Full Day Cape Winelands Tour including Stellenbosch and/or Franschhoek

After graduating with a 4 year social science degree, I worked in human rights and development during the build up to South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994, which paved the way for our previously conservative, isolated country to open its doors to international tourism. It also opened my own doors to personal travels and adventures into the great wide world in the mid 1990’s, when I went exploring and took three years to come home! I loved all the places I visited, but couldn’t help casting my mind back to my own country with its breathtaking landscapes, nature, complex history and mix of beautiful people, which inspired me to qualify as a professional guide on my return, and start guiding in 2000. Working as a guide became the perfect marriage between my two great passions in life: travel and people! Besides Africa, I have travelled on five other continents and worked on three: two years in the UK, a few months on a summer camp for developmentally challenged adults in the USA, and a year of teaching English in Japan. A keen hiker, I regularly hike up Table Mountain and other mountains nearby, besides joining friends on multiple-day hikes further afield from time to time. This led to an interest in ecology, plants and flowers. Having been a hiker for more years than a guide, in 2023 I finally completed the onerous requirements to qualify as a hiking guide, in order to integrate this love into my guiding work. I also enjoy the local live music and theatre scene, restaurants and nightlife, and from time to time head out of the city to attend events ranging from weekend music festivals to the National Arts Festival in Makhanda and AfrikaBurn in the Tankwa Karoo desert. I have just as much fun exploring Cape Town's offerings of world-class artists, galleries and events, including the colourful world of street art. Every year or two I try to take a break, pack the car, and join friends on road trips within South Africa, and every few years I travel to neighbouring countries or abroad. If I can’t be travelling somewhere exciting myself, the next best thing is to be spending time with people who are! What a joy to see my own back yard through their eyes, and constantly be reminded of what a beautiful place I’m blessed to call home. The pandemic of 2020 to 2022 brought unprecedented challenges. My greatest joy during this time was taking part in an annual street art event (from 2021 to 2023) by leading walking tours to show people the art works and meet the artists busy creating them. I continued to lead my own street art walking tours after each event, initially with my own friends, but with a broader clientele of locals as word spread about this new offering. I am delighted to have survived in this industry that I love too much to leave. Come and join me on an adventure! Guide training: 1999: Garden Route tourist guide training course by Keith Burton. 2000: Cape Town & Western Cape tourist guide training course by Andre de Waal, Tourist Guide Institute. 2003: Eastern Cape & Northern Cape self study, assessed by May Huisamen, Drumbeat Academy. 2008: Nature Guiding training course at The Nature College by Johan Fourie. 2009: Gauteng & North West self study, assessed by May Huisamen, Drumbeat Academy. 2017: "Flight for Birders" birding course by Anton Odendal. 2023: Hiking guide training course by Dries Steyn, Venture Forth: qualified to guide throughout South Africa, on trail day hiking below 2400 metres above sea level, staying overnight in hiking huts. Member of the Cape Tourist Guides Association since 2000. Regularly attend meetings, talks, outings & educationals for professional enrichment, through the Cape Tourist Guides Association, Culture Connect, Cape Town Heritage Foundation, and the Winter Lecture Series. Guide accreditation, through the Guide Registrar, Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, renewed every three years, requires First Aid Level 1 Certificate renewal. Professional Driver's Permit, renewed every two years, requires Police clearance and medical certificate. Licensed to guide in 5 of South Africa's 9 provinces: The Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng and North West.