Musician Rob Ruha shares his favourite travel memories

Rob Ruha will celebrate Matariki with Ka Pō, Ka Ao, a concert with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and rangatahi choir Ka Hao on Thursday, June 23 at Auckland Town Hall. Photo / Erica Sinclair

A Kiwi musician shares his favourite holidays and dream destinations in Aotearoa

What are your  favourite  memories from childhood family holidays in NZ?

Going swimming at the local river spots on the back of the truck with all of my cousins. Eating fish and chips when we were done and ice cream to finish it all off.

I also loved travelling around with my grandparents to see the whānau up and down the East Coast from Wharekahika to Whanarua and everywhere in between.

Where is your  favourite  off the beaten track/secret  spot in NZ to get away from it all?

Easy – Raukokore on the East Cape. From river to the sea, mountains to the marae, everything is magical, filled with memories and stories that are older than me.

This is where my people are from, where we can be uniquely us without the worry of anyone looking and when it is time to recharge the batteries from the world's demands, that's where I'll be: chilling on a mattress at the marae