Professionally, I've learned
to focus all I knew about tourism on a natural and conservation aspect
that is required to work in a national park.Personally, it has been a
fantastic thing for me to get to know this place and to learn a bit of the
South African culture.
What was the best thing
about your placement?
The place itself - it's
absolutely amazing!Would you recommend this
placement to anyone else?
Without a doubt.
Can you think of any
improvements that could be made to the placement?
No, everything was well set up
because the person in charge of the volunteers knew in advance exactly
what I was expecting from my placement and the kind of work I wanted to
do.Can you describe a typical
day?
I've been working mainly in
two different departments:
First, at the Information Desk. Here I worked from 0900 to
16.30 during low season, with a 30 minute lunch break. During the
Christmas holiday, I worked on shifts from 0700 to 19.00. Responsibilities
included giving information to the tourists about the park (activities,
accommodation, information about fauna and flora, and about the
Tsitsikamma area.
Second, at the Socio-Ecology Department during the holiday
programme: This was from 0830 to 16.30 with 1 hour lunch break. Duties
included helping in the organisation of the special activities proposed
for this period (guided trails, sports activities, discovery o the area,
etc., and especially with the kiddies' activities.
What type of person do you
think this placement would suit?
This placement is really in
the middle of the forest so it corresponds to anyone who likes nature and
quietness and who won't be bothered by the "wildness" of the place
(isolation, animals, etc.)Is there anything you
weren't told before you went that you think future volunteers should know?
Just that they need to be
prepared for the fact that Afrikaans is the first language in South
Africa, so the non-speaking Afrikaans status can sometimes be a problem.
.
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