At 81, Meg Collins has done more than most – and now she’s sharing her remarkable journey in soon-to-be released memoir, I Can Do Anything: Reflections on My Time at the University of Life.

Collins’ life has been anything but ordinary. From working in male-dominated industries to travelling widely and championing conservation causes, her new book captures decades of experiences, challenges and achievements.

“Well, in my life I have had over 50 jobs,” she said.

“Many years ago, I thought it would be nice to write about some of these roles because some of them were quite trailblazing for women at the time.

“Most of the jobs I had were in male fields.”

What began as a reflection on her working life soon became more personal.

“It really turned into a memoir of the last 20 years, from when we retired,” she said.

“It covers a lot of the things I’ve been involved with, mainly conservation.”

Known as a straight talker, intelligent and with a sharp sense of humour, Collins’ personality shines through the pages.

Filmmaker Kim Webby notes on the back cover that “her tales as an au pair in France are uncensored”.

From politics and activism to events management, farming and sales, she has done them all.

The most influential role in her life came early on when she worked as an assistant to the chief executive of the New Zealand Ballet in 1969.

“I knew nothing about ballet,” she laughed.

“But I learned how to run events, write press releases, do radio interviews and organise just about anything.”

Her role involved travelling the country ahead of touring performances, ensuring everything was in place, from venues and advertising to accommodation and transport.

“I’d go out two weeks before the ballet arrived and double-check everything. I travelled all over New Zealand doing that,” she said.

The experience sparked a lifelong passion for the arts, but not every job was fulfilling.

Her worst?

“I was employed as a barmaid in a small pub in Bundaberg, Queensland, in 1969,” she said.

At the end of the day the manager told her, ‘Sorry dearie, you’re not cut out to be a barmaid.”

“I thought I was doing quite well but I wasn’t rough enough.”

In more recent decades, Collins has become well known for her conservation work in the Eastern Bay, particularly her bird monitoring efforts.

Her interest began in Rotorua, where she and her husband Mike owned a small farm.

“We joined Forest and Bird. That really started my awareness of conservation and what was going wrong with the planet,” she said.

After moving to the Eastern Bay of Plenty 36 years ago, she continued that work, becoming a familiar and respected voice in environmental circles.

She has also served six years as a Bay of Plenty Regional councillor, led several organisations, and was among the founders of the Green Party about 30 years ago.

Collins said the book was written with a very personal audience in mind.

“It’s mainly for my grandchildren,” she said.

Living in different towns, she has not been able to spend as much time with them as she would have liked.

Written over five years, Collins has self-published this book, with printing done through Mann Print in Whakatāne.

The wider community is invited to share her story at the book’s launch.

The launch of I Can Do Anything will be held at Ōpōtiki Library at 4pm on Tuesday, April 28.

Profits from the book will be donated to the Eastern Bay Community Foundation.

Copies are available for $25 from Bex’s Hair Salon, 18C King Street, or by contacting Meg Collins directly on 022 173 3061 or [email protected]

Book Giveaway
■ The Ōpōtiki News is giving away a copy of Meg Collins’ book, I can do Anything.
Email [email protected] for a chance to win a copy. Entries close on Tuesday, April 28 at noon.