It is said that the Phoenix rises from ashes, being reborn. What is the Phoenix you may ask, it is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life from arising from the ashes of its predecessor.

For ashes to arise there has to be huge devastation and flames that simply melt the hopes and aspirations that the land and environment has desired and lived for over the past years. It is these ashes that have sculpted the environment, fauna and flora here at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, often leaving huge scars dotted along the landscape serving as an ever reminder that it can all disappear but rapidly regenerate.

“The death of a dream can in fact serve as the vehicle that endows it with new form, with reinvigorated substance, a fresh flow of ideas, and splendidly revitalized color. In short, the power of a certain kind of dream is such that death need not indicate finality at all but rather signify a metaphysical and metaphorical leap forward.” Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams.

It has now been just over two weeks since we had the devastating fires here at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve and what was then just a baron; black and lifeless scene has now been drastically transformed into a vivid multi-colour landscape supporting huge amounts of life and diversity.

Whilst driving through this area last week, I stopped and watched the last bright purple flower of the tree Wisteria drop and slowly float to the ground. It seemed to take forever to reach the ground almost as if it feared reaching the end of its life cycle. As this lifeless and now limp flower struck the ground it left a small ash plume leading me to think what will happen here as the last colour of this environment was now gone.

Not 5 days later, the bright green grass shoots are sprouting creating an almost surreal contrast, generating large amounts of food sources for the grazers and browsers as some of the tree leaves are starting to flush. In turn the grazers and browsers are now flocking to these areas trying to maximize their own intake of nutrient rich vegetation that has laid hidden over the past 4 months.

Now imagine a massive male leopard or lion strolling through this environment as if they are the first animals to conquer the new habitat, searching through the once scorched earth for their next potential meal or trying to pick up the scent of a nearby female continually scent marking showing their dominance over this area. The first rains, although being a mere drizzle has sparked this rapid transformation.

When we look back just two weeks and think about the devastating fires, I could never have imagined this rapid transformation that has happened here. I certainly think that the Phoenix is now rising and being reborn here at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve. I think this poem is a perfect reflection on what has happened here over the past two weeks.

“Up then, fair phoenix bride, frustrate the sun;

Thyself from thine affection

Takest warmth enough, and from thine eye

All lesser birds will take their jollity.

Up, up, fair bride, and call

Thy stars from out their several boxes, take

Thy rubies, pearls, and diamonds forth, and make

Thyself a constellation of them all;

And by their blazing signify

That a great princess falls, but doth not die.

Be thou a new star, that to us portends

Ends of much wonder; and be thou those ends.” – John Donne