G'day John,

I started off adult life as a teacher - running residential Outdoor Education Centres, in various parts of NZ. Basically looking after 70+ kids (and their classroom teachers) for a week, and exposing them to "bushcraft" and the "environment".

While training (and since), I worked at all sorts of jobs - dustman, roadman, sewer worker, camera shop assistant, field biologist (forests, island and seabirds), pesticide/herbicide applicator, soldier (and anti-Vietnam protestor at the same time), folksinger, musterer, shearer, fencer (not of the foil variety), but mainly layabout.....;)

After quitting teaching 20 years back, and moving to Stewart Island, I became an Outdoor Education Consultant, writer/illustrator, eco/adventure tour guide (month long trips through NZ) and finally, like you, a professional driver....

This involved carting freight, people on bus tours and meeting planes at the local airfield, which led to..

Air Traffic Control (wet finger and windsock variety) - I met a few thousand flight's and "talked" pilots in under more-than-somewhat dubious flying conditions.

Since the company I worked for was somewhat versatile, I also did garage work, cooked in the take-aways and did a bit of work in the brewery (for some reason the boss wouldn't let me work there alone).....;)

Umm.... about that time I built a house.

In the meantime, I did a bit of acting in local shows, built a website about my home on Stewart Island. I was happy as a sandboy...;)

Abou six years ago "Fox the Boss" pulled out. I bought Billy the Bus from him. Now, I'm just a boring old bus driver - carting visitors round the 12 miles of road on Stewart Island, and telling yarns. It's a living (just)...;)

Anyway...

Looking through the above - I've spent a pretty boring 60 years on this planet. Might have to do something interesting next time round.

Cheers - Sam