Head south with Scott and Shackleton
THE deaths of Robert Falcon Scott and his men, who perished on the homeward leg of their ill-fated South Pole expedition in 1912, is one of recent history’s most dramatic, tragic and intriguing stories.
Did Scott and his men ‘die’ psychologically when they found that out Amundsen had beaten them to the pole? This is the question storyteller and specialist tour guide Rob Caskie will pose when he speaks at the next Tuesday Rostrum lunch, at Mbango on Tuesday, February 11, at 12.15pm.
He will also talk about Scott’s Antarctic rival, Ernest Shackleton. After his ship was crushed by ice, Shackleton’s 28 men lived on the ice for 16 months before their heroic leader sailed 1 200km across the Southern Ocean to seek help in South Georgia.
Rob, who was born in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, joined the guiding profession after completing his national service and qualifying with a BSc Honours degree in agriculture. He made his mark as a photographic safari guide and film maker in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and was the official photographer on Kingsley Holgate’s Africa Odyssey expedition in 1993. In 2001 he started to work with David Rattray, honing his story telling skills on the Anglo Zulu battlefields, and he opened his own business in 2011.
His ability to bring the battlefield dramas to life earned him a reputation as a world-class orator. There are still powerful lessons to be learnt from the stories of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, he believes.
He has given numerous presentations to corporate and private clients in South Africa and the United Kingdom and his achievements were recognised when he was invited to to speak to full houses at the Royal Geographical Society in London in 2010. Two years later he was invited to showcase his presentation, ‘Going South with Scott and Shackleton’, a talk that reflects his lifelong passion for Antarctica.
Travel has also been an important part of his life. He has completed a four-year around the world expedition, visiting the United Kingdom, Europe, Israel, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. The last 16 months of his epic journey saw him travelling and working in the Unites states, Mexico, Canada and Alaska. This global voyage has cemented his interest in people, different cultures and history.
Recently Rob has accepted numerous speaking and lecturing engagements at conferences and seminars, on cruise ships and at charity events. He regularly presents talks on Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton, often as a keynote presentation entitled ‘Endurance, Shackleton’s Way’. Rob takes prides in his storytelling skills and does not rely on electronic aids or visuals to augment them.
Don’t miss this chance to hear a world-class speaker tell his epic stories of struggle and triumphs of the human spirit.. Book for lunch now by telephoning Jenny Robertson at 039 6823097 (guests are welcome) and join Rob on a journey,’Going South With Scott and Shackleton’.
