DOC stalwart plans to ride off into the sunset

Kaitaia Operations Manager DJ Neho and Alan Macrae doing their best meerkat impersonation. Photo/Supplied

Alan Macrae will always hold a place in Department of Conservation history in Kaitaia.

Born and bred in the town — he used to catch the bus to Kaitaia Primary School outside Des Brent's shop in North Road, now Bell's Produce — he was Kaitaia's first DOC employee. And after 30 years, he's about to retire.

In September 1987, the keen motorcyclist landed his role as the first (and only) employee in Kaitaia for the newly formed Department of Conservation.

"For the first six months, until Bruce Waddell arrived as manager, it was like being self-employed," he says.

His duties included attending whale strandings, firefighting, construction, track work and camps. It was a job for a Jack of all trades, and a great job in a town without a lot of options in the post-Rogernomics era. Younger brother William followed him into DOC in the 1990s.

The Macrae brothers soon grew a reputation as a reliable and versatile duo. Alan reckons they each had their own strengths, and knew each other's. Both headstrong.

"We had the odd argument, but always got over it."

Where William's precise work took him down a career path in construction, and all-round MacGyver, Alan developed a keen interest in historic heritage.

He's proud of the historic Mangonui courthouse.

"It was the first model of community collaboration up here. The arts collective maintains the building through a service agreement, and sells local art and crafts. This means the public get to enjoy the building, and it's safeguarded and well cared for," he says.

Another source of pride is restoration of the lighthouse on the Motuopao Island nature reserve, site of the first Cape Reinga lighthouse, which took two years.

But when it came to firefighting, the Macrae brothers were standouts, regularly tag teaming as fire operations managers.

It was the emergency work — whale strandings and fires — where DOC's 'whanau' connection really came through.

"The sense of team, where everyone is helping each other. That's the reason I stayed in this job. It's the people."

Tragically, William died in a helicopter crash in 2011, while diverted to rescue people who sought refuge in the sea during a blaze on the Karikari Peninsula. The loss of his brother motivated Alan to deepen his work as a fire fighter trainer, of which he is proudest after his 30-year career.

"Being able to give people the skills to keep themselves safe is my motivation," he says. One protégé, Rory Renwick, is a principle rural fire officer.

Alan describes his time with DOC as fulfilling, interesting and challenging, enabling him to go to places most New Zealanders never get to experience, like Motuopao and Manawatawhi, part of the Three Kings group, and to learn about the history and heritage of the Far North.

The people he met and worked alongside are his most cherished memories.

"Most of the work you do is unseen to a lot of people — it's not so much the structures, things we build, that matter. It's the people and the impression we make. That's the legacy."

Alan isn't about to put his feet up. He'll keep his hand in on a few historic projects, and as a firefighter trainer. He'll also have more time for trips on his BMW 800 GT motorbike with partner Theresa, fishing, working in their vineyard, and enjoying the company of daughter Arahia, their son Manu and daughter-in-law Tania, and their three grandchildren. Overseas travel and working on the family farm are other passions.

And as he prepares to swap his DOC uniform for riding leathers, his colleagues have thanked him for his service to the Far North, for his support of the Kaitaia DOC team, and his continued commitment to the community.