A familiar face in the Highlands, Craig will celebrate 25 years with the NRMA in November.

He first became an apprentice at the NRMA with the Wheeler family in 1991 when it was located behind Bowral Primary School.

Since then he has been based predominantly in the Highlands.

As a child Craig used to tag along with his uncle, an NRMA patrolman, which was a big influence in his career choice.

While he loves cars, it is the people he has met over the past 25 years that has sustained Craig’s enthusiasm for the job.

“At the end of the day, I get to help people. I love being a part of the community,” he said.

“It’s nice to think you’re a valued member of the community and that people still depend on you.”

While most people would imagine the life of a patrolman to be a somewhat mundane one, Craig said the variety was the most exciting part of the job.

Twice he has had to lift dead bodies out of the back of a coroners’ vehicles that have broken down.

‘You get all sorts of strange jobs. I’ve had jobs that I go to where I’m greeted by the butler in a big mansion somewhere.”

From brides and grooms on the way to their wedding to students on the way to a HSC exam or people travelling to the airport or a funeral, Craig has seen it all.

“I remember years ago, one of the funniest jobs I ever had was on Kirkham Road. The car was parked and the lady was standing next to it and it was pouring with rain.

“She’d locked her keys in the car and her dress was locked in the car so she couldn’t get away.”

Craig has twice been named Best NRMA Patrolman in NSW and has been runner up on three occasions.

When he first began his career with the NRMA, Craig never expected he would still be with the same company a quarter of a century later.

“Twenty-five years is a long time jump starting and breaking into people’s cars,” he laughed.