Bill Wheeler is swapping his "family" at the Department of Conservation (Doc) for the challenge of developing a new all-terrain park in the Bay of Plenty.
Mr Wheeler, who has been Doc's Coastal Otago visitor assets programme manager and compliance team leader for the past 10 years, leaves the job at the end of May.
"They've been my family for the past 10 years but you've got to keep fresh and this is an opportunity to try something different," he said.
His new job is operations manager for the Western Bay of Plenty District Council's new Tect All Terrain Park - a 1650ha pine forest and native bush park 29km from Tauranga.
"It's fairly unique and the aim is to be a centre of excellence."
His new job would involve working with the user groups who were developing facilities such as a motocross park, rifle and pistol ranges and a drag strip.
"It's got a long way to go. It's pretty cool and exciting."
Mr Wheeler came to New Zealand from the United Kingdom 12 years ago and first worked for Doc on the West Coast before moving to Dunedin.
The move was not motivated by the reviews Doc had undergone in the past few years, he said.
It was more about it being the right time, he was ready for a change and his daughter was approaching secondary school age.
