Originally from South Africa, he grew up in a very academic family. This might explain why he has three University degrees in philosophy, public relations and trauma and family counselling. For 25 years he was a professional public speaker, sharing much of his knowledge learnt through his academic career. In his spare time, he enjoys creating fine art paintings, which were sold in exhibitions across South Africa and later in Tasmania.
Jan moved to Tasmania in 2016 and instantly fell in love with its beauty, food and wine. He knew it was a magical place and for the last couple of years operated a wedding photography business. At the start of 2019, he wanted to delve deeper into sharing what he is passionate about... stories!
Stories have always been a massive part of Jan’s life. It is the way he perceives his world and engages with other people. Whilst he was studying counselling he focused on narrative counselling where he learnt the value of healing through storytelling. It is known you may forget a smell or even how great something tasted over time but good and engaging stories stay with you for life. Quite often we find ourselves telling friends and family these stories of our experiences, as we want to take them on the journey as well.
His passion for storytelling, good food and wine, brought him to opening a tour business on the iconic Tamar Valley. Tamar Valley Food and Wine tours opening in late 2019, shares the stories of the region whilst enjoying mouth-watering food and wine. It was a way to combine a number of things he loves and a way to meet new people - another thing he really enjoys, as everyone has a story to tell.
