Pride of NZ: Digger serves up life lessons

Alistair McIntyre has been nominated in the Pride of New Zealand Awards for Community Spirit. Photo / John Stone

He's commonly known as Mr Mac or Doug the Digger and he has recently been nominated in the Pride of New Zealand Awards.

Alistair McIntyre can be found reading to children in schools across New Zealand, giving them rides in his digger named Kerri Ann, volunteering his time to help Special Olympics Whangarei and giving high school students a taste of the trucking industry. It is these things that have seen him nominated for the Community Spirit Award in the Pride of NZ Awards.

"It's my love and passion. When I was 5 or 6 years old, I used to go to work with Dad, who was a civil engineer. I used to go for rides on his truck and was taught to listen, look and learn, and from then on I decided that was the career path I was going to take."

Mr McIntyre left school when he was 15 and, by 17, he owned two businesses " one doing contract work and the second operating a refrigerated truck. But a serious accident restricted the work he was able to do.

"When I was 25, my arm was crushed between a building and a truck and that was a huge turning point in my life."

Mr McIntyre said he loved his work too much to let it go. At the age 35, he dreamed he had written a book and he wrote down some scribbles to start a children's book, Doug the Digger, and went back to school at the age of 37.

"It was to learn the simple stuff like my ABCs and how to read and write. Then I finished writing Doug the Digger."

Mr McIntyre said it was then he realised the importance of education. Now he tours schools across New Zealand with his book and teaches students the importance of learning to read and write. He is also one of the Duffy Books in Homes role models.

"I've been to schools as far as Te Hapua right down to the Bluff. I just love doing it and, for me, it's a way I can heal myself," he said.

Along with touring schools, he also travels to field days around the country with Kerri Ann the digger, where he teaches kids health and safety lessons while they play on the digger. Mr McIntyre is also involved in a programme where high school students undergo industry standard drug testing and go into companies like Fulton Hogan and learn "hands-on" about the industry.

Away from the trucks, the diggers and the books, he is also a patron of Whangarei Special Olympics, where he is actively involved in trainings.

Mr McIntyre said it felt "nice" to be acknowledged.

-Nominations can be made until June 14 at www.prideofnzawards.co.nz.