Las Vegas is Scotty Morrison's once-in-a-lifetime travel destination. Photo / Unsplash
A LIFE IN TRAVEL
SCOTTY MORRISON
The broadcaster and performer shares his favourite holiday memories.
What are your strongest memories from the first overseas trip you ever took?
Being billeted in Australia for our high school volleyball team and my host family asking my teammate and me if we could speak Māori, which we couldn’t at the time, but we pretended we could by taking turns speaking the lyrics to Tūtira mai ngā iwi line by line to each other as if we were having a conversation.
What was a standard family holiday like when growing up?
Going to the family bach our grandparents had in Whangamatā, which we are lucky enough to take our own kids to, today.
Who has most inspired your travels?
Moana Maniapoto, as she has taken me, and many other performers around the world on tours with her, as haka performers with her band, she’s a big star of World Music so in performing and collaborating with her I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Turkey, Italy, Greece – even performing at Olympia – Russia, London, Australia, so many amazing places.
What is the greatest trip you’ve ever been on?
Our documentary series Origins (season 2 is out this year) has taken me as far away as Ethiopia, as well as the Tahitian home of our Te Arawa ancestors who journeyed here.
And the worst?
An unplanned detour required on the latest series of Origins, to Bolivia, that won’t be seen on screen!
What’s your approach to packing for a big trip?
I genuinely don’t care what I wear, so that makes things easy.
What is the destination that most surprised you – good or bad?
Fiji, in a good way. My wife was right – it’s great.
Where was your most memorable sunrise/sunset?
Every sunset at Maketū makes my day.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home from a long trip?
If my whānau haven’t come with me, as was the case for all of November last year as I was filming, it’s hugs for the kids and my darling.
What do you miss most about home when you travel?
Everything really, if my whānau isn’t with me.
Where is the one destination you must see in your lifetime?
I’ll admit I’ve called the opportunity to go on a trip to Las Vegas to see UFC fights a “once in a lifetime” trip... four times.
What’s your favourite thing about travel?
Adventure.
Scotty Morrison is part of MĀNAWATIA A MATARIKI, a special programme on all major broadcasters on Friday 14 July from 6am. He also features in Hongi to Hāngī and Everything in Between...this time it’s Matariki – Friday 14 July, 7pm, TVNZ 1.
When there's nothing as far as the eye can see, you may appreciate the company.