News

Wayne (49) is cycling 6 000kms between all 19 national parks over 80 days to raise awareness and funds for conservation. Camdeboo was the 17th Park along his journey after leaving Karoo on 6 February and overnighting in Aberdeen.

A businessman from Port Elizabeth and an Honorary Ranger at Addo Elephant National Park, Wayne leads the One Land Love It (OLLI) expedition. He began his cycle at Kruger National Park”s Pafuri Gate on 28 November 2015 and is scheduled to finish at AENP on Saturday 13 February 2016.

All funds raised before, during and after the journey will go to caring for orphaned rhino calves at Care for Wild, a rhino sanctuary near Nelspruit, and the SANParks Honorary Rangers towards their counter-poaching initiatives. A black-tie dinner hosted in Port Elizabeth just before the group set off raised R124 000, and half of the proceeds have each already been handed over to the beneficiaries.

The OLLI support crew is headed up by Wayne”s wife Nikki, their son Daniel (22), daughter Laura (19) and friend Melissa Farquhar. Wayne”s parents and Nikki”s father are also a part of the support team.

A warm Karoo reception welcomed the riders to the park – where a group of park staff and rangers eagerly cheered them on as they made their way to the Park”s gate.

SANParks has hosted Wayne and his support crew at all of the national parks he”s arrived at. Between Parks along the route many establishments have heard of the adventurer and kindly offered beds and food – both vital to the success of the expedition.

Wayne is carrying with him a “Scroll of Unity in Conservation”, which he requests a senior representative from each of the parks he visits to sign. In this way he links all of the parks and staff who carry the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of our natural heritage. Nick gladly added his name to the scroll as Wayne chatted to the rangers about his expedition and retold some of the encounters he”s had along the way.

Wayne will spend the nights at the park”s Lakeview Tented Camp before heading off to his second-last park, Mountain Zebra outside Cradock, tomorrow morning. He and his team will spend most of the week there, doing outreach programmes in communities and at schools, before departing for Addo Elephant National Park on Friday, where he”ll arrive at about midday on Saturday 13 February.

For further information about OLLI or to find out how to donate to the expedition or its beneficiaries, go to www.oneland.co.za

The One Land Love It Expedition received a warm welcome from rangers and staff at Camdeboo National Park – with Park Manager, Nick de Goede, leading from the front as he cycled some of the way in with Wayne Bolton.

Issued by:
South African National Parks (SANParks) Frontier Region Communications

Enquiries:

Fayroush Ludick
Regional Manager: Communications, SANParks
Cell: 082 888 0201
E-mail: [email protected]