Andrew was educated at College Street Normal School, P.N. Boys' High School, Awatapu College and Massey University, P.N. He has worked as a hut warden at Tongariro National Park where he developed a keen interest in photography. Since 1994 he has worked on computer programming contracts, mostly at Hort Research in Palmerston North.

In 1990-1991 he spent three months in Japan, mostly living and working on a dairy farm. Then he travelled for four months in Asia, spending most of this time in Nepal.

In 1997 Andrew and two friends set up a company called Squiz which created homepages for the World Wide Web. At about the same time he became a 10% partner in a start-up venture called 'Newsroom', developing an internet site which provides political and other New Zealand on line. (www.newsroom.co.nz/)