DESPATCH se Danita Ferreira (65), wat verlede jaar die opwinding van noodhulpdiens op \u2018n eiland na haar aftrede as \u201cnuwe lewe\u201d gekies het, kan nie uitgepraat raak oor haar lewe van avontuur en natuurbetowering nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie groenrug-seeskilpaaie het hulle eiers kom l\u00ea. En die padtekens vir die krappe se groot migrasie is op. Hulle sal nou enige tyd berg-af kom en oor die eiland see toe trek.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Di\u00e8 tonele speel hulself af op die Verenigde Koninkryk se piepklein Hemelvaart-eiland (Ascension Island) in die middel van die Atlantiese-oseaan. Dit is waar Danita n nooddiens gesondheidswerker is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy was voorheen vir 21 jaar bestuurder van Kleuterland Bewaarskool op Despatch. Sy vertel nou via e-pos hoe die buiteluglewe en di\u00e9 eiland met sy vreemde natuurverskynsels haar leefstyl so goed soos ingeloopte stapstewels pas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk is betrokke by natuurbewaring en kry eerstehands inligting oor wat hier in die natuur gebeur. Ek help met die ontbos van wandelpaaie en monitor ook die seeskilpaaie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOp Hemelvaart-eiland was ek omtrent in die hemel toe ek die voorreg kon geniet om sowat 30cm vanaf \u2018n groenrug-seeskilpadwyfie te kon l\u00ea en kyk en hoor hoe sy haar eiers l\u00ea. Dit neem \u2018n wyfie omtrent \u2018n uur om uit die water tot by die plek waar sy haar eiers wil l\u00ea, te kom. Dan nog \u2018n uur om haar nes te grawe, en nog n uur se verder grawe vir die kleiner gaatjie in die diepste punt van die nes waarin sy haar eiers l\u00ea.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Eilandlewe so stadig soos die skilpaaie<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danita s\u00ea die lewenspas op die eiland is net so stadig soos di\u00e8 van die groenrug-skilpaaie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie pas waaraan ek gewoond was om te werk, werk nie hier nie. Ek het gou agtergekom, hoe meer ek doen, hoe stadiger werk die Saints (verwysing na die werkers op Ascension Island). So, ek vat dinge nou ook baie rustiger. Die temperatuur is nou tropies en daal nie regtig deur die nag nie. Dit is uitputtend, so jy beweeg maar stadig, bly uit die son uit en sorg dat jy genoeg vloeistof inneem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danita werk in skofte en is altyd op bystand vir noodgevalle. Dit is ook deel van haar werk om die hospitaal, wat in die laat 1800s gebou is, skoon en higi\u00ebnies te hou. \u201cDit kan nogal veeleisend raak, want die grys vulkaniese stof waai gedurig en beland oral.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Noodgevalle en haarnaalddraaie<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk moes die Land Rover Defender-ambulans nou al twee keer teen Green Mountain op vat om die administrateur, wat in isolasie was, te gaan toets. Die skerp haarnaalddraaie is moeilik. By twee draaie moes ek eers weer agteruit om om die draai te kom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy was al \u2018n paar keer uitgeroep vir noodgevalle en moes dan met die groot ambulans voet in die hoek sit. \u201cDaar was \u2018n nood laparotomie toe \u2018n seeman geval het op sy boot en ek hom moes gaan haal vir noodbehandeling, steke en X-strale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk moes ook \u2018n vrou gaan haal wat deur die branders van die rotse afgeslaan is en in die rowwe see beland het. Iemand het \u2018n video geneem toe sy nog in die water was en daarop kon \u2018n mens ook vier Galapogus-haaie sien swem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volgens Danita is die eiland klein, maar so ook die w\u00eareld, want di\u00e9 vrou wat van die rotse afgeslaan is het as kind op Kariega (Uitenhage) grootgeword. Haar pa was \u2018n ingeneur wat betrokke was by die bou van die snelweg wat verby Despatch en Kariega na Graaff Reinet gaan. Boonop het die man saam met wie sy was toe die branders haar afgeslaan het, ook as kind op Despatch gebly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danita het sopas \u2018n kursus in radiografie voltooi, \u201cWat nogal n uitdaging vir my op my ouderdom was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Strategiese eiland vol interessanthede<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danita vertel daar is \u2018n groot NASA-gebou op die eiland vanwaar die eerste maanlanding gemonitor \u00e9n die eerste sein vanaf die maan ontvang is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWat jammer is, is dat di\u00e9 gebou, wat in my o\u00eb van historiese belang is, besig is om totaal te verval.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danita se blou VW Golf het intussen op die eiland aangekom en nou kan sy op haar eie rondrits. Sy mag egter nie alleen op voetslaanroetes gaan nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHier is 43 Letterbox voetslaanroetes waarop jy \u2018n spesiale houer kry om op die roete weg te steek vir \u2018n volgende voetslaner om op te spoor. Elke roete is uniek met uitsigte oor verskillende dele van die eiland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018n Mens mag nie alleen gaan stap nie, want as jy val, is daar nie selfoonopvangs vir noodoproepe nie. Die vulkaniese rots is vlymskerp en as jy jou beseer, vat dit nogal \u2018n tyd om te genees. Boonop kan \u2018n mens maklik hier verdwaal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wat vir haar uitsonderlik op die eiland is, is die verskillende landskappe wat wissel van groen en klam tot dor vulkaniese rotse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBo op Green Mountain is daar die mooiste geelhoutbome. Baie van die plante op die eiland is deur Kirstenbosch Botaniese Tuine asook van kweekhuise in Engeland geskenk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hemelvaart-eiland is \u2018n vulkaniese eiland waarvan slegs 1% bokant die seevlak uitsteek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gedurende Maart raak die see nog rowwer en is deinings tot vyf meter hoog en word dele van die eiland oorstroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Verlange na Tsitsikamma en vars produkte<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danita s\u00ea sy mis die Tsitsikamma se rotspoele en soet water. \u201cO, en ek mis natuurlik vars groente en vrugte. Die Amerikaners bederf ons so nou en dan, want hulle kry elke 14 dae vars produkte, maar die res van ons kry elke derde maand eers weer vars produkte.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die laaste vulkaniese aktiwiteit op Hemelvaart-eiland was 500 jaar gelede. \u201cEk is nie bang as dit weer gebeur nie, want die lewe moet sy gang gaan. \u2018n Mens kan mos nie vir ewig leef nie. Ek leef voluit en geniet elke oomblik op hierdie klip.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DESPATCH se Danita Ferreira (65), wat verlede jaar die opwinding van noodhulpdiens op \u2018n eiland na haar aftrede as \u201cnuwe lewe\u201d gekies het, kan nie uitgepraat raak oor haar lewe van avontuur en natuurbetowering 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