Michael Wilcox is an all-round adventurer with years of experience in the outdoor space.
His introduction to hiking and the love for nature happened at the early age of five, when he started joining his father on fishing trips to the coastal regions of the Cape of Good Hope section within the Table Mountain National Park. This included hiking through the fynbos to reach fishing spots at the water's edge. He remembers playing in the rock pools of the intertidal zones, as well as catching "klip vissies" (small rock fish) there.
In later years he went on to join a swimming club, become a water polo player and a lifeguard. The aquatic activities further expanded his love for the ocean. In fact, he spent over 25 years of his life volunteering as a beach lifeguard along the False Bay coast, as well as volunteering as a crew leader on the Cape Town Helicopter Surf Rescue service.
Soon after getting married, Michael and his wife Bridget embarked on an extended backpacking venture across Europe and the Middle East. Over time the two of them have been fortunate to travel to and experience 27 different countries around the world.
It is this love for nature, the outdoors, hiking and travel that made for the perfect ingredients to become a Cultural Guide, an Overnight Off Trail Mountain and Adventure Guide, and to register a tour operator business called Tusk Adventures & Tours.
Be out and be safe.
Special interests
- Fynbos (indigenous vegetation of the Western Cape)
- Indigenous seasonal flowers of the Cape West Coast, adjacent interior, Cederberg, Namaqualand and the Northern Cape
- Coastal regions and intertidal zones
- Geology, rocks and soil composition
- Khoikhoi and San culture, and San Rock Art (cave paintings)
- Politics, colonial and apartheid history
- Shipwrecks and lighthouses
Guiding & travel
- Registered Regional/Provincial Cultural Tourist Guide (Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West provinces)
- Registered National Overnight Off Trail Adventure Mountain and Wilderness Trekking Guide
- Certified by the Cape Wine Academy
- Professional member of the South African Adventure Industry Association
- Member and executive committee member (Adventure Guiding) of the Cape Tourist Guide's Association
- An experienced hiker, mountaineer and adventurer of over 40 years
- Hiked in Lesotho, Italy, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Israel, France, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Namibia, Mozambique, Australia, Bali, Thailand and all over South Africa
Safety & rescue
- Trained Wilderness First Aid responder and experienced rescue mountaineer
- Responder at Delta Search and Rescue and the Western Cape Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR)
- Volunteers alongside the Western Cape Department of Health Emergency Medical Services, helicopter rescue, technical rope rescue, off-road rescue, K9 Search and Rescue, Sea Rescue and other emergency crews
- Trained on the International Incident Command System (ICS)
- Trained volunteer Tourism Trauma Support Worker
- Certified category C freshwater and marine offshore boat skipper
- Holder of a Professional Driving Permit (PrDP)
Community & conservation
- Founder, co-ordinator and guide at ECO Mates Environmental Outreach Project
- Volunteer Safety Patroller and volunteer guide at Table Mountain National Park (SANParks)
- Representative at the Table Mountain National Park (SANParks) Park Forum
- Past weekly studio guest on a Cape Town radio station talking about "The Great Outdoors"
- Volunteered as a duty beach lifeguard for more than twenty-five years
- Past squad leader, Cape Town Sea & Surf Helicopter Rescue service (approx. 10 years)
- Past member, Western Province Lifesaving elite helicopter response team
- Past Climbing Convener, Cape Province Mountain Club
- Past Coordinator and Safety Officer, Table Mountain Hiking Challenge
- Past Chairperson and Rescue Unit Coordinator, Hikers Network
- Past manager, SafetyMountain Tracking
- Past safety advisor and guide, The President's Award Youth Empowerment programme
- Past convener, Lion's Alert Disaster Response (Lion's Club of Kirstenbosch)
- Past member, City of Cape Town municipality Disaster Risk Management unit
- Past Captain and Equipment Officer, Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club
- Past competitor for the Western Province Surf Lifesaving Union team
- Holder of numerous competitive lifesaving, rescue, outreach and other awards