Miss World on safari
Amadeus Magazine has interviewed the Norwegian beauty queen Kathrine Sørland and talked about safari and African adventures. Who would have thought that a photo model would voluntarily choose to live for several days in the bush without running water?
Many people recognise Kathrine Sørland as a presenter of Topmodel on TV3 in Norway and as a participant in the 2002 Miss World and 2004 Miss Universe competitions. Today she appears in the TV shows Sangstjerner and Motbildet on TV3 and on fashion programmes on Norwegian Television. Few people know about her love for wildlife and that she has been on safari far out in the African bush. When Amadeus Magazine met Kathrine she couldn’t stop talking about her exciting adventures.
“Many people probably find it hard to envisage me living out in the bush for several weeks without a shower or bathroom. When I was on safari, several days filled with adventure could pass in the scorching sun without any running water,” says Kathrine.
Kathrine has been to South Africa’s famous Kruger Park, but she prefers Botswana and the Moremi Game Reserve as the parks felt more genuine there. Kruger Park in South Africa had asphalt roads and you sometimes got the impression it was a zoo. The safari in Botswana was more of an adventure and not as exploited as South Africa.
“In Moremi we travelled straight out into the bush by jeep as early as four o clock in the morning. There we sat on the roof of the car to watch the sunrise which brings the whole savannah region out of its slumber,” says Kathrine with excitement in her voice.
In Africa you talk about “the big five”, which is a generic name for the large species of mammal; elephant, African buffalo, rhinoceros, leopard and lion. Kathrine was lucky enough to see all five during her trip to Botswana.
“It was fantastic to witness all these beautiful animals in their natural environment. I was only afraid on one occasion. It was when a big spider climbed over my leg one evening in front of the camp fire – I’m scared to death of spiders,” says Kathrine with a shiver.
Travelling on safari is a real adventure and it is essential to have the right clothing and equipment. Khaki coloured clothing is useful because the animals cannot distinguish the colour from the surroundings. Take a sun hat and sun lotion too, and a wind and waterproof rucksack is good to pack things in. Naturally you should have a good digital camera that has a large memory so you can take a lot of pictures. Also find out what vaccines you need to take before embarking on your safari.
Otherwise Kathrine only has one more essential tip if you plan to go on safari.
Always stay in your car!
