Ian Herbert: History and current status
To many of his friends, Ian Herbert is an enigma - not everything is as it seems. He enjoys creativity, work and adventure and is often described as being a multi-faceted individual.

Ian Herbert was born in 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand. At an early age his family moved to Mount Maunganui where he spent his secondary education at Mount Maunganui College.

In his final year at school he flourished at Calculus, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology but failed Art.  His friends were surprised that Ian did not turn his back on art, and quite possibly made him more eager to succeed.

His next stop was Massey University, Palmerston North.  Rather than study art and film professionally, Ian studied Economics and Environmental Planning, as well as learning how to

drink beer out of a gumboot (this is actually true), a classic requirement for anyone who had friends studying agriculture science. 

After completing his BA in 1993, he went on to complete a Masters of Business Administration (with distinctions) and a post graduate diploma of Business Studies. 

After finishing University, Ian was employed as a

Corporate Analyst working in the big smoke (Taumaranui, a town of 5000 people).

During the weekends he tutored a voluntary art programme for local children and painted the ‘Seventh Seagull’ and ‘Meet the Pubes’. It was at this time Ian bought his first video camera. He made ‘Dead and Berried’, a short film very loosely based on a true story about a group of youths hooked on smoking blackberries.

Ian has worked as a Project Manager on the London Underground for over six years, as well as property investment.

Adventures include a three month truck safari through Africa, chilling on the jungle beaches of Jamaica, and hitching a ride through the Australian outback with a surf board. More recently, a four month trip through South America provided the opportunity to experience the Andes to the Amazon.

He is also involved in environmental programmes aimed at conserving natural ecosystems and hopes to pursue this further through both his work and art. This is his other deep passion.

Ian spends Christmas in New Zealand every year where he spends time with his family and friends.

On the beer gut mitigation front, Ian has managed to complete the London Triathlon four times now. Back in New Zealand, every year he competes in the ‘Around Mount Maunganui 4km swim’ and surfs when the waves are up, not to mention his love of snowboarding, particularly in Canada, Europe and New Zealand.

Click here to see the most recent places Ian has visited…
...and here for the earlier trips