From Sydney to South Africa: The couple who split their year between two worlds

For a month in 2015, Tony Park could see elephants from every door and window of his home.

He and his wife Nicola spend half of each year living off-grid on a private nature reserve adjoining the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The other half is spent in Sydney.

“Not only do we live in two different continents, we live two very different lifestyles,” says Tony Park, an author and former journalist. “In Australia, we live in a two bedroom flat in Sydney … near the beach, whereas here we have a four-bedroom house in the bush.”

The couple’s love for Africa began in 1995, when they went on a safari. “I went with no expectations, no preparation, no idea really,” Park says. “I don’t know if it’s the wildlife, the scenery or the people – it gets under your skin.”

The couple spent more and more time there every year, and Park fulfilled his long-held ambition of publishing a novel, Far Horizon, set in Africa.

“As our attraction-slash-addition to Africa continued, so too did our footprint,” he says.

In 2012, they purchased a home on a hectare of bushland for $106,000. “We spent a bit more to fix it up, but we ended up with a lovely house for $150,000,” Park says.

Their home is one of 250 in a 350-hectare private nature reserve on the Sabie River, facing Kruger National Park.

“We have animals that live on our side of the river in our reserve,” he says. “We have zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala. We’ve got a resident leopard that lives around our house. We’ve got hyenas – they’re always stooging around, particularly when people are having a barbie.”

“We have a low fence between us and the national park.  That’s meant to deter big game such as elephants, buffalo and lions, but at various times they manage to get through or over the fence.”

That happened in August 2015, when a herd of 24 elephants sought refuge from bushfires in their estate.

“It was a magical experience,” Park says. “They’re so big, but they’re smart enough to know that they’re in someone else’s territory so they’re very considerate. They don’t stomp all over things and break cars and houses. They move with amazing quietness and agility for such big creatures.”

Park notes that humans and wildlife can co-exist, “but we don’t go for walks at night because you might get eaten”.

“We woke up one morning and there were four hyenas killing a small antelope in our barbecue area. You’ve got to exercise a bit of caution.”

Their home is brick with a thatch roof and low overhanging eaves that keep the house cool and dark, “which is what you want in a hot climate,” he  says. “The design of the building means we don’t actually need aircon.”

They added metal tiles to protect the thatch and a 24-volt solar power system including panels, batteries and a 3000-watt inverter, which cost about $15,000.

This provides enough to power their house, including a washing machine, TV, laptops, sound system and device charging. In overcast weather, they use the community’s administrative hub, which has mains power and washing machines, dryers and power points.

Cooking and hot water use LPG – a large bottle every two months. Water comes from the Sabie River and is treated at an onsite plant. They pay levies for water and upkeep of the communal facilities, which also include a pool, tennis court and picnic areas.

A typical day involves getting up early to work – Tony on his books (one every year) and Nicola in her remote IT role – enabled by excellent phone and internet access. Afternoons are spent at the river watching wildlife. “We can see all of the big five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo – there at any one time,” he says.

Getting to the nearest town – 40 kilometres away – involves driving through the national park. “Our safari drive is to go to the supermarket,” Tony says.

The park has a GP and a hospital is about 120 kilometres away. All their dentistry is done in South Africa because it’s cheaper and the private health care is “excellent”, Park says.

He says while their lifestyle in Africa is simpler, it’s not “feral”. They love the wildlife and tranquillity of the bush, which Park says provides inspiration for his books.

“While I enjoy the city lifestyle in Sydney, I had never thought about the environment, conservation or wildlife before I came to Africa. It’s opened my eyes and given me a new appreciation for that.

“The mix is part of the secret.  We’re never in one place long enough to take it for granted … There are pluses and minuses to both, so you get the best of both worlds.”