Communications Work Group

I was born a city boy in Auckland, New Zealand in May 1960. In my early twenties, feeling that there was more to life than urban hustle and bustle, I moved to the Lake Taupo district in the central North Island of New Zealand. This is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, and home to some of the best fly fishing rivers in the world. After working for several years there as an outdoor guide, I looked to escape the New Zealand winter and ventured north to the US, eventually arriving in the Arkansas Valley for the first time in May 1990. Here I found myself guiding on many of the region’s beautiful rivers.

So struck was I by the area and the friendliness of the people that one summer soon turned in to three. That third summer I met Kym. We were married in 1996, and, taking careful stock of all the options open to us, chose Salida as our home. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here and feel we have chosen the perfect place to raise our family.

Since 1996 I guided fly fishing extensively on the Arkansas River, for the last five years as head float guide for Ark Anglers, the region's premier guide service. I also established my own guide service, New Zealand Fly Fishing Adventures, specializing in guiding American fishermen to the pristine waters of New Zealand. As our family grew, uprooting ourselves each year to go Down Under became more complicated, and further confirmed our decision to live full time in Salida.