The journey will connect the ancient namib desert and
the karoo desert to finish in nelson mandela bay
on world rhino day...

20|08|22 - 22|09|22
2 400km ride for rhino ...

Commencing on the 20 August 2022 and in line with previous expeditions, Wayne Bolton, will be cycling by mountain bike from Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia, to Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape of South Africa - a ride of approximately 2 400 kms.

The reason for linking Namibia and South Africa is that Namibia holds the largest population of the critically endangered black rhino and South Africa most of the near-threatened white rhino. These two countries are inextricably linked as primary custodians of our planet's remaining rhino.

The expedition will generate awareness of the need for ordinary people, across countries and cultures, to conserve our ancient rhino species. Rhino may have been with us forever, but we can no longer take that for granted.

Accordingly, a symbolic link will be made between the ancient Namib Desert in Namibia and the Karoo area in South Africa. It is inconceivable that with today's knowledge and technology we risk extinction of a species that has been on the earth since the beginning of time.

The journey will start at the Atlantic Ocean and finish at the Indian Ocean in Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha on World Rhino Day, 22 September 2022. Symbolically this also falls in Tourism and Heritage Month, an important month for the recovering tourism industry.

THE FOREVER RHINO PLEDGE

A PLEDGE OF UNITY IN CONSERVATION

The pledge is engraved on the back of a wooden sphere in the shape of the Forever Rhino Ride logo. It has been designed as a wooden puzzle made up of 2 separate halves. Wayne will carry one half with the black rhino from Namibia to South Africa. This was handed to him in Swakopmund at the start by Andrew Malherbe (COO) of Save the Rhino Trust which has an MOU with MEFT (Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism) - thereby representing Namibian conservation. This will be connected with the second half bearing the white rhino, with South African representatives of conservation at the finish at the Donkin Reserve in South Africa on the 22 September 2022.

“We, Champions of Conservation, unite in our efforts to preserve

the natural heritage entrusted to us by the people of

South Africa and Namibia, those gone and those to come.

United we stand, acknowledging that in these crucial days

of our environmental preservation,

unity of purpose and effort is essential to our strength

- as individual strands form an unbreakable rope.

With each one, lies the power of change.”

THE BATON OF HOPE

In the spirit of
JointCustody...

Carved out of wood in the shape of a rhino horn and in four parts, the “Baton of Hope” is a special symbolic gesture that represents various initiatives, each of which is an “OLLIMove”… an act of moving from caring to doing for our rhino!

Wayne will also carry the baton with him from Namibia and at the Donkin finish this will be disassembled, and each part will be handed over to OLLI representatives who are local legends in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Each of them will proceed to embark on their own OLLIMove.

Wayne Bolton will be cycling, Sharon Jessop will run to the Mozambique border near Kruger National Park, Melikhaya Frans will be running to Cape Recife while Andrew Stewart will swim around the same iconic spot and Jenni Gault will be climbing to Mt Everest base camp. They are well known as exceptional individuals, role models who demonstrate the tenacity and heart of the Eastern Cape. (More information to follow on their Moves.)

As they take the baton from a local family who has brought it home to the Eastern Cape and is sending it back out, they Move together in the spirit of JointCustody and the fight to save our rhino which represents our natural heritage and the lifeblood of tourism and conservation.

LEAVING A LEGACY...

Mt etjo & the oelofse family
pass on the baton

The Bolton’s were honoured to have the Oelofse family, from Mt Etjo Rhino Trust in Namibia, hand over the baton to their family from South Africa.

These two countries are the primary caretakers of the planet’s rhino.

The late Jan Oelofse, was a world-renowned conservationist who established the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary in the early 1970's. His family - wife Annette, his son Alex and Alex's wife - Carola and their children Jan jr. and Keira – continue his legacy, working tirelessly for conservation.

Rhino has always been the top priority for the tireless conservation efforts by the Oelofse Family, and the Sanctuary was rewarded, as one of the very first rhino custodians in Namibia, for government-owned black rhino in 1993.

The Mount Etjo Rhino Trust was established by the Oelofse Family in 2015, due to the increase of orphaned rhinos, caused by an alarming rate of poaching incidents all over the country.

"Etjo" means - Place of Refuge, and here the mighty black and white Rhino would find their own place of refuge.

The significance of a family with such strong conservation roots, especially regarding rhino, passing on the baton to the OLLI Family gives even greater impetus and substance to the baton’s purpose.

As it is passed on, each person will add to a rich legacy of speaking for those who cannot speak!

"Give back more than you take!"

Jan Oelofse

THE CHILDREN'S PROMISE

a PUZZLE OF UNITY IN CONSERVATION

The Children's Promise of Unity in Conservation is in the shape of a rhino with blank puzzle pieces. Children are invited to sign the pledge. One piece will remain empty representing the critical role of each person in connecting together to complete the conservation picture.

Collaboration is key!

A "5" piece puzzle depicting the "Big 5" is used as a tool to explain how each piece fits together and to demonstrate that without the rhino (the central piece) we only have the Big 4... with all that represents.

We as humans are also represented by that central piece. Each puzzle piece has additional pieces / extensions and pieces that are missing / gaps. We explain to the children that the additional pieces are the talents, skills and capacity that each one of us has to make a contribution... to add value. The missing pieces are where we need to rely on the same from others.

Together we can engage and connect meaningfully.

If one piece is missing then the picture is incomplete...

"We promise to keep the

Forever Rhino Pledge.

To work together to defend the wonderful animals of our country

and to teach others how important they are.

Together we will speak for those who cannot speak and

use what we have in our hands to make a difference -

to defend our wildlife and protect our environment.

We have one land and we love it!"

The children of staff at Mt Etjo were the first to sign the

Forever Rhino Children's Promise of Unity in Conservation!