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tbone
3rd March 2011, 14:28
Hey guys and girls,

In 2008 I did a road trip around the whole of NZ on a 250 (the trip was to basically learn how to ride) - was a great trip and awesome learning experience, should have done it in summer rather than winter, but learnt heaps!

Basically I'm planning another one, but in 2012 - so it's a long way off. But this trip is a little different. I did the last trip in about 2 weeks, this trip could be a month or more. What makes this trip different, is the last one was more for me. Call it a spiritual thing, finding oneself - something like that. This trip however, I'm planning a big project at the same time.

What I’m doing is basically starting to write a book, a book of about New Zealanders and the jobs they do – basically the people that power the country. I generally want to have about a page about each person, and a photo of them (think of photos of coal miners – that type of photo – a photo that tells a story). I’m more looking at the blue collar workers (what I used to be) rather than office workers because they generally do harder work and they’re generally more interesting. Thinking of covering jobs like miners, fisherman on trawlers, builders, labourers, supermarket workers, bakeries. Basically covering all ages, all races, all sexes – everyone.

What I was wondering, are there any guys and girls out there that would be willing to have their photos taken and an interview (I wouldn't really call it that, I'd call it have a beer/coffee/water with a stranger and have a chat).

I’ve still got a lot of research to do, what places I’d cover, what questions to ask, but I think it’d make a pretty interesting project, both for myself travelling the country and one day when it gets published, hopefully people will read it and get a glimpse into other peoples life’s. Something will last a while I guess – people in 20 years could look back on it and see what people were like 20 years ago type thing.

Basically if you are an industrial electrician, wouldn't mind going on site, take photos of yourself doing your job - more candid photography. Or if you are a fisherman on a trawler, I dunno how this works, but I can cook, so can go out to sea, take photos, have a beer or two and help around with what needs helping. I'm trying to figure out how to get this off the ground really - I think it would be a great experience for myself, as well as a compilation of different people, different jobs, different lives.

My day job is a computer programmer, but that gets pretty tedious at times so in my spare time I write and do photography. Getting a flickr profile one day soon to post some photos that I've done in the past.

trailblazer
3rd March 2011, 15:43
sound like a cool idea. I dont photograph very well so im out and besides that im just a car painter so there aint nothing exiting in my job. Good luck with your project.

Gareth123
4th March 2011, 01:15
Being the young Adonis that I am, you may use my image on the front cover:niceone::bleh:

I'm a baker. People who get up early in the morning are a bit weird. I'd try and keep that in check for you though.

tbone
4th March 2011, 07:48
Cheers guys!

I wouldn't call it an interview either - it would really be a beer or two. I'm not exactly the most social person in the world, although I have gotten better with talking to strangers over the years. Basically it's a little bit for me as well - just like the first road trip. The first road trip was to learn how to ride in general, ride long distances and especially in various kinds of weather.

This trip is a bit of a project for a book, but also to help me with meeting complete strangers and just having a good ol' chat. One of the things I've found working in IT is that we have this powerful medium called the Internet, but oddly enough, although it has the power to bring people closer, bring news faster - people seem to be getting further away. When I move into a new place, the neighbors keep to themselves quite often (maybe I'm just a bit of a weirdo!). So you have all this technology, but people are getting further away from each other.

It's a long way off, just doing research now. Basically I don't really care what people look like - ugly people, beautiful people - they can all be photographed - quite often a person's face can tell one helluva interesting story. I care about the person and the story they have.

Figuring out how to meet different people is actually a bit hard! I mean how do you meet some miners down in the South Island, are there any off shore oil rigs in NZ - if so, how do you get on one of them to talk to people there? Press people seem to be able to go to those places somehow. Same thing with a fishing trawler - how would one get on a trawler? I understand that trawlers go out for weeks at a time, so that could be a bit difficult with time - would have to be a deck hand or something, but I'm guessing there would be a huge list of people wanting to do that (although I'd do it for no pay).

So it'd be sometime in 2012, probably early. Any takers, or any suggestions on how to tackle something like this would be HUGELY appreciated!


