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Official Website of Expedition Saharan Saunter 2009
K (For Kiwi) Troop Biography Summary The following biographical information is to inform browsers and interested parties about our team members and what interesting lives they lead. Follow their escapades when our new blog site is up and running. This is still being populated so keep an eye out for new biographies soon....
WDRG Expeditionary Unit [NZ Contingent]
Captain: Bernard Shapiro 2IC and OC NZ Contingent Driver and Expedition Writer
Current collection of books [5000 and growing] has led him to go out and experience the physical side of the subject matter after reading about it. He is also distraught at the ignorance of NZ History inherant in NZ Children and wishes to reverse the lack of pride being displayed. He has been a gold prospector, living in the mountains for 3 months without supply. He has trapped possums in the Kahurangi Wilderness [rainforest] for six months, again without human contact. Many experiences have been written down by him in prose and short story form. In 2005 he walked Westward from the South Pacific Ocean across the South Island of NZ to the Tasman Sea in 1860's attire, equipment and food after reading about NZ Surveyors of the period, keeping a journal of the entire event. Nearly drowned in the Taramakau River when he had to cross it in flood or starve, he returned from Greymouth at the end of his expedition by train and proposed to his Lady whilst driving the [promo] 1957 Landrover pictured here elsewhere. She said yes. In 2006 he walked from Oamaru to Arrowtown in 1920-30s kit interviewing the locals and visitors of Otago as he went, scribbling it into another journal. Picked up and thrown into a bull-paddock fence by a small tornado, some of the events of that trip only made him realise there was far more to do than he was aware. In 2007 on honeymoon with his Wife Amy in Taiwan, they went into the rainforests with the native Hakka people and climbed 3000m+ mountains. Amy is now pregnant with their first child. In 2008 he wrote his first movie, impressed the idea to a film production [Peter Houston in fact] and begins filming at the end of January for a period of eight weeks. It should be noted that in 2007 he stood in as Principal Horn without rehearsal time when his leader was ill for Mahler's 9th Symphony and performed to Nationwide critical acclaim receiving a spontaneous standing ovation during the curtain call. After this expedition he is setting his sights on surviving in Fiordland for a month, perhaps in winter, and is considering a trip to Antarctica for his fortieth in 2011.
Film Unit Director
Chris is 34 years old and lives with his partner Felicity in Christchurch. Chris has been employed as an infantryman, recruit instructor, doorman, and a photographer, worked in advertising and retail, and currently works in the photographic industry. He now manages a camera store in Christchurch, works as a Photo Editor at a local newspaper and manages to squeeze in freelance photographic assignments. Chris has completed a mid-winter Outward Bound course at Anakiwa, and has trekked to Base Camp Everest. When he's not working, Chris enjoys a wide range of outdoor sports, and as a result can normally be found at the local A&E nursing wounds injuries, normally inflicted by downhill mountain bike. Chris has several photographic qualifications and a photojournalism scholarship from CPIT, several national photographic awards and a passion for documentary photography.
2nd Engineer/mechanic *Current employment: *Interests And Hobbies: *Achievements I am Proud of: *Footnote: I have no university degrees to my name as [like macguyver]
He's been self employed for most of his working carrier & for the past 15 years has owned & operated a successful Plumbing & Gasfitting company. Prior to this he was a qualified mechanical engineer having been involved with the construction of hydro electric dams, heavy transport engineering, heating, ventilating & mechanical building services. Mike has been a volunteer member of the NZ Fire Service for 7 years & apart from fighting the occasional fire, he has gained appropriate qualifications & experience associated with search & rescue, motor vehicle accidents plus other areas requiring first response medical attention. He has had a variety of interests including owning & restoring classic British sports cars, classic motor sport, vintage aviation & aircraft, 4 wheel driving, photography, skydiving, competition shooting, deep sea fishing, military history & collecting pre 1945 military related memorabilia.
Born and raised in Tanzania, David has lived all his adult life in New Zealand. After leaving school he worked on trucks for a year before joining the RNZAF as an aircraft engineer for 4 years before leaving to explore other things. Since then he has earnt his living as a student, an investment advisor, a motor mechanic, a salesman, a single parent, a photographer, a writer, a management consultant and senior management in a major corporation. A mad keen motorcylist he has travelled over most of New Zealand on a range of large bikes, gotten very cold, very wet and very hot, but still persists. he isvery rarely seperated from a camera, and says "I spend far too much time squinting down a lens." David has a BA in Political Science and Mass Communications, and is in the process of completing a Graduate Diploma in Management with a focus on marketing." Once that's done I'll grow up and go back to work. Perhaps." David's Father, Sean's Grandfather was a Sergeant in the North Africa Campaign during WW2 and was wounded at El Alamein. He was awarded the Military Medal
A small town boy that spent a lot of time on a farm while growing up in his younger years. After leaving school he carried on in the rural lifestyle for another 4 years before going overseas for a while. On coming back realized a diploma in something is useful. He took up electrical engineering seeing as how he liked the old electric fence bit. From there he ended up being able to repair and install heavy electrical equipment, and repairing anything from table legs to refurbishing bathrooms completely. Now he is currently employed as an electrician for climatech air conditioning and refrigeration in the service division. "My interests include my 2 children ( especially when my eldest who was 6 years old at the time, water-skied for the first time ), boating (here comes the water sports bit), fishing , a good beer, an active member of the Canterbury Rugby Referees Assoc ( while being a referee, I am also a coach to junior referees), and a good beer. What I hope to bring to this venture is a optimistic view to everyone with us, a hands-on help to whoever needs it and at the end of this a story I can till my kids (and everyone else at the bar)" As his Brother-In-Law is the Brewer for Emerson's Brewery we hope we'll see our own brand of beer "Flimsey Laager" [Flimsey being the early British fuel can and laager being a camp made up of parked vehicles] making an appearance in K Troop's ranks.
I am most at home in the outdoors, and partake in many sports such as climbing, whitewater kayaking, and hiking off into the bush of this beautiful country called New Zealand. Warrick's grandfather also seems to have been in the LRDG, being awarded the Africa Star and an MBE.
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