Maps on cover flaps. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary:
From his days working as a geology student on the Sperrgebiet coast of Namibia, the author tells how his experience of the wild parts of the continent developed into a love-affair with Africa that would never leave him. Once graduated he chose to go exploring for copper in the Kalahari of Botswana, from where he would return to South West Africa (Namibia) again and again and travel the length and breadth of his native South Africa. Nearly four years exploring for base metals in Brazil were enough to convince him that his roots were deep in the substrate of Africa. He returned home to buy a farm in the Franschhoek valley, supplementing his income by consulting, mainly in diamonds in the Northern Cape. Even after marrying he still itched to see the world and returned to South America, this time Chile, where two children were born to him and Sue. In his two years there he searched for copper and gold from the high Andean foothills to the fiords of the Magellan region and the islands of Tierra del Fuego. Back in South Africa he turned his hand to writing books in the field of popular geology. Geological Journeys, Geology off the beaten track and Box of Rocks have all been best sellers, with sales continuing to tick over, and The Extraordinary World of Diamonds sold out but was not reprinted. While not writing, short-term consulting assignments took him deep into the Africa he loves - Mozambique, Angola, DRC, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mauritania, Gabon and Tanzania - as well as back to South America, where he spent eight months in Guyana prospecting for gold in the rain forest. Through a life of travelling, farming and writing, the author realised none of it would have been possible but for the grace of God. He saw that he had been blessed time and time again, coming ultimately to the deep faith that continues to sustain him. Threads of history and geography weave through the narrative and humorous anecdotes abound. The author's love of God, Africa and his family, though, will leave the most enduring memory.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.