From mic to mayoral chains?

For close to 13 years Southlanders woke up to Darren Ludlow’s voice on the radio, during his time at either the 4ZA or Foveaux Radio stations.

‘‘I’ve watched so many sunrises in this city and they are spectacular,’’ he says of years of early morning starts.

In the late 1980s, Ludlow was a radio disc jockey based in Timaru when he was offered an opportunity to move to Invercargill and take up a breakfast radio gig.

Close to 32 years on and Invercargill is now very much home for Ludlow – so much so that he wants to be the city’s mayor.

In 1998, then Invercargill City Council deputy mayor Mark Winter was boarding with Ludlow. During a conversation, Ludlow mentioned he had always thought about running for a seat on the council.

‘‘He said: ‘You should. Put your name forward,’ ’’ Ludlow said.

‘‘There were more than 40 people [who] stood for council that year and I polled six of 12 and there I was.’’

Ludlow, who was brought up in Balclutha, stepped into journalism straight out of school. He spent time at The Clutha Leader, Taieri Herald, and the Otago Daily Times.

As a journalist he covered local government politics and thought, ‘‘I could do that. These are just ordinary everyday people who were bringing their perspective.’’

Ludlow’s wife, Lyndal Ludlow, is herself a councillor with Environment Southland. He admits there are times when they have had to stop themselves from discussing certain topics around the dinner table.

‘‘To be honest we do have better things to talk about at home anyway,’’ he says.

Ludlow is Radio Southland’s station manager and he is involved in theatre and has a love of motorsport.

‘‘I grew up watching motorsport. Mum raced stock cars, and well. She was a multiple South Island champion. That’s how we first came to Invercargill – we were from Balclutha and would come to watch Mum.’’

Ludlow’s most enjoyable way to spend his downtime is with his two teenage sons, Wilson and Hugo.