The Runway Made of Ice

In 2001 I stepped off a Russian cargo jet onto a runway made of ice.

Until then, getting from Cape Town to the Antarctic ice took a month by sea. We did it in about six hours. The aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-76, and we landed on the blue ice at Novolazarevskaya in Queen Maud Land. Two days later, we were home in Cape Town.

Even now, that difference is hard to take in. A month at sea against a few hours in the air. It changed what was possible for anyone who needed to reach that part of the continent.

None of it was a one-man effort. We worked with Russia's Novolazarevskaya base, and a small team of us organised the flights. A partner from the shipping world took the fuel for our return flights down by sea a full year in advance. There is no filling station on the ice. If the fuel is not waiting for you, you do not come home.

My part was the idea of carrying people. Scientists and base crews came first. Soon after came the first tourists from Africa. The idea sounded simple when it was said out loud. A great deal of work sat behind it.

That project taught me most of what I know about planning, in travel and in business. On the ice, the weather decides when you fly. You cannot argue with it or hurry it. Your job is to have everything else ready the moment it says yes. Sometimes that means putting the fuel in place a year before anyone takes off.

I carried that lesson into property, which has been my work since 2003. Building a wine estate, a safari lodge, hotels and over 200 homes follows the same pattern. Most of the outcome is decided long before anyone sees the finished building. The preparation is the part nobody photographs, and it is the part that matters most.

It is also how we plan every journey at Visitors to Africa. Whether it is a private trip for one to six guests or a small group of up to twelve, I plan each one personally. We arrange everything that can be arranged. We are honest about what cannot, starting with the weather. And we are ready when the window opens.

I still think about that runway when a new project lands on my desk. The bold idea is only the start. Patient preparation is what lets you say yes when the moment comes.

What is the boldest project you have ever said yes to? I would like to hear about it. And if you are thinking about a journey of your own in Southern Africa, get in touch. I am always happy to talk it through.

John Sparks