River of gold

Mike Gardner's career in the tourism business started in 1967 when he was appointed as assistant to the director of FEDHASA - the Federated Hotel Associations of South Africa. He acquired various diplomas and certificates in advanced tourism studies and in 1970 he applied for and was successful in being appointed as the chief marketing and development office of the then Rhodesia National Tourist Board. He rose quite swiftly to the post of director of tourism and somehow helped to steer the tourism industry through the difficult bush war years in a relatively intact condition. In 1985, they moved to a village near Magoebaskloof and established a tourism research, development and marketing company that still operates today. Mike has explored many wild places in Zimbabwe, Venda and Limpopo Province and he was quick to accept the invitation to become a co-author of the proposed book on the Limpopo river. Peter Norton has worked as a widely respected ecologist deeply rooted in the South African bush. His research spans klipspringer, Cape mountain leopard and mountain reedbuck, among many others. After working as a scientist and researcher for conservation for 20 years, Peter became one of the early people working in ecotourism in the Northern and Eastern Cape, Transkei and in the northern provinces of South Africa. He coordinated for Mapungubwe to be a World Heritage Site, as well as the Cradle of humankind, Limpopo Transfrontier park, and urban tourism in Soweto. Clive Walker is well known for his work in rhino conservation. He is the author of The rhino keepers (Jacana, 2012) He founded the Endangered Wildlife Trust in 1973. He co-founded the Rhino and Elephant Foundation and the African Rhino Owners Association, and served on the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group for close on 14 years. He served as a member of the South African National Parks Board from 2000 to 2006.