after 9 happy years in west yorkshire, surrounded by stunning scenery, fantastic friends, quaint village life, and a much too conveniently close pub, our nomadic spirit is once again yearning for new sites.

crew: a girl who chooses 'urban jungle' over country living and who dreams of a sky without clouds -- not frequent in yorkshire ! -- and a guy whose father was in the forces and who has in-built wanderlust. we are ready for discovery, a change of pace and a challenge, which will teach us patience, diplomacy and general skills in sorting things out by ourselves.

for marie-jo it started as a child when her imaginary friend was an elephant. as a fan of skippy and daktari, she plagued african tourism ministries with requests for brochures illustrating destinations for safaris, with a special focus on botswana. as well as fuelling dreams of becoming an explorer and providing a bit of warmth during harsh québec winters, the brochures ensured she received post.

with a keen sense of discovery and as an innate explorer, mark spent school holidays acquiring duke of edinburgh scout badges. he was reacquainted with nature, camping, insects and critters when he spent a night in a tent at lac des loups, québec in 2002. in addition to reminding him why he preferred staying at intercontinental hotels, the experience helped him uncover a talent for filming wildlife, in true david attenborough style. mark is very competitive and loves a challenge; therefore, not only will he prove that he can live without life's comforts, but he might just get an oscar for the best dung beetle documentary!

recent travels to south africa have opened the door on a continent we wish to explore together...