Kia ora tātou, my name is Adam Cairns. I was born and raised on a dairy farm in Te Awamutu in the mighty Waikato and worked on dairy farms when I left school.

After a few years I joined the navy as a signalman and was eventually posted to the frigate HMNZS Wellington, travelling through the South Pacific and Asia playing war games with other nations. When I returned I decided to follow my love of writing into journalism. I worked for the Waikato Times before moving to the Sunday Star-Times, first as a journalist and then as a sub-editor and Stuff website editor.

After many years in the news industry I wanted to share my love of writing and inspire young people to write, so I went back to university to study to be a primary school teacher. I have been teaching for six years now and feel eternally grateful to join the amazing OJC whanau. Teaching literacy to our future wordsmiths is my dream job, and as an avid sports fan I am also loving the opportunity to coach school sports teams.

I currently live just over the hill in beautiful Beachlands where I love to mountain-bike and swim with my beautiful 10-year-old daughter Charlotte. After a few years I joined the navy as a signalman and was eventually posted to the frigate HMNZS Wellington, travelling through the South Pacific and Asia playing war games with other nations. When I returned I decided to follow my love of writing into journalism. I worked for the Waikato Times before moving to the Sunday Star-Times, first as a journalist and then as a sub-editor and Stuff website editor.

After many years in the news industry I wanted to share my love of writing and inspire young people to write, so I went back to university to study to be a primary school teacher. I have been teaching for six years now and feel eternally grateful to join the amazing OJC whanau. Teaching literacy to our future wordsmiths is my dream job, and as an avid sports fan I am also loving the opportunity to coach school sports teams.

I currently live just over the hill in beautiful Beachlands where I love to mountain-bike and swim with my beautiful 10-year-old daughter Charlotte.