Rotorua single dad celebrates 16th Father's Day with his 'best mate'

At age 35, Rotorua dad Nick Scanlon will be celebrating his 16th Father's Day tomorrow.

His son Damien was a mere 2-weeks-old when Scanlon, aged 20, celebrated his first.

And although relatively young when he became a father, this dad says he wouldn't change a thing.

"My son is the best thing that has even happened to me," Scanlon told the Rotorua Daily Post in the build-up to Father's Day. "He changed my life for the better in so many ways.

"When I became a dad it was still all about me. My son taught me to think about others, he taught me to grow up, he taught me what responsibility was all about, ultimately he taught me to be a better human being."

Scanlon said he thought of his now 15-year-old as a best mate as much as a son.

"We've definitely grown up together. And while he's been my fishing and hunting buddy for as long as I can remember, now we're doing heaps of other awesome stuff like I'm teaching him to drive a manual car."

As a single dad of one, Scanlon has done a large part of the parenting, along with help from Damien's grandparents.

Come Sunday, he says there is nothing special planned.

"He's 15," Scanlon laughed. "He'll probably be doing his stuff and I'll be doing mine. But just spending the day together, enjoying each other's company – that's enough.

"I couldn't ask for a better way to spend Father's Day."