The start...

I was working in Queenstown last year ( 2007) and was freezing my butt off building a new subdivision at Athurs Point. I was disgruntled with my job as a drainlayer and started contemplating my future. Every now and then a patrol car would go up past us to the house on the hill above. A cop lived up there with his family and as time went by we all got to know each other a bit better. He seemed to have everything I was looking for ; more time with his family each week, job satisfaction etc... Thats where it started I guess. Plus the fact that deep down I had always wanted to be a police officer. I had tried to apply in 1994 but at 19 was told that I needed to get some life experience. To be honest I think very few 19 year olds would be up to the challenge in terms of mental agility and toughness. Now I was 32 and had life experience coming out my ears.The cops were doing a recruiting drive at the time as well which helped, so that night I asked my wife if I could do it. I knew if I was successful it would be a huge challenge for her also to be alone for 5 months with 2 young boys ( that fight a lot ! ). She said if thats what I really wanted then to go for it. I booked in for a seminar the next day. That was in October 2007.