Author tells of bush life in former Rhodesia

ROB KNOWLES

Drilling where leopards cough, written and published by Trevor Frost

FORMER Rhodesian, Trevor Frost, shares stories from his childhood and early adulthood in Drilling where leopards cough, his first self-published novel.

Frost was born in 1948 in former Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. His father was involved in an industrial accident where he lost most of the fingers of both hands and, as a consequence, became withdrawn, violent and a heavy drinker. Yet he also taught the young Frost about life in the bush, a love he would carry for the rest of his life.

Having no real academic ambitions at school Frost began playing golf, and discovered he had a talent for the game. He represented his region in many junior and senior competitions and, during his compulsory military service for the Rhodesian Army, had the opportunity to represent his unit in several major competitions.

Frost actually enjoyed his army experience so much he signed himself up for another tour of duty and ended up as an instructor for the next intake of conscripted soldiers.

Eventually the good times came to an end, and Frost realised he needed a career. His first job was as an apprentice boilermaker, but that only lasted a few months. He then became a fire fighter, predominately due to the considerably better remuneration.

Following the intervention of his father, Frost was introduced to the world of mining, and went to work as a drill rig apprentice, ultimately becoming one of his company's most experienced employees.

The bulk of the story is a vivid description of life out in the bush, where Frost was sent to drill core samples for analysis by the large mining houses.

Several incidents with wildlife, his faithful dog, Major, the perplexing and precarious life of a driller and his team often hundreds of kilometres from civilisation, introduce the reader to a world now lost in history.

Yet Frost recalls his experiences as though they happened only yesterday, and describes it in such detail it is clear he has a predilection for precision. In fact, having completed the book I feel almost qualified to go out into the bush and drill core samples myself.

Frost describes the types of problem he encountered while drilling in such desolate locations and their solutions including breaking drills and losing bits down the boreholes.

His sense of fun is also evident when he relates stories of unusual encounters with leopards and pythons, as well as being chased by a charging rhino.

Frost might have also been a bit of a ladies man in his early years, whose smooth talking and carefully Brilcreamed hair seemed to have gotten him out of trouble on many occasions.

It had been love at first sight when he first met Les as a youngster, and the couple eventually married in 1969, having two children, Darrin and Dion. The family finally packed up everything and moved southwards in 1972, across the border to South Africa, leaving behind a near-forgotten world that has subsequently ceased to exist.

Drilling where leopards cough is written in short chapters, each a snapshot of Frost's life as a driller, and he uses simple language which makes it easy for anyone to pick up and read. Frost writes from his personal experiences in a very natural way, and the style is conversational and informal, honest and detailed. His love of the wild and specifically his former homeland of Rhodesia is clearly evident.

Anyone who is looking to learn more about life in post-colonial Zimbabwe, or simply wants to relive memories of Rhodesia in the 1960s will get something from reading Drilling where leopards cough and Frost's exploits in the bush.