Nicole Vaughan
December 3, 2023

Dan heads to Aotearoa, NZ

Spatial Media’s Dan Cain will be turning his G’days into Kia oras as he heads home to New Zealand, after almost 20- years of travel supporting projects in the UK, Australia and more.

Spatial Media’s Dan Cain will be turning his G’days into Kia oras as he heads home to New Zealand, after almost 20- years of travel supporting projects in the UK, Australia and more. But don’t worry, Aussie friends, Dan will still be racking up the air miles crossing the ditch as he leads our Australian team and spearheads our growth in NZ.

We recently sat down with Dan to chat about his roots in New Zealand after nearly two decades abroad. Dan shared his enthusiasm for the move, the projects he's looking forward to, and how he plans to contribute to New Zealand's development through his role at Spatial Media.

What excites you most about moving back to New Zealand after so many years?

Dan Cain: It's a mix of personal and professional excitement. Personally, after almost 20 years, I'm returning home with a wealth of experiences. I left New Zealand with just a backpack and a board bag, and now I'm coming back with a family and a treasure trove of memories. Professionally, I'm thrilled to contribute to the New Zealand community, leveraging the flexibility and support Spatial Media provides. The outdoor lifestyle, particularly mountain biking and snowboarding, is something I'm eagerly anticipating.

How do you plan to support New Zealand's projects and clients?

Dan Cain: New Zealand is not just a place I'm returning to; it's my home. I'm deeply invested in supporting projects that will enhance our communities, benefiting future generations, including my own kids. My physical presence in New Zealand will allow for better accessibility to clients and projects. I'm also excited to introduce some of the innovative digital solutions we've developed in Australia to the New Zealand market.

Are there any specific projects in New Zealand that you're particularly excited about?

Dan Cain: Absolutely! I have a passion for airports, so seeing the Auckland and Christchurch Airport masterplans come to life is thrilling. My background in environmental engineering has always drawn me to renewable energy projects. I'm looking forward to seeing the development of offshore wind projects and the new mega hydro scheme in New Zealand. Additionally, having experienced Melbourne's efficient public transport system, I'm eager to see similar advancements, like light rail and airport rail connections, materialise in Auckland.

Dan's journey is a testament to the dynamic nature of global careers and our approach at Spatial Media to support our team, wherever they want to live and work. Stay tuned as we follow Dan's journey and the exciting developments he brings to Spatial Media and New Zealand.

If Dan’s story has made you think about your career and the opportunities to be part of our team, visit, https://spatialmedia.io/careers to learn more.

from our clients

Spatial are my go-to for solutions

Spatial are my go-to for solutions nobody has dreamt up yet! They have an incredible knack for combining tomorrows tech solutions with creativity, intuitive UX and analytics. The results are engaging interfaces that are impactful and ultimately bridge the gap between project and stakeholders.
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Kate kernaghan, company director, factotum communications

I would highly recommend Spatial Media to any organisation.

I have worked with Spatial Media on a number of design development and master planning activities. Using Spatial Media’s 3D rapid-option testing capability, we were able to visualise multiple scenarios, leading to viable concepts and in turn to well integrated detailed designs. The team is a pleasure to work with and with their ideas generation approach to challenge and confirm client requirements, they offer significant benefits at all project stages. I would highly recommend Spatial Media to any organisation seeking to improve design development, decision-making, and stakeholder confidence across complex projects.
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John Dyer, Director Engineering, Moree Airport

A very straightforward and fun process

From the initial kick off meeting to the final video, it was a very straightforward and fun process for EnergyAustralia to work with Spatial Media. The final video is outstanding and really helped bring the project to life for our stakeholders. Highly recommended.
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Matt Bruers, Development Director, Wooreen BESS, EnergyAustralia

Spatial bring a collaborative and best practice project approach

Nation Partners has been working with Spatial Media for years to help projects share information and engage with their stakeholders in exciting and innovative ways. Spatial bring a collaborative and best practice project approach to design truly user focused digital solutions.
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Nation Partners, Stakeholder Relations + Communications team

They were super flexible. I highly recommend them!

Nicole and the team at Spatial Media provided us with an amazing final design and promotional video. They were super flexible and I highly recommend them!
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Matt Culic, Director & Principal Consultant, Circular Futures Group

Innovative tools developed by the team set a new benchmark

Spatial Media Team played a pivotal role in delivering a range of multi-million-dollar public realm projects, including cycle paths, road and intersection upgrades, and active reserve improvements. Their ability to produce highly detailed and realistic renders, actively participate in workshops, and rapidly refine designs (even with minimal background information) was exceptional. The level of professionalism and attention to detail they provided to the council as the client was truly outstanding. I have already recommended their services to colleagues across the State and look forward to future collaborations. The innovative 3D products and interactive spatial consultation tools developed by the team set a new benchmark for community engagement and project delivery. I would strongly encourage integrating this approach into future projects to enhance clarity, mitigate risks, and build greater confidence among all stakeholders.
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WA Local Government Project Director

They take the time to truly understand your project

Spatial Media are great to work with. They take the time to truly understand your project and communications objectives, deliver on time and to budget, and are flexible and responsive to project uncertainties. The quality of outputs is brilliant too.
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Simon Bendall, Director, Traverse ENvironmental NZ