John Anderson - Only Two Seats Left: the Incredible Contiki Story

First edition copyright John Anderson 2010

www.onlytwoseatsleft.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of the book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.

A CIP catalogue of this book is available from the National Library of Australia.

ISBN: 978-0-646-51588-5

ISBN: 9781483547404

Published by The Great Gathering Company (Pty) Ltd

Front cover photo by Loungepark/Taxi/Getty Images

Designed and Typeset by Sharyn Raggett

Project managed by Messenger Publishing

www.messengerpublishing.com.au

DEDICATION

T o my wonderful wife Ali, our amazing children Susie, Peter, James and Sarah, and to those dedicated people who created a unique product and an iconic brand, which to date has had a profound effect on the lives of over two million young people.

John Anderson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BEFORE WE START

This is a story that has to be told.

Only Two Seats Left is a story about a group of young people who believed in an idea, believed in themselves and took on the world. Together they created a unique product and the iconic international brand name Contiki.

As the founder of Contiki, I want to take you on a journey through this incredible story. I hope you will be entertained, learn from our successes and failures but, above all, be inspired!

When I first arrived in London back in 1962 at the age of 23 I had no idea what lay ahead. Now, some 49 years later, I can look back on my life and reflect. It is only now I really understand and realise what was achieved.

My motivation for writing this book was to record the story for the benefit of those pioneering staff and passengers so they could know what the company went on to achieve, for those who have subsequently been involved in Contiki, both staff and passengers, and for those in the future. Above all I have written it for those who are already in business or are contemplating taking that first brave step into the unknown, and starting their own.

I have endeavoured to be as factually correct as possible. However, on occasions, I had to resort to a little poetic licence to get me through the odd situation or period. I began by wanting to acknowledge the key names of everyone involved but, since there turned out to be so many, I reluctantly decided only a few could be included. For the most part, those included are not acknowledged in reference to their relative importance, merely at junctions where the story required a name. Im sure those not named will know who they are.

Finally, I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this book and the patience of Ali, my wife. Its been a long journey for me to complete this story but I believe all the effort will be worthwhile. Hopefully when you get to the last page, you will say to yourself, Wow! What a story, what an incredible story Im so inspired!

Enjoy the ride

1. 'MUMMY'S BOY'

I was born a Scorpio in Wellington, New Zealand on 18 November 1938. My father was a dentist, my mother was a housewife. So begins my story.

When I arrived my mother became completely besotted. All mothers do, perhaps, with their first-born, but mine transferred all her love to me. My father stayed just five short years before he left. He went on to marry his dental nurse, an English lady who had already been married twice and had two daughters, one from each marriage. I inherited two stepsisters.

My father left Wellington and set up a new dental practice in Newmarket, Auckland. Fortunately my parents maintained a good relationship and I was able to visit him and his new-found family a couple of times a year. When I was about 14, he sold his Auckland practice, moved to London and started up a new dental practice in Kensington High Street.

I wrote regularly but my father responded intermittently. Like many fathers he wasnt a good letter writer. However, I still have in my possession a couple of letters he did write which I treasure to this day. In one, he sent me a pencilled portrait a patient had drawn of him. It still sits on a shelf beside my desk where he watches over me every day.

My mother remarried a few years later. My new stepfather was a shirt salesman. Together they adopted a daughter, so I now had two stepsisters and a half sister. A few years later, greener pastures beckoned, and my stepfather left my mother. He married a woman from the next street. My mother didnt venture into another marriage after the second one failed.

Throughout my life Ive deeply regretted not having my father with me during my childhood. Yes, I visited him during the school holidays, but it wasnt the same. My mother continued to heap all her love on me, making most of my decisions on my behalf. This carried on until I was a young adult. When I left school to start work, she laid out the clothes I was to wear the next day, even to the point of selecting my tie!

I never had a hands-on dad, and missed out on that special relationship a son can have with his father. It was always my mother on the sidelines of the rugby match, standing alongside all the other kids dads. I also missed the important opportunity to learn from him about how to be a father. When I eventually had my own children I didnt have an example to draw on. Children need a father to grow with them to learn these things. When that time came for me, I made them up as I went along.

My letters to my father in England didnt boast of great marks, unless a prize for most improved boy in the class qualifies! I attended Scots College in Wellington, a private boys school. At the age of 16, a burst appendix, perforated bowel and further complications landed me in hospital for six months. I missed a year of school, which didnt help my marks when I finally returned.

To obtain a leaving School Certificate we were examined in five subjects (English was compulsory). I chose geography, general science, maths and commercial practice. The total possible score was 400. The pass mark was 200. I scraped through with 206! My best subject was commercial practice I loved it.

My academic achievements at school were always modest, to say the least. I was in the B class and always very conscious that the boys in the A class looked down on us. Looking back, I think there were benefits to being a B student because my classmates and I had to try that much harder. Throughout my business career I have met lots of extremely successful people, many of whom, like me, started life in the B and lower streams.

I didnt shine on the sporting front either. Im sure I was considered a wet by the other boys as I always had a note from mummy excusing me from anything too demanding because I was a mild asthmatic. Anything more than the 75-yard dash and Id end up in a wheezing heap on the ground! Cross-country runs were out and I never mastered the ability to jump a hurdle without getting tangled up in it. I was a hopeless swimmer, managing only widths at a time. I did, however, enjoy gymnastics and since I had the advantage of being very light for my age, I did a little boxing. I also had a turn at rugby and later, hockey.