Special feature: Digger Detailing

Kiwi entrepreneur Ryan Wallace spends most of the year running Digger Detailing before heading off to Antarctica for a very different adventure

Not one to turn a challenge down, Ryan set up his detailing enterprise after seeing an opportunity that a previous employer had alerted him to.

“I was working for a drainage company and the boss was looking for someone to clean one of the diggers up after a particularly messy job,” says Ryan. “It was difficult to locate anyone with the right equipment and who was prepared to deal with the mud, grease, and mess that some machines are in.”

After doing his research, Ryan went about setting himself up with a truck, hot-water cleaning unit, and the appropriate equipment to turn out the quality work he has now become known for.

The business operates throughout the Greater Auckland region, primarily from Silverdale through to Pokeno, although Ryan says he will look at jobs further afield if they make economic sense.

“I get excellent feedback on the work, and I’m sure it makes sense that customers’ equipment is well-presented for their clients and the general public, especially as each customer has their name splashed across their machinery,” Ryan says.

From Auckland to Antarctica

Another reason Ryan set up the detailing business was to sit alongside his other work, which is that of runway manager for a British tourism business based in South Africa. For the last eight seasons, between October and January, he has been part of a team that hosts tourists who want to spend a week on the ice or use it as a starting point for treks to the South Pole.

Ryan is among the first of a small crew that arrives early in the season and works with his team to establish a runway to allow larger aircraft to land.

“It’s a well-run operation, where we arrive in a DC-3 and establish a base camp,” says Ryan. “The first week is the hardest, as there are only rudimentary facilities and mostly cold food until everything gets established.”

The camp is positioned on the other side of the continent from New Zealand’s Scott Base and US-run McMurdo Station, being at a point where South Africa is the closest populated land mass for aircraft to reach.

While Ryan and his crew have to put up with some 17 hours flying in a propeller-driven DC-3 that has two stop-offs along the way for fuel, tourists have the luxury of a quicker five-and-half-hour journey in a modern jet with all the comforts one would expect these days.

“We have to fly in on a DC-3 because we don’t exactly know what will greet us when arriving,” Ryan says. “It can be a bit hair-raising at times.”

Once properly established, the camp houses 50 staff, with tourists adding to that number, although some are just day-trippers who are in and out the same day.

“Equipment to carry out the work to sort the runway is left onsite each year, so it can be a bit of work to get everything up and running again. At the end of each season, we cover and tape up all the windows and doors because the smallest gap will allow the cab to fill with snow.”

For readers wondering how someone gets into such an interesting gig, Ryan says he lucked into the job, thanks to his experience as a snow cat operator.

“I spent nine years at Mount Ruapehu in a number of different roles, including as a chef,” he says. “As I built up my contacts, I eventually found myself operating snow cats and that work followed me overseas to Canada and Japan.

“One day, a mate at Mount Ruapehu told me about the opportunity with the South African-based tourism company and as I felt that I had the necessary skill base they required, went ahead and applied for the position.”

A lengthy process followed, as the person selected is part of a tight team that’s able to work in some formidable conditions.

Ryan adds, “This type of lifestyle is not for everyone, but it allows me to run my digger detailing business for a large part of the year and allows me to get onto the ice and carry out a job that I find fulfilling.”

For more details, contact Ryan at at ryan@diggerdetailing.co.nz or 021 0402 447

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