Meet our team - driving instructor, Ashley Clarke

Launceston based driving instructor,?Ashley Clarke has been with us for almost two years.

Already an accredited driving instructor in Queensland, Ash was finally able to combine his passion for road safety with his ideal location.

"During my first visit to Tasmania back in 2016, I fell in love with Launceston specifically and Tasmania in general. I've been a driving instructor for some thirteen years now and?decided to make the move from Queensland to Tasmania to take up the post."

Ash was keen to work for a business with a good reputation and strong presence in the industry, but he did hit a small hurdle thanks to COVID-19!

"I was successful in my original application literally one day before the Prime Minister locked down the country due to the pandemic! Luckily, I was able to avail myself of the opportunity to move south in October 2020, taking up the offer of full-time employment with RACT in Launceston."

A typical workday for Ash would see him taking around 10 lessons between 8am and 6pm.

"Each lesson is 50 minutes in duration, with 10 minutes between lessons to sanitise the car and enter student notes into our database."

Since gaining his accreditation as a Driving Assessor with State Growth in April 2022,?Ash has also done over 100 P1 assessments.

Before working with us, Ash spent 11 years as a driving instructor in Queensland, even owning his own driving school at one stage.

"Prior to that, I worked in banking for 25 years, 10 of those years as a business bank manager. I worked for three of the big four banks throughout my banking career."

Outside of work, Ash is a keen content creator and has a weekly segment on?tourism blog,?The 2 Hour Circle and Beyond.

"I post?videos onto YouTube and Facebook about places to see, and things to do in Tasmania. The blog was created by a friend of mine in Queensland, and I post under the guise of “The Bearded Burbler from Down There”.

Ash's clips have generated quite a bit of interest with?South-East Queenslanders keen to pay Tassie a visit.

"It allows me to indulge my passion for seeing new things?by travelling to sites of interest around Tasmania. I also ride my motorcycle in the warmer months, a pastime I've enjoyed for many years. I like the outdoors and seeing the wonders Tasmania has to offer and have a big passion for history."

It might surprise you to learn that our Ash is also somewhat of a thespian, with a talent for accents and voiceover work.

"I appear as an extra in a couple of movies, and the locally made ABC television series “Harrow”. I also have a long history of building street machines and have owned a number of classic vehicles over my entire adult life. My first was a 1962 Studebaker Hawk GT when I was 19, and?my last was a 1973 Mercury Cougar XR7 convertible, which I had to sell when I moved to Tasmania."

Since making Tasmania his home, Ash has no intentions of ever leaving. One place that has really stolen Ash's heart is Port Arthur down on our Southeast Coast.

"Of all the places I have visited in my life, this is the place that most profoundly appealed to me.?I've been there a number of times, and the wonder remains every time I visit."

In July this year, Ash completed his 700th Keys2Drive lesson -?200 of which were completed since being with us. An amazing effort and we're very happy to have Ash on our team.

#team #peoplepower