John Burgess is but one of many who either bears this name or has borne it. Names do not define who we really are. They are simply signposts and points of recognition.
Through a series of autobiographies, John has shared his life experiences offering insights into a time of immense change and freedom following World War II and well into the noughties. It is times of unprecedented change - a world where boundaries to travel and commerce were increasingly eroded and one where the spirit of adventure could thrive. Starting in rural New Zealand and following John’s travels through the Pacific, Asia, Europe, Canada and eventually settling in Australia, his experiences capture the wonders of a bygone era as well as the trials and tribulations of a career in the meat and livestock industry and their characters - the good, the great and … those from which a lesson or two could still be learned.
Life, Luck and Liaisons
John had the benefit of growing up in what may have been the best decades in history — the 50s and 60s. Although New Zealand was far away from the action during World War II, many of his parents’ generation had been part of the ANZAC troops in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific. Post war, there was a strong sense of freedom and anticipation in a young country with a fast-growing economy. He benefitted from growing up in this period of optimism; it was reflected in his schooling, his early days farming and later, his sailing adventures in the Pacific and Indonesian waters, as recounted in this book.
At the end of his first book, Life Luck and Liaisons, it was becoming apparent that sailing and travel were going to be essential ingredients of the life ahead. In his teens, he had travelled the length and breadth of his homeland, New Zealand. Aged eighteen, he had travelled with a friend to Australia, hitch-hiking from Sydney to Mossman, north of Cairns. He knew that his sailing and travel adventures to date would not be his last. The seed had been sown.
What’s The Story?
This second book is a series of travel stories. His time spent in London in the swinging sixties and yacht racing in the English Channel against some of the most competitive sailors in the world, and the contrast when settling in Sydney, further exploring the outback. There were excursions to fish for Barramundi in Kakadu and a camping trip with his son in the Kimberley. He travelled from Perth to Broome and on to Darwin as well as exploring Cairns to Cape York and Thursday Island.
In the nineties, a sailing holiday in the West Indies reunited him with his English friend from sailing days in the UK. However, the most challenging sailing experience came later, as crew on an Australian yacht, sailing from the Maldives to Egypt.
There were other travel experiences including driving around Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula at the time of the Chiapas uprising.
In John’s view, Cuba offers a travel experience not to be missed, although game safaris in Botswana, with a train ride through South Africa thrown in, would rank equally.
Life, Luck and Lessons Learned
Life, Luck and Lessons Learned is a poignant and humorous tale starting against the backdrop of rural New Zealand, where familial rivalries and cultural dynamics shape destinies. When a determined father buys a farm in the heart of Northland, little does he know where that will lead.
In time the son (John) becomes disillusioned with life on the farm and in 1965 he leaves the family farm to gain experience in international meat trading. He goes to work first in Liverpool, and then in London. In 1970 he emigrates to Montreal, Canada, where he becomes familiar with the intricacies of the North American meat trade. Those experiences lead to the establishment of his own meat trading company in Sydney in 1971. Eventually his company becomes one of the largest meat exporters in Australia.
The narrative weaves a tapestry of life's trials and triumphs, highlighting the bonds forged through hard work and shared experiences.
