Hair sacrificed for trip to Ice

RICHARD SIDEY

INTREPID TRAVELLER: Mark “Hap” Cameron of Richmond celebrates finally making it to Antarctica in December 2009.

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The continental drifter

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When Richmond man Mark "Hap" Cameron arrived back in New Zealand this week on his latest stopover from his world voyagings, he had something odd in his luggage: a package containing his old dreadlocks.

It is to do with the life challenge Mr Cameron set himself seven years ago and is now six-sevenths of the way through, to live and work on each of the world's seven continents before he turns 30 late next year.

His return to New Zealand and Nelson for a brief visit home follows the completion of the latest stage in his travels.

He has just added Antarctica to Australia, Asia, Europe, and North and South America on his list, but to get to the Ice demanded more perseverance than any other stage of his journey, and also some big sacrifices, including losing his dreadlocks.

After weeks of setbacks in his attempt to get work on the Ice, he finally secured a job in December as an assistant waiter on a six-star cruise ship sailing out of the Argentinian port town of Ushuaia.

Because he was dealing with recruitment staff in Europe, they requested a photo to make sure he was presentable for work on their super-luxury ship, meaning a quick trip to the hairdressers to lose his beloved dreadlocks.

"I remember going to the hairdresser guy and saying, `Cut these off and make me look like a six-star waiter – I may cry, but just keep cutting'," Mr Cameron said.

It worked and he spent December and January waiting on wealthy tourists, while also hitching a ride on their sight-seeing trips so he could add the Antarctic experience to his travelogue.

Despite his relief at getting the Ice out of the way, he admits it was no fun. The cruise ship was "hands down" the worst of 20 jobs he has done around the globe since starting on his continental challenge in April, 2003, much worse than working on the oil rigs in the frozen backblocks of Canada, mining in the baking West Australian desert, or working as a toilet attendant in a Canadian nightclub.

As for his lost hair, it wasn't just sentimentality that made him pack it up and bring it home to New Zealand.

Africa is the final continent on his list. He intends to tackle that next year after taking some time out to earn some money in Melbourne.

He recalls that when he first became a dreads-wearer, "someone said, `They'll love you in Africa with dreadlocks"'.

He might have had to part with them to get to the frozen continent, but he muses that maybe he can somehow reattach them before he goes to continent No7, to help charm his way into local hearts.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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