Drilling Where Leopards Cough

A true story of life in Africa under extreme conditions where there’s nothing to depend on other than your wits and an ability to improvise. A man, his dog Major, and a small group of helpers trucked across seemingly insurmountable mountainous terrain laden with drilling equipment and supplies to survive off the land in isolation for months. Extreme danger and excitement—at times life-threatening—abounds, coupled with the beauty of nature and her wildlife. The author provides his readers with a slice of colonial life in the 1960s, describing progress through childhood, enduring army training, discovering pleasures of the opposite sex, exploring career options, and finally settling into what became a long career in exploration diamond drilling. It is also a story of love. Shortly after the contract in Ruangwa Valley, the author’s isolated and lonely life changed dramatically. He married a beautiful city girl who had never experienced camping, let alone the tough life in remote areas in the bush. Their two sons were born living under these conditions. The book ends as the young family leaves Zimbabwe, settling in Botswana. The sequel Scorched Sands of the Kalahari will tell the story of their adventures in that country.

A true story of life in Africa under extreme conditions where there's nothing to depend on other than your wits, and an ability to improvise. A man, his dog Major, and a small group of helpers, trucked across seemingly insurmountable mountainous terrain laden with drilling equipment and supplies to survive off the land in isolation for months. Extreme danger and excitement at times life threatening abounds, coupled with the beauty of nature and her wild life. The author provides his readers with a slice of colonial life in the 1960s. Describing progress through childhood, enduring army training, discovering pleasures of the opposite sex, exploring career options, and finally settling into what became a long career in exploration diamond drilling. Also a story of love, shortly after the contract in Ruangwa Valley the author's isolated and lonely life changed dramatically. He married a beautiful city girl having never experienced camping, let alone the tough life in remote areas in the bush. Their two sons were born living under these conditions. Book ends as the young family leaves Zimbabwe settling in Botswana. The sequel 'Scorched Sands Of The Kalahari' will tell the story of their adventures in that country.

It's a true, historical account of growing up in the old Rhodesia during the 60's through school, girls, army to ultimately settling on a career of exploration diamond drilling.The events related, centre in an extremely remote and wild part of North Eastern Rhodesia called Ruangwa Valley. A wilderness area, barren of humans, the closest human contact being a four-and-a-half-hour drive over almost inaccessible dirt roads and dangerous mountain passes. Logistics were a nightmare with meat rations acquired through hunting game for the pot and catching fish from the rivers. It describes how they impacted on the land and its wild-life. It's a story of adventure and survival, of a white man and his dog, living in close connection with a team of black men, all living and working in and surviving off the wilderness under conditions that are now gone for ever.The book provides an interesting insight into the world of exploration diamond drilling, which invariably happens in wild, remote and tough conditions. There is extreme danger and excitement, coupled with the beauty of nature in Africa, and her wild life. There are unique experiences - some life threatening - with elephant, leopard, rhino, and snakes. There were also difficulties, hardships and dangers as they traversed mountain passes, with all the drilling equipment packed on the back of trucks not designed for those conditions. Soon after the contract in Ruangwa Valley was completed his isolated and lonely life changed dramatically when he married a city girl, raised in a comfortable home. She had never experienced camping, let alone the tough circumstances of living in remote areas in the bush. Their two sons were born whilst living under these conditions and raised in a caravan. One of these areas happened to be the Gwaai River Mine at the time of the tragic Wankie Coal Mine disaster where more than four hundred people lost their lives in a methane gas explosion. The book ends with the family leaving Rhodesia via South Africa to ultimately settling in Botswana. The sequel to this book will relate to the families interesting life experiences in Botswana.