We are continuing our ‘Five minutes with…’ summer series, where we slow the pace down to celebrate some of the people who make our district tick.

We’ve put the same five questions to a range of residents to find out a bit more about who they are and get their unique take on life in our region.

Today, we catch up with Bill May, a co-host at the Crow’s Nest Accommodation. Whether he's recording data at the Oturehua weather station (rain or shine), running movies at the local hall, or volunteering with Lions, Bill is a local fixture always ready to lend a hand.

1. What was one of your very first jobs, and what did it teach you?

Bill: The first paid job I had was as a research engineer, and one of the first jobs was to measure spray drift from an agrichemical spray event onto an ‘outdoor society’ proposed area for a recreation facility.

As their policy was a ‘no clothes’ policy, it taught me to look directly into the person’s eyes when interviewing them!

2. When the holiday crowds arrive, where is your secret spot to escape the heat?

Bill: Walking around the Idaburn stream with my dog, aiming to have a coffee at Hannah’s Café, sharing the marshmallows that come with my coffee with the dog!

3. It’s peak stone fruit season: Cherries, apricots, peaches or nectarines - you can only pick one. Which is it and what's your favourite way to eat it?

Bill: It’s sliced peaches. They come in a tin from god knows where and go well on my toasted muesli!

4. What is a hidden talent or weird party trick that nobody expects from you?

Bill: Along with playing a snare drum in a pipe band (which most people are aware of), I play the spoons, bones and bodhran.

5. Complete this sentence: "You know you’re a local in Central Otago when..."

Bill: You can trace your Central Otago ancestry back two generations, and/or have lived in the region for at least 40 years. It helps if you know the lineage of older locals in the area!