She also threw in the trickiest question of the day – possibly of the entire tour – asking Bridges for his view on "rainbow teaching'' and gender neutrality in schools. She didn't want her grandson growing up to think he could be a man or a woman.
Bridges, a social conservative who voted against gay marriage, tiptoed around the question, saying he wanted tolerant, open schools where children were comfortable to be themselves, but on the other hand, "we don't want pandering, PC rubbish".
''It's complicated," he summarised.
The National leader was on more certain ground talking about roads, saying the party would continue to push for a four-lane Auckland-Whangārei highway - an un-funded National proposal the new Government is not going with.
''That road is all you need. If you do that, everything else will follow ... [Regional Economic Development Minister] Shane Jones can come in and sprinkle a bit of money on some tourism projects, a few trinkets here and there, but if he doesn't ultimately deal with the corridor none of it cuts it.''
Labour has said the four-lane highway was never budgeted for but Bridges was adamant it would have been built, with the $450 million section from Whangārei to Northport approved and funded by NZTA before the election but now on ice.
''It will take a lot for Shane Jones to counter that from his political fund,'' Bridges said.
If the National leader was hoping to get clear direction on political strategy from the audience he would have been disappointed. Norm Little called on the party to tone down its negativity and take a more constructive approach; a woman named Jenny, however, urged the party to be more challenging, saying it was invisible on TV and in newspapers.
Other topics raised included Ngāpuhi's Treaty settlement and immigration rules, with a Kerikeri restaurateur saying she feared having to close her business because she couldn't find a Thai chef locally but wasn't allowed to hire someone who wasn't a New Zealand resident.
When asked about poverty and benefit dependence, Bridges said he was a fan of his predecessor Bill English's social investment model, which used targeted intervention to tackle each family's specific problems. Labour's "spray and walk away" approach involved just throwing money at the problem, he said.
At the Kaikohe RSA earlier in the day Bridges was quizzed about the bridges famously promised during the 2015 byelection, the Resource Management Act, forestry and the Government's response to Mycoplasma bovis.
Pensioners John and Kris Row were among about 50 people who turned out. Both voted Labour in the last election but cast their local votes for National's Matt King, who tipped Peters out of the Northland seat.
"I don't know any more than before," said Kris Row. "They never give you a straight answer."
John Row said Mr Bridges spoke well and had what it took to be Prime Minister but didn't fancy his chances of leading National into the next election.
"They'll come back and chop his feet out from under him with 12 months out from the election."
David Rupia, 77, was hoping to add a third Prime Minister to those he had met over the years, assuming Mr Bridges was elected. He had met Helen Clark and David Lange, even visiting his Mangere homestead.
"He's doing all right," he said. "It's good he's coming to see people.''
"Too slow" on housing, water quality
Being seen as too slow to act on issues such as housing and water quality was a factor behind National's election loss, party leader Simon Bridges says.
Supporters at a standing-room only public meeting in Kerikeri on Thursday asked Bridges what lessons National had taken from the election. They also wanted to know the party's plans for finding new coalition partners, vital to winning elections under MMP.
Bridges said the previous government had successfully steered the country through the Global Financial Crisis and major earthquakes while leaving the books in good shape.
However, on issues such as housing, the environment, water quality and child poverty, the party had been too slow to act.
''National had really strong plans but the perception of a lot of New Zealanders is that we did a lot of it too late, 2½ years too late.''
With its former coalition partners out of Parliament or reduced to a single seat, Bridges said National was giving serious thought to its options for 2020.
They included a Dr Lance O'Sullivan party, built around the former Kaitāia GP and New Zealander of the Year; a law and order party; a NZ First breakaway; or "a real Green Party, not a watermelon party – green on the outside and red on the inside".
Another option was a country party representing the interests of rural New Zealand, with Bridges jokingly offering the job of leading it to Northland MP Matt King. In a cowboy hat.
