Born in Scotland in 1965, Darroch Donald has three major passions in life - wildlife, photography and travel.
After gaining a diploma in wildlife illustration and photography in Wales in 1986, Darroch took up the position of assistant manager at a purpose-built wildlife rehabilitation centre in Scotland. This unusual work provided numerous unique photo opportunities and took him to many far away places, including Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War Eco-disaster in 1991 and eventually, to New Zealand, where he emigrated in 1992.
In New Zealand he acted as an oiled wildlife consultant to the government, and in 1996 published his first book 'Creatures' - an entertaining account of his wildlife encounters, using the unusual combination of all three disciplines of writing, art and photography.
Darroch became a New Zealand citizen in 1997. Since 2000 he has worked as a travel writer and photographer for Footprint Books - one of the principal international travel guide publishers based in the UK. He completed a solo travel guide to New Zealand in 2001 and has also written and contributed to four other titles on Australia.
All these biannually re-editioned titles need constant up dating resulting in a very peripatetic and logistically challenging lifestyle on both sides of the Tasman. Indeed, regarding that subject he says: 'When asked where I live I can only offer a vague description of a thousand places; motor parks and campsites particularly in the wilder regions of New Zealand or Australia, with a jalopy, plenty of porridge, a well-worn bag of well-worn camera gear and very little else.
Darroch has also contributed both words and images to numerous magazines in both the UK and New Zealand.
