As you can see, I’ve been swotting up on my Maori. This is about getting ready and being prepared or something.

After three and a bit years, I leave Absolute Radio at the end of this week to go and work at The Radio Bureau in New Zealand.

I’ve got some learning to do. This was the bloke who told his eldest daughter Millie that she would be able to see koalas and kangaroos in New Zealand.

Amanda and I have always wanted to experience living there and I didn’t want to stop working in radio. Could this work out any better?

It has been an amazing three years in which I’ve learnt an enormous amount about radio, media and people.

Some bright spark once said that a business is only as good as the people that work for it and I’m convinced that this was written about this place – I have never worked at an organisation where the staff are as dedicated, talented, creative and aware of the common goal as much as Absolute Radio.

Radio truly is a pretty friendly place to work, not just within the UK, but globally. Having read through several Radio Bureau documents, there are plenty of references to radio studies conducted though out the world.

In this spirit, I’ll be keeping you up to date with what’s happening at Coast, Fresh FM, Kia Ora Te Le Rere and Millie’s quest for koala bears of course!

Thank you to everyone at One Golden Square for making my time here a lot of fun!

Good luck taking Absolute forward.

Alan