Hein grew up close to the hot and dusty Kruger National Park in a town called White River, which he still calls home today. It was there where he fell in love with nature by spending weekends and holidays with family and friends in the Kruger and further afield in places like Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. His love and passion for all things wild and wonderful has helped him to choose a career in Tourism.
He started as a trails guide conducting bush walks in big-5 environments often encountering dangerous game on foot like elephants, lions, and buffalo. He has been fortunate enough to hone his guiding skills in some of the best areas Africa has to offer. In one of his most exciting positions, he helped open a new lodge, trained new guides and established a guiding culture, and habituated leopards and lions to safari vehicles in Rwanda. With this adventurous spirit, it was inevitable that his path would lead to other wild areas in the world, and he is now lucky enough to call himself a Polar guide.
In 2018 Hein and a friend took on a 2500-kilometer unassisted bicycle journey along the coastline of South Africa to raise awareness for the protection of turtles and sea birds. They gave particular attention to African Penguins. This epic adventure through pristine wilderness areas lasted 28 days.
When he isn’t guiding safaris or polar expeditions, Hein can be found hiking and birding with his beloved dog Schweppy.