Queenstown’s changed an awful lot over the past 30 years. One of the few constants has been the dulcet tones of Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson
on local radio. He tells PHILIP CHANDLER how he got on the air, despite no experience, and reveals what he can’t say ‘no’ to
A Queenstowner’s rightly being lauded this month for a stellar 30-year career on local radio.
Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson, however, is even better known for his life outside the studio, where he’s tried to make a difference — MC’ing community events and as a long-time councillor, having just been been re-elected for a fourth term.
But it’s his passion for sport that first got him on air, which in turn ignited his community involvement.
Raised in Hamilton, he played rugby for New Zealand Colts and then, after moving to Hawkes Bay to get rep experience, for the Junior All Blacks.
‘‘My claim to fame was I kept [future All Blacks captain] Jock Hobbs out of age-group rugby, and, of course, when I got injured he came on and went onto bigger and better things.’’
After visiting Queenstown for a ski holiday in ’87, he and his then-new wife Jo Tickner came for the next winter before then intending to travel overseas.
After five weeks on the dole, Ferg became a Coronet Peak liftie and also worked as a Skyline wine waiter to make ends meet.
He then worked as a tour driver for several years.
As the Wakatipu Premiers rugby side’s captain, he’d often be interviewed for a sports show on local radio station Q92FM.
Station boss Chas Drader approached him and said, ‘you want to be a bus driver all your life?’
‘‘I said ‘not really’, he said, ‘well, if this station takes off, I’ll offer you a fulltime job’.’’
Ferg had already heard Drader’s velvet voice when the latter had worked in Hamilton and Napier.
He says Drader was a wonderful mentor — ‘‘he said a lot of things by saying nothing’’ — but he also learnt from fellow broadcasters Andrew Patterson and funny-man Grant Stewart.
Through the station, Ferg says he also learnt a lot about the community.
‘‘I don’t think I’d have been in local government for the time I have if I hadn’t been involved with Q92FM, because it was a really-entrenched community radio station that wanted to be everywhere, doing everything.’’
He quickly became a breakfast co-host, but also got involved in MC’ing community fundraisers and the like.
Through his two daughters, he also got onto kindergarten and school committees.
A special role was as founding trustee (and now chairman) of the Bruce Grant Youth Trust, named after a local climber who died in ’95 after summiting the Himalayas’ K2.
‘‘When groups asked me, ‘can you be our MC, can you help us raise money’, I always said ‘yes’.’’
Between 4.30am starts and evening gigs, he accepts it was tough on his family — ‘‘a lot of people didn’t know Jo was my wife’’.
Though they both had Q92FM shares, Ferg says by 2004 ‘‘it just became obvious it was getting time to go’’.
Out of the blue, broadcaster Jamie Mackay suggested he join Classic Hits (now The Hits), which was coming to Queenstown.
After four months’ gardening leave he joined the station and, apart from a ‘‘mind-numbing’’ daytime shift at one stage, he’s been breakfast host ever since.
He’s also done a Saturday sports show for sister station Newstalk ZB.
Ferg first stood for council in 2013, frustrated the sport and recreation sector wasn’t getting a hearing.
‘‘Once you get in, you realise you’ve got to be across everything.’’
He’s also encouraged more Queenstown-based councillors to get over to Wānaka, as he’s done.
He says he only stood again this time as so many other councillors were standing down.
In recent times he’s also picked up paying MC gigs for events like the Gibbston summer concerts, Rural Games and Coast to Coast — ‘‘I had always been a bit reluctant to charge’’.
He’s critical of some MCs who seem to do it to boost their egos — ‘‘it’s never been about me’’.
Ferg, 64, says after all this time on radio he critiques his performances ‘‘pretty severely’’.
‘‘I’m not a funny jock, I’m just trying to drive a rock-solid local show people would enjoy, keeping them up to date with stuff and then every now and again giving them a laugh.’’
Speaking of which, he’s limbering up again for the Remarkable Men’s Ballet Christmas show performances.
‘‘My dancing career’s a bit limited now as I’ve got a dodgy old left knee from rugby days.’’
