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Lee was born in Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in
1953, where his father had a hardware business and factory. He
went to Falcon College near Bulawayo in what was then Rhodesia.
After completing his ‘A’ level exams he went on to do a Bachelor
of Arts degree at the University of Natal in Durban, South
Africa, graduating in 1976.
After a short stint working in his father’s factory, he packed his
worldly possessions into an ancient Bedford van and set out
overland, via Kenya, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and
Western Europe, arriving in Perth, Scotland in 1977, where he
trained for his British Commercial Pilot’s Licence. After
completion he returned to Zambia to look for a flying job, but
stopped en-route in Nairobi, and was employed by Boskovic Air
Charters, and later Sunbird Aviation. In Kenya he flew a wide range of
light single and twin-engine aircraft (King Air 200s, DC3s, Cessna
Titans) throughout East and North-East Africa. He completed his British
Airline Pilot's Licence at Oxford, England in 1981.
In 1983 he ‘left’ aviation to spend a year travelling around the
world, visiting India, Thailand, China (he sailed down the Yangtze
River through the famous Yangtze gorges), Australia, New
Zealand, New Caledonia and the USA, eventually ending up in
Durban, where he opened his own retail business. After deciding
big city life wasn’t for him, he moved to Maun, Botswana,
initially working as camp manager, guide, accountant and pilot
at Xaxaba. After 2 years he moved to Xugana Lodge and started
Xugana Air. In 1995 he moved into Maun, and became general
manager of Gunn’s Camp and Chief Pilot of Swamp Air.
In 1997 Lee decided to work for himself and started Jacana
Enterprises (Pty) Ltd in a small single room office. The
fledgling company grew rapidly, expanded into the adjoining two
offices, and eventually had to move to new, bigger premises
nearby. Today Jacana Enterprises is a thriving company offering
a wide range of products and services such as safari clothing,
footwear, computerised embroidery, laser engraving, security
equipment and various
office services.
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Click on the
thumbnails to
enlarge the photo |
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Click for itinerary of my amazing 50,000km USA/Canada/Alaska road trip |
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Maun Fresh Produce (now
Shoprite) with new extension, 1985
(398kb) |
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Maun Fresh Produce, 1985
(388kb) |
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Maun old mall in 1985. The
building is Okavango Explorations, owned by David Hartley, formerly Maun
Office Services
(326kb) |
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Maun old mall in 1985. The
building is Belgica Enterprises with Okavango Explorations behind
(232kb) |
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Maun old mall. Sand, sand,
sand. 1985
(363kb) |
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Maun old mall. Belgica
Enterprises and Okavango Explorations visible
(348kb) |
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Shops at old Maun airport
(255kb) |
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Shops at Old Maun airport
(397kb) |
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Old airport terminal. Bug in
program. 1985
(266kb) |
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Old airport terminal, 1985
(269kb) |
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Old airport with Northern Air
Maintenance
hangar, 1985
(277kb) |
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Air Botswana's Dornier 228
refuelling at Maun airport, 1985
(247kb) |
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Old Riley's Garage, 1985
(360kb) |
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Old Riley's Garage, from
across Mall, 1985
(298kb) |
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Main Road in 1986
(356kb) |
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Main Road in 1986
(385kb) |
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Goats roaming in front of the
legendary Duck Inn, 1986
(376kb) |
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The 'new' Barclays Bank, soon
after construction, 1986
(165kb) |
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National Development Bank
under construction, 1986
(250kb) |
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Buildings being demolished
for the construction of the Natlee Centre
(156kb) |
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Driving to Maun for the first
time in 1984 with Sally Barrow; stopped at Nata for refreshments
(415kb) |
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The awful old Maun-Nata road,
1986
(372kb) |
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Personal |
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The Buffalo Fence near Maun
(437kb) |
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Flying over Xaxanaka Lagoon,
2006
(127kb) |
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The meandering Okavango River
in the Panhandle near Seronga
(119kb) |
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Another aerial view of the
Okavango River
(258kb) |
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Another magnificent sunset
over the Okavango River
(275kb) |
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One of Pony Transport's
trucks well stuck somewhere in the Delta
(245kb) |
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Pilot: Tico McNutt; Location:
Santawani Airstrip, Botswana; Aircraft: C172; Moral: Beware giraffes on
takeoff! |
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Maun Signs: Big Tree Penal
Beater |
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The indomitable and
irrepressible Roger Dugmore
(Pic courtesy of Mike Watson)
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The famous albino Red Lechwe
at Lechwe Haven (northern tip of Chief's Island), 1985
(Pic courtesy of Mike Watson) |
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Barry McKenna and Peter Comley near Savuti after getting stuck, 1983 |
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Maun Signs: Babble Bath
Tailor Shop |
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Maun Signs: Doctor Ngaka from
Mozambique |
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Maun Signs: Last Chance Tuck
Shop |
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Maun Signs: Let Them Laugh
Street Vendor |
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Maun Signs: Market Research
Centre |
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Maun Signs: The AMAZING
Dr. Juma |
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Maun village from the air
(283kb) |
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The annual flood arrives in
Maun in 2003
(308kb) |
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Where 4 countries meet:
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe at Kazungula
(245kb) |
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Self escaping from San
Quentin Prison, San Francisco (visible in background)
(226kb) |
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Self at my old Matlapaneng
cottage, 1983
(209kb) |
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My Disaneng house, under the
Sycamore Fig tree, 2005
(293kb) |
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My company, Jacana Enterprises
(352kb) |
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The first 'house' I built at
Xaxaba, 1984
(708kb) |
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My Xugana house on its own
island. Boat landing in front
(442kb) |
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The King of Rock
(218kb) |
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Self, 7 years old, in
Northern Rhodesia, 1960
(229kb) |
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Breaking the 400 metres record
at Falcon College, Rhodesia, about 1968
(503kb) |
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Self at Grand Canyon,
Arizona, 1974
(401kb) |
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CPL flying training at Perth
in Scotland, 1978
(85kb) |
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Feeding my Saddlebill Stork
chick, Stanley, at Xaxaba, 1984
(149kb) |
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In the Magadigadi Pans, 1986
(259kb) |
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Somewhere north of Savuti,
1993
(140kb) |
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At Sossusvlei, Namibia, 1993
(133kb) |
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Quad bike on the dunes at
Swakopmund, Namibia, 2007
(401kb) |
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Quad bike on the dunes at
Swakopmund, Namibia, 2007
(451kb) |
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Pebba
(398kb) |
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Painting of Pebba
(224kb) |
