Following the early explorers...

Mick O - Sunset: Thomas bluff

Mapping new routes and exploring new areas is certainly a thing of the past... but retracing those footprints of early explorers hold as much excitement today as it did a hundred years ago... especially if it's in conjunction for an old diary and old maps.

Here is an example from Australia: Mick O - In the footsteps of Carnegie

An African example is Kingsley Holgate... he has followed in the footsteps of many of the early African explorers.

Reading the blog of Mick O has got me thinking... perhaps the next overland adventure I undertake should be in the footsteps of those early explorers.

Kingsley Holgate books are worth reading:

The Explorer & the Explored

Do expeditions benefit the explorer or the explored?  
The Intelligence2 debate hosted at the Royal Geographic Society posed this thought: Exploring is good for the explorer but not much good for those being explored.

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With these questions in my mind, I set out to the RGS offices to attend a talk hosted on the topic of exploration.  Six guest speakers presented at the event which included Ed Stafford, Benedict Allen and a host of other well known authors, expedition leaders and explorers.

Each guest had ten minutes to present on a topic related to the above. Here are few highlights of the evening:

Kingsley Holgate - Mama Africa's Explorer

A new book by Kingsley Holgate has been released.  In this blog, I provide an overview of his books, plus a link to Amazon UK.

Kingsley Holgate - explorer, ambassador, husband, father - is an awesome South African Gent eagerly evangalising about Africa, her people, her life and beauty.  His latest book, Afrika : Dispatches from the Outside Edge has just been released.  The book is based on his recent expedition and can be viewed here - Outside Edge

I am looking forward to receiving my copy in the coming weeks.  Click here for Amazon UK

I have copies of all his books and highly recommend reading them:

Cape to Cairo - A family Expedition along the waterways of Africa
In his first book, Kingsley and his family take the Scroll of Peace, two inflatable boats and head North from South Africa following the waterways of Africa.  A good read that keeps you captivated and enthused about Africa's waterways.

Capricorn - Following the Invisible Line
Following the Invisible Line plots Kingsley and Co. taking two Land Rovers along the Capricorn Line.  Africa, the Americas, Australia and Madagascar form part of the route.  The book uniquely includes a DVD with video and photo highlights of the trip.  The Land Rover Defenders taking a punishing through mud, sand and bush but manage to take the crew around the world.

Africa - In the Footsteps of Great Explorers
There are plenty of Unsung African heroes - in this book, Kingsley and Co. follow those unsung heroes.  Good stories, especially as Kingsley's writing is real and enthusiastic.

Feel free to go ahead and purchase your Christmas gift!

For more information on Kingsley Holgate, see my blog about Vehicle Based Expeditions