Take a wild animal (red
deer) in plague numbers, spread them across
a remote and rugged terrain, throw in
helicopters hell–bent on shooting or
recovering them live, then add a daring
pilot called Tim Wallis — these are the
ingredients of a whirlwind adventure story.
This is Tim's story.
It's about the way he built a career and a
multi–million–dollar business out of a
weekend hobby, deer–stalking. It's about how
he used helicopters where they'd never been
before, and about exploring new frontiers in
New Zealand and other parts of the world.
Tim — Sir Tim at formal occasions — is a
pioneer of the deer industry in New Zealand
and that passion has taken him from Canada
to Vanuatu and even Siberia.
Since the mid–1980s he
has ventured into tourism and vintage
warplanes. He's collected Second World War
fighter aircraft from around the world and
every two years the planes can be seen in
action at Warbirds Over Wanaka, an event Tim
Wallis founded in 1988.
Tim has had quite a few
accidents in his time; when he was 30 his
helicopter hit power lines and crashed. He
was told he may never walk again. But he
did. In 1996 he crashed a Spitfire and
suffered shocking head injuries. This time
the doctors said he might not live. But he
did.
Tim's a survivor. He has
a rare kind of fighting spirit, drive and
courage. In New Zealand, where heroes are
mostly found in sport, he's legendary.
An action-packed and
inspirational story for young New
Zealanders.
