Morning radio's slice of Lemon

He's entertained Californians with his Kiwi accent, been helicoptered out of the Coast to Coast endurance race, and reckons Wanganui is, in DJ parlance, off the charts.
He's Phil Lemon, Classic Hits River City FM's new morning radio announcer.
Lemon, 37, is now waking up Wanganui with his favourite classics after a two-year stint at Scenicland FM on the West Coast.
A fitness buff - "I wouldn't call myself a fanatic" - he's been in broadcasting since leaving school aged 17. His launching pad was Hawke's Bay, before he took a punt on sharing California's airwaves at the ripe old age of 19.
He realised he was pushing his luck a bit, but what the heck?
Soon after arriving in LA, his luck was in. He spotted an advert offering work to broadcasters with special talents.
His special talent was his Kiwi accent. The station thought it sounded Australian, but Lemon wasn't about to argue the toss. He needed the job.
No more California dreamin' for him ...
For several months, Lemon kept his audience in Burbank, in the southern part of the state, amused with some comedic touches. And, of course, his Down Under dialect was a hit too.
His OE done, Lemon returned to his Hawke's Bay roots and radio.
Work was rewarding, but Lemon decided he needed to get out of the studio more. So six years ago he enlisted in the bone-crunching, energy-sapping Coast to Coast endurance race across the South Island.
He's taken up the challenge every year since, but has yet to finish.
One time, he mistook the height of a boulder and ended up being taken by helicopter to hospital with serious ligament damage and spent four months rehabilitating.
There was only one problem with his newfound love. It was proving too costly getting to the West Coast from the Hawke's Bay, so when the job came up at Scenicland, his CV was in like a shot.
Little wonder then that Wanganui's outdoorsy lifestyle suits Lemon down to the ground.
He says the city has topped his expectations.
"Down on the Coast, the two biggest things you'd hear about Wanganui were the gangs and Michael Laws," he said.
"But when I arrived in Wanganui I took a drive down the Avenue and I thought to myself, 'what a beautiful place'.
"It's got excellent sporting facilities. No wonder the Masters Games are held here."
Lemon has rented himself a place on Somme Pde, which he will share with his partner when she arrives next week. It's close to the river, where he'll apply his love for multisporting with a spot of kayaking when the weather allows.
In time, he plans to buy himself a home in the city. If he has his way, Wanganui will be getting a slice of this Lemon for some time.