How does working on a super yacht and living it up in the South of France sound?
That's exactly what 22 year old Mitch Textor is doing - living a life that many of us can only dream about.

Mitch is working on the Lady Christine, a ten year old 55m Feadship, docked in Cannes pending sale after its owner ‘upgraded' to a 68m version. At a mere 28 million Euro and accommodation for ten guests and ten crew, this super yacht is certainly a classy lady!
Living on board the boat, Mitch describes his job as 'pretty cruisey” especially as he and the rest of the crew are the only ones on board at the moment.
'The hours are 8am- 5pm, the job is stress-free and there's heaps of time to socialise before and after work,” says Mitch. 'Tax fee money, great meals and my washing is even done for me!” With the northern winter not far off, the boat and crew are about to set sail to Imperia on the coast of Italy where the weather is milder, and the docking substantially cheaper.
There aren't any plans for the boat from there, but Mitch isn't worried – he's happy to live it up wherever he is.
The big question then is how on earth did this energetic young man land this enviable job?
'I'd always wanted to travel but to work on boats overseas you need the STCW95 qualification. The Polytech course fitted perfectly – great location (beats the heck out of Auckland), price was good and the tutors were fantastic.”
After finishing his training Mitch packed his bags and set sail. 'Leaving NZ I travelled to Holland to see my family, then over to London. I heard the South of France had some great opportunities so I travelled to Cannes – and the rest as they say, is history!”
'Travelling has changed my life and given me a totally different outlook. It's made me appreciate the small things in life after seeing how some people live.”
The STCW95 programme is an international legal requirement for all people wishing to work on cruise ships, super yachts, oil rigs, merchant vessels and in the commercial maritime industry.
The programme runs regularly throughout the year. Contact Bay of Plenty Polytechnic for more information.