Patrick is an ex-London metals trader, reluctant fine artist, keen photographer and cinematographer, and now a chef. He was born in Cheshire in 1971 and educated in England. In 1999 he met his now wife, Amanda, and started travelling southern Africa with sketchbook and camera in hand. Since then he has qualified as a field guide, perfected the art of bush cooking in an array of different sized black pots and is currently the co-owner / manager of umSisi House – a 5 star Country House Villa and Gourmet Getaway in South Africa – together with Amanda.
Amanda is a writer and wildlife photographer. She was born in London in 1967 and her early years were spent following her parents around the globe. By thirteen she had lived in England, Australia, America and Africa. When her studies were complete, Amanda set off to explore Africa on her own. From 1987 onwards she travelled – whether by combi, overland truck or private Land Rover – throughout Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa – where her family have a home. In 1999, she moved to Africa permanently to pursue a serious creative career. Now she is the logistics brain behind umSisi House, sous chef and everything else administration! She is longing to get back on the road!
Together, Patrick and Amanda, have driven over 100,000 kilometers through desert and dunes, across plains, down rivers, over pans and into the delta in their Land Rovers in search of the very best wildlife and wild places that southern Africa has to offer. In the past 18 years, they have slept in complete comfort under canvas for 450 nights, made/broken camp at least 180 times, cooked at least 500 gourmet meals on the fire in their black pots, explored over 30 game reserves and national parks, shot 20,000 photographs, identified over 90 species of mammal and spotted over 400 different types of bird.
