Exchange the office for the great outdoors

By ANGELA McCARTHY

Despite the signs of summer fading, plenty of people would prefer to work outside - even if it is wet and cold.

We asked four indoor job grumblers where they would rather be if they had the choice. Mr Financial Controller dreams of adventure tourism guiding.

"Who doesn't," grins Wet'n'Wild professional senior raft guide Jody Rowland, 32, who runs river trips ranging from sedate one-day rides to four-day rafting adventures. Being wet is par for the course, as is dealing with apprehensive townies.

"I love the excitement of the river and challenge of getting people to trust me and meld as a team to get down the river."

Experienced guides make a good living and there are shortages at senior guide level, but the many new graduates struggle to find work, he says.

While you can raft in New Zealand all year round, Rowland usually heads overseas in August, the quiet month. "It is good to raft on different rivers and work with different people."

And if he had to chuck it in for an inside job? "I'd become a personal trainer because I'd still need people skills."

Average annual income: $15,000- $50,000.

Courses: 22 around New Zealand. Need raft guide registration.

Ms Freelance Writer would love to stretch her OOS-prone arms outside climbing trees.

Try arboriculture, says arborist Gavin Donaldson. "An arborist is someone who hasn't grown out of climbing trees."

Donaldson is passionate about trees. Arborists work with trees on streets, reserves and private property, says Donaldson. They not only clamber up trunks, but abseil off them yielding saws and other equipment.

"It is great hands-on work that involves not only pruning but ensuring that tree protection measures minimise damage. It is very physical. You need a head for heights and knowledge of knots and lowering techniques because you use ropes and harnesses."

While the number of newly trained arborists is increasing, experienced arborists are rare.

Now nearly 50, Donaldson has reluctantly cut back on tree climbing and become North Shore City Council environmental services arborist manager. Still, although 75 per cent of his work is now inside, he remains a carer of trees.

Average annual income: $25,000-$60,000

Courses: Two arboriculture specialisations at WinTec (Waikato) and Otago Polytechnic.

While Mr Telecommunications Manager dreams himself into the wilderness, camera in hand, Rod Morris is physically there. The wildlife photographer has spent 30 years capturing images of New Zealand and Pacific wildlife on film.

"Wildlife is my main motivation, photography my tool. People respond more to photos than anything I could write," says Morris, 53, who got started while he was a wildlife service field officer.

"I joined the Natural History of New Zealand unit because I realised moving pictures were even more influential in reaching an audience."

While not formally trained in photography, Morris learned through observation and practice.

Highlights so far? "A wild kakapo in the Fiordland doing a courtship dance in front of me. It was so comfortable I wiped dew drops off its head before I continued filming."

His one dislike about wildlife photography - some photographers' practice of parading photographs of captive animals as wilderness images.

"Such as photos of tigers, leaping through surf, that have probably just been released from a cage."

And his choice of work indoors? Indoor photography of course. Computer-based photoshop would also be interesting, he says.

Average annual income: $20,000-$40,000

Courses: 14 around the country. One to four years long. Also Otago University postgraduate diploma in natural history film making and communication.

Ms Specialist Nurse hankers to grow things - to feel dirt under her sterilised fingertips.

Growing is fantastic, says Andrew Graham, the vineyard and parks manager for Villa Maria Estate, who spends 98 per cent of his week outside.

"I'm incredibly lucky to live in Auckland, yet work outside in a horticultural environment of this size."

Graham organises the planting and development of the 45ha vineyard, park and tourist complex at Mangere. His work includes preparing land for planting, irrigation and selecting tree species.

A horticultural background is essential, says Graham, who struggles to find knowledgeable staff.

Despite his love of his job, Graham, 48, sees two downsides. "The sun is harsh for someone my age and horticulture is quite manual so it can be hard physical work."

So what will happen when the sun or manual work become too much?

"I could end up doing something in a bank because my first degree was economics, and it is an interest. But I don't dream of an indoors job, that's for sure."

Average annual income: $20,000-$50,000.

Courses: six viticulture and 22 horticulture, one to three years long.

The trade-off for outdoor happiness appears to be income, at least until you gain experience.

www.kiwicareers.govt.nz