither looking like they were willing to give up any time soon. A half hour (and over 200 photos later) the pair was still going, but we needed to press on.

With glorious accommodation and facilities, phenomenal food (including a 7 course dinner with matching wines) and a great wilderness on your doorstep, Wolgan Valley Resort Spa in my opinion offers Sydney’s best weekend away!

By Pedro O’Connor: Marg and I also recently had the opportunity to explore Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, and would like to share our thoughts.

The resort is a 3 hour drive from Sydney through stunning sandstone escarpment and large eucalypt country. The ultimate access is by helicopter via the Blue Mountains National Park with scenic views of The Three Sisters enroute. The resort is situated on 4,000 acres and is a haven for those seeking an authentic, rural Aussie experience without compromising on any luxuries.

The abundance of wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and birdlife is outstanding. Whether in a vehicle, on bicycle, horseback or on foot one can get up close to the animals.

For avid hikers the nearby forest trails offer all levels of adventure that take in several different bio climates hence markedly different vegetation and abundant birdlife.

One of Wolgan’s greatest assets is its staff, many are locals who have a great passion for their home turf and are always proud to espouse their knowledge on the’ must see and do’ activities in the region.

The resort has no age restriction making it an ideal family destination for a short break.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Zambezi Trek and Paddle - Sept 2011

By Brad Horn: I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some footage of a "trek and paddle" safari I guided last month. This trip involved a couple of nights acclimatising in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe before flying into Mana Pools National Park in the Zambezi Valley. We proceeded to walk across Mana over three and a bit days covering a total of around eighty kilometres. We then had a two night "spell" and the beautiful Ruckomechi Camp before paddling back down the river over two days to the start point. There are few safaris that come close to this for adrenalin and action. The old saying, "from a vehicle you see Africa but on foot you feel Africa" never holds truer than in this case. Mindblowing!

To view some highlights of this amazing trip please click on the below video footage.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tanzania and Rwanda - Family Safari - June 2011

By Brad Horn:  I recently had the pleasure of guiding a great family out of Washington DC on a safari to Tanzania and Rwanda.  This was the family's third African safari with Epic, having been previously to Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.  The focus of this trip was the migration in the Serengeti and the mountain gorilla's of Rwanda.

Ordinarily in the latter part of June the migration is principally in the western and lower sections of the northern corridor of the Serengeti. We hedged our bets by choosing two camps; one in the west and the other a little further north. This way we covered all bases. If the migration was more advanced than normal or lagging somewhat we would still be within striking distance. It was just as well we did as this year the migration moved north very early with only rear guard elements still in the western corridor. We did however hit "paydirt" at the more northern location, the Grumeti Reserves.

The Serengeti is such a vast expanse of wilderness and it never ceases to deliver on the game experience. To see the migration in all its glory is certainly one of the wonders of the nature and something that everyone should see at least once in their life. It is hard to comprehend the sheer mass of animals. It is even harder to capture the scale effectively on film. In addition to the million or so bleating wildebeest, all the usual suspects were in attendance; lion, cheetah, hyena, elephants, buffalo and a host of other plains-game species. One of the highlights of the trip was a balloon ride over the Serengeti's vast plains. Words can't describe how special it is silently floating above the animals.

From the Serengeti we flew onto Rwanda and embarked on two days trekking for the highly endangered mountain gorillas. With only 700 or so of these animals left on earth, they are a very rare commodity. In my experience Rwanda delivers the best gorilla experience and it certainly didn't fail to measure up. Our two days couldn't have been more different; the first was a challenging day from both a terrain and weather perspective. The gorilla family we were visiting were lodged deep in a re-entrant. Luckily we were all in good physical shape to make the most of the day. My clients were real troopers and revelled in the challenge. We were rewarded with good viewing including seeing two mothers with very young twins. It is very rare for gorilla's to give birth to twins. The second day was much easier; the weather was fine and we chanced upon the gorillas in a clearing in the forest. We spent a magical hour with a family of 13 gorillas, including the biggest silverback in the Virunga Mountains named Gahonda (weighing an impressive 220 kgs – 480Ibs) all around us. What a way to finish the safari!

