The New Zealand Army territorial and corporal spent six months on deployment, working as a driver in the Sinai desert, and has recently returned to South Otago.
Mr Spackman (35) has been in the army for more than 12 years and works part time as a driver when he is not busy performing roading engineering tasks for the council.
He worked for the council for nearly two years before his overseas posting and returned to his role there in mid-July.
After being invited to nominate himself for the Sinai posting, Mr Spackman conducted some driving courses around the South Island before being accepted for the Egypt posting, which involved more pre-deploy-ment training in the North Island.
He and 14 other New Zealand soldiers making up the Kiwi delegation left on October 31 last year and, after finishing his assignment in mid-May, he took the chance to travel through Europe and the United States for two months.
Mr Spackman's contribution was part of New Zealand's fulfillment of its obligations, along with other nations, in an independent peace observation group monitoring the Egypt-Israel border and keeping a close eye on possible disruption.
The monitoring agreement was formed between key countries in the mid-1970s and New Zealand has played a role for more than 30 years.
It is not affiliated to the United Nations.
He joined the army as a chance to learn new skills away from "my desk job" and to meet new people.
His tour of duty in the Sinai lived up to that, he said.
Mr Spackman's role as a driver saw him delivering water and other supplies along observation points on the border between the two countries.
An engineer accustomed to smooth highways back in NZ, he said the roads there were totally different.
"They were definitely a lot rougher."
There was also the problem of dealing with regular blinding sandstorms, which made driving almost impossible at times, as well as trying to avoid undetonated landmines that may have drifted across the desert during high winds and sandstorms.
Aside from that clear and present danger, there was the other side to driving for hours in a desert, he said.
"You could drive for hours and just see sand. It got a bit monotonous at times."
Up at 5am most days, Mr Spackman would usually finish about 5pm, depending on the day's jobs.
One of his longest journeys in one day covered more than 620km.
Heading out of its winter, the area's temperatures could fall to freezing at night and climb into the 20s during the day.
Come summer and the mercury regularly passes the 40degC mark.
Mingling with the different cultures, travelling across borders and venturing into Israel, Jordan and Egypt were highlights of his time there and Mr Spackman is itching to return if the opportunity arises again.
"It is good to be back but I would love to go there again."
