A pioneer of tour guiding in KwaZulu-Natal, Terry Whitfield, died tragically in Durban over the weekend.
Whitfield, who operated as Venture Tours & Safaris, mentored a number of people who are active in the province’s tour guide community today, or who moved on to other sectors of the travel industry.
One of them is Craig Drysdale, General Manager – Global Sales for Thompsons Africa, who while still at university, undertook part-time work for Venture Tours & Safaris, getting his first taste of tourism. “I knew Terry from the age of 15,” he said, “my father was the Headmaster of Brettonwood High School and Terry was the Governing Body Chairman. He was a fantastic guide and just a downright great guy. Always friendly, always willing to assist. I salute you Terry, thank you for what you did in my life and I know many others.”
Tour guide Dave de la Querra said he had known Whitfield since 1988, when Whitfield introduced him to the travel industry and mentored him first as a driver and then guide. He described Whitfield as the most helpful person ever.
Other tour guides told how Whitfield pioneered touring routes over then-untarred roads in his early days, and paid tribute to his sense of humour. Recalled fellow tour guide and friend, Ernie Hayes: “Terry was the sort of person that can truly be described as a character. He had more than his fair share of the gift of the gab. One of his favourite sayings was “a successful tour guide is a chap who can stand in front of a monument, and read out, word for word, what’s written on the plaque, and his guests are impressed by how clever he is.”
“He could get away with just about anything. Many years back, Terry was frequently called upon to do airport transfers in Durban. Not having a minivan of his own at that stage, he used to rent my VW Kombi Microbus. One day, having picked up the Kombi from my house, he was just entering the freeway, when he felt something touch his leg. He looked down and got a shock to see our little Jack Russel looking back up at him. She had sneaked into the Kombi without anyone seeing her. There was no turning back – he was on the motorway, and on a tight time schedule. And this was in the days before cell phones! So he just carried on.
“When he arrived at the hotel to pick up the guests, he apologised about the dog, and assured them he could phone for me to come and get the dog, but it would mean a 25-minute delay. The guests were dog lovers and wouldn’t hear of it. Later, Terry told me the guests thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and made a great fuss of the dog. But after that we always carefully checked inside the Kombi before driving out.
“Terry was a generous and public spirited person. He was what can be described as a gentleman of the old school.”
Whitfield celebrated his 80th birthday last year with friends at the KwaZulu-Natal Tourist Guides Association-eThekwini. He was involved for 28 years in the organisation Apostolatus Maris, or Apostleship of the Sea - an international network providing pastoral care to seafarers and their families.
Due to an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Whitfield’s passing, funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