T

tbone
4th March 2011, 08:00
Actually, found that there is an oil rig in NZ, off coast of Taranaki - the Maari Oil Field. So at least there is one in NZ, but how on earth would you get on to it?

I don't want to even attempt trying to ask management or HR over there yet (I guess that's one way - go through HR) until I've got a proper plan done so people can see I'm serious about this.

Who knows, save up some money and if this works well for NZ, might give it a try over in Aussie or another country! Great way for me to meet people, and when book is done, great way for other people to read about the actual people in a country!

CookMySock
4th March 2011, 09:29
off coast of Taranaki - the Maari Oil Field.Whut? They have an oil field as well? :blink:

tbone
4th March 2011, 09:47
Whut? They have an oil field as well? :blink:

Yeah, I was a bit surprised as well! Some links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maari_oilfield
http://www.stuff.co.nz/archived-stuff-sections/archived-business-sections/business/1757899

Bout 80km off that coast. Company called Todd Energy has a 16% share in it. Another company, OMV has 69% share. So it gives me some pointers as to who to contact anyways.

Just have to get in contact with either (Todd Energy probably easier as they are Kiwi, OMV seems to be German, but with a base in Wellington.

So progress made in the oil field area, not sure where it will go, but worth a shot! The other big ones I want to do are coal mines and fishing trawlers, just have to see where that will go!

*caution*
4th March 2011, 10:10
There are several in the taranaki region, they send people out by chopper, you won't be welcome rocking up in your dingy unfortunately!

You will have a tough time, as there are a lot of Health and Safety hoops to jump through before they will let you out there, and theres not much in it for them, but good luck, its worth a shot.

tbone
4th March 2011, 10:27
After a bit of research, found a few platforms:

- Pohokura
- Maari
- Maui

Plus some onshore ones as well.

I can imagine getting to one of them as just a plain civilian would be a nightmare, probably as hard as getting to the Antarctic - but yep, worth a shot! Just have to be really persistent!

nadroj
4th March 2011, 11:50
After a bit of research, found a few platforms:

- Pohokura
- Maari
- Maui A
- Maui B

Plus lots of onshore ones as well.

I can imagine getting to one of them as just a plain civilian would be a matter of contacting their public relations person - yep, worth a shot! Just have to be really polite!

Try that!!

tbone
4th March 2011, 12:02
Whoops, that meant to say I can imagine trying to get into those sites as a civilian would be pretty hard, going through H&S. But has to be possible! Not much in it for them, but who knows?

In the process of contacting them now anyways.
Will probably start on more easier ones (like Police, Fire, Ambulance - I'm sure they got interesting stories!)

insomnia01
5th March 2011, 08:46
I'd be up for this !!! I work within the fertiliser industry talk with farmers & truck drivers all day, live in the Waikato which is blessed with HEAPS of AWESOME roads..

Could hook up with Kiwibiker LOR rides which happen most Sundays great people.

let me know if you would like to chat :niceone:

PS great idea by the way

tbone
5th March 2011, 15:20
Cheers man!

Had a few beers last night, and just having a think about it, and will make it a mission over the next year or so, and when I do the next road trip, well I'll just probably meet some more people. But it's impractical to do the whole thing in the period of about a month or two (time to do the road trip).

So it'll happen over a while really!

I just find it interesting - most of us spend most of our awake time working. Sometimes we do jobs with love, sometimes not. Sometimes we would rather be other places than work. I mean, if you have kids and really treasure them, you'd most likely do any job to give your kids a future, a better life. Different people have different reasons for doing their jobs, I just think we all have our own histories and some are pretty interesting.

Obviously you can't really just write a book about a whole bunch of people and have no major "plot" to it, so the core theme is work, but I guess peppered with some interesting life stories along the way.

insomnia01 - I'd be keen, I'm in the Waikato area as well. Going to spend the next week getting my crap together and figuring out how exactly I'm going to do this properly! Kinda like reporting for a story in some ways!

insomnia01
6th March 2011, 11:29
coming along on a LOR ride would be beneficial for you !!! Very broad spectrum of people/occupation/life experiances, etc, etc good crew all in all :niceone: On holiday & out of town at the moment due back in the Waikato in a few weeks.