Andy Buchanan

Andy Buchanan is a semi-retired structural engineer with an interest in outdoor activities. He grew up in Christchurch and has worked here all his professional life. 

His self-imposed retirement challenge was to climb all 133 named peaks on a hand-drawn sketch published in the Christchurch Press over 50 years ago. The Port Hills panorama extends from Mt Peel in the south to the Kaikouras in the north, including many peaks in the Southern Alps and the Canterbury foothills. 

After climbing all these peaks he wrote Alpine Panorama – A View to a Climb which describes the views, the mountains, their history, and the climbs. It was published by Quentin Wilson Publishing in 2024. 

Andy taught engineering at the University of Canterbury for many years. His previous books were engineering textbooks on timber design and fire safety.