My dad was a school principal, he died at 65. It was the ultimate rip off, he worked all his life and wasn’t able to enjoy it. If he had lived another 4 years, he would have met 9 grandchildren, he never met any of them.

Because of that I always wanted to retire early. I sold up 8 years ago when I was 47. I was a retailer for 25 years and owner of the shop for the last 23. I was a ski bum in Austria and was on my way south to be a ski guide and the owners of the business made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I wanted to make it successful but I didn’t envisage staying that long. I’ve never worked for anyone else.

I was brought up here in Days Bay and Dad being an educationalist in the old school sense of the word, encouraged us to do all sorts of weird things, he indulged my farming fantasies. We had no grass, no lawn so I’d graze the sheep by taking them around on a trolley to various neighbours lawns. We would shear the sheep with scissors and Dad spun the wool, and made my tennis jersey. Then of course we took the sheep to the abbatoir and I sold the meat back to my parents, that encouraged the entrepreneurial spirit that led me to owning a shop.

When I left the shop, bees weren’t in my life at all. I was at a party at my brother in laws and talked to a guy who said he had some hives on the property. He opened up a hive and showed me a few frames, I was hooked. I’d always wanted to be a farmer but I didn’t want to leave Days Bay. How do you farm here? Bee keeping is the only way of farming without owning land.

I transitioned into a commercial beekeeper by raising queens and selling them rather than focussing on honey. That’s the science and that’s what I really enjoy. Then I was shoulder tapped to teach beekeeping, now I’m writing a course on queen rearing with two others. All of this just morphed, it was going to be just a hobby and then it expanded. Though I have had to make sure the dates for teaching don’t disturb my skiing. You have to fit your work around your lifestyle.

Over summer it’s a fulltime thing. I love it, I love the physicality, I run around like a blue arsed fly. The life cycle of a bee is very short so with queens you have to do things at very specific times. Queens take sixteen days to rear.

I’m the homemaker now, I cook and do the chores, I love it. Mandy and my roles have reversed, switching is only fair. One of my sons was still at home when I first sold up and he saw this change, he also gained a surfing buddy.

My story is the story of white male privilege. I did work hard but I was lucky – and privileged. I don’t want to put myself out there as a success.

The lesson I learnt from my mother is to be content. I don’t want for grand overseas trips, I’m happy surfing down the road. It makes life a lot easier, I don’t need a flash car, and that enables you to retire a lot earlier.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NB. It takes an element of bravery to be the first of any series and Mark kindly agreed to my request to be the first interviewee for this as yet, unnamed series. Thank you Mark.

I’m seeking people who change direction later in their lives than most. Next up is Paul who reinvented himself after a career working at the Hillside Railway works in Dunedin. I’m scouting for others who will be prepared to share their stories with me. It doesn’t need to be a career, it can be voluntary work, study, sport or pastimes. Most stories will be affirmative – but not all. Some will be people following long held dreams, others changing careers for economic necessity. Please let me know if you or someone you know might be keen to talk about a substantial shift in their lives.

It doesn’t need to be in New Zealand – this is a world wide trend.

Please contact me at pete@petecarter.nz

Pete Carter is the author of This is Us. Due out in June 2020 it will be published by Exisle and tells the story of more than 200 New Zealanders in words and pictures. The book is really a portrait of the nation and how it is made up. Pete wrote Our Dog Benji a children’s book illustrated by his nephew, published by EK in 2017. He is also the author of two books of poetry. He has had magazine articles published and poetry in anthologies. As a photographer he has had two solo exhibitions and work included in group exhibitions in NZ and overseas and has sold work to and been commissioned by corporate clients.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *