Colin Pain was born in New Zealand, and was raised on a sheep farm near Masterton. This explains why he likes mutton. After primary school in a one-teacher school at Ihuraua, taugh...view moreColin Pain was born in New Zealand, and was raised on a sheep farm near Masterton. This explains why he likes mutton. After primary school in a one-teacher school at Ihuraua, taught some of the time by his mum, he was sent to boarding school in Wanganui where he learnt enough to gain entry into the Department of Geography at the University of Auckland. His adventures in Papua New Guinea began after graduating with a MA from Auckland. Between 1969 and 1985 he spent upwards of 10 years in PNG, either living there or on research trips.
Following the events described in "Caution! When in Turbulence do not Pick Nose: Ups and Downs of a Kiwi in Papua New Guinea", Colin worked at the University of New South Wales, and at the Bureau of Mineral Resources, now Geoscience Australia, in Canberra. He also worked on consulting jobs in Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. While in Dubai he learnt to drive on the wrong (right) side of the road, a useful lesson that prepared him for retirement in a small Andalusian village in Spain. He currently lives in Spain, with the occasional lengthy stay in Australia. He occupies himself with editing and writing, and wonders where he found the time to work when he had a job.view less