To view some highlights from their amazing trip please click on the below video footage.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Botswana - Trans Okavango - New Video & Report

By Brad Horn: I recently returned from an incredible safari in Botswana.  This realised a long held dream to conduct a transect of the famed Okavango Delta by boat from north to south.  In all my years of living in Botswana and guiding safaris there I never took the time to partake in a trans-Okavango.  Well, good things come to those that wait.  It exceeded all expectations and more!

The trip started in the Kalahari Desert where we spent a couple of days in a wonderful little camp called Kalahari Plains. The Kalahari has just enjoyed a fantastic wet season so the landscape was alive. I have never seen Oryx (gemsbok) in such numbers. One of the highlights was sleeping under the stars on a moonless night. The umbrella of stars is so clear in the pristine unpolluted environment of the Kalahari it is almost suffocating.

From the Kalahari we flew north into the Okavango. Talk about going from the "sublime to the ridiculous". Northern Botswana has enjoyed a double average wet season. Add to this the fact that the highlands of Angola (which supplies the majority of the water to the Okavango) have had similar rains. The Okavango is experiencing the biggest flood in a generation plus. Talk about a "sea of land and a land of water"! Prior to our boating sojourn we spent a deal of time in helicopters over-flying the delta.  It is only from the air that one really gets an appreciation of the extent of floodwaters. Many a safari operator is scrambling to bund airstrips and camps. We also took time to visit the fabled Tsodilo Hills on the north-western extremity of the delta to see the famous bushman rock art. This was a very special side trip.

From the heli's it was into the boats. We didn't see another soul on the water for the next three days (until we got south towards the buffalo fence). Where else in the world can you experience such solitude these days? The game-viewing and scenery were spectacular.

To get a feel for what's in store, check out the below video.  I hope it does the trip justice.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Epic Kilimanjaro Climb - February 2011

By Brad Horn: Epic Private Journeys led another successful climb up Kilimanjaro via the scenic Machame route.  Led by Kevin Jackson the team of six experienced a variety of weather throughout the climb including periods of rain, snow, wind and sun as they progressed through the various ecosystems. The team consisted of 5 Australians from the beautiful town of Townsville on the northeast coast of Queensland.

The group was assisted by 44 local porters and guides who created an amazing experience on the mountain for the team. As we climbed through the various camps we were welcomed with an unusually low snow level that made for fantastic views. Each camp offered a different vantage point of all three volcanoes as we slowly made our approach to Barafu Camp.

Once we made it to Barafu Camp, our final camp before the summit, we were provided with unobstructed views of the summit and Mt. Mwenzi.  Our team prepared for the summit with a hearty meal and an early night.

We set off for the summit at 11.50 pm with a team rally as we embarked on our long tourney into the dark. As we progressed through the night our team pushed through the urge to make stops and slowly plodded along until we all made it to Stella Point just before 5.30 am.

We spent 20 minutes sharing hot tea before continuing onto the summit. Only as short 45 minutes away, the views of the glaciers and deep into the crater are enough to keep everyone moving slowly as the sun begins to break through the clouds. As we reached 5,895 meters, and Uhuru peak, the tallest point in Africa, we were rewarded with a sunrise that rivaled any other. Our entire team made the summit and after a few images and video clips we made our way back down to the mountain to Mweka Camp for a final night on the mountain.

This was a spectacular climb with a great family, crew and team. Epic is proud of everyone and is excited to be able to share stories with those involved.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Community project - Gibaso Village, Tanzania

By Rob Barbour: Bill and Vonnie Wavish came on an Epic Safari which I guided to the Ngorongoro Crater, the northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara in August of 2010. They came with a group of friends to celebrate Vonnie's 50th Birthday.  Whilst at Serengeti Mara Camp in the Lamai Wedge (in the far north Serengeti) Raymond Teekishe - Conservation and Community Development Manager for AfrikaAfrika - and I gave a presentation on the efforts that AfrikaAfrika and Epic were doing in terms of conservation and community development.  As a result of this discussion Vonnie and Bill made an on the spot commitment to fund the building of a teacher's house in Gibaso Village.  This project was high on the development agenda of the Gibaso Village Government.  The house will be in honour of Vonnie's mother and so will be known as the Colleen Bayliss School Teacher's House.

A building plan was acquired with the help of Tanzanian National Parks and the project commenced in January 2011, ably managed by Raymond Teekishe himself.  Ray has been very conscious to ensure all the contracts are allocated to local village members whilst building.

We expect the project to be completed some time in late March or early April.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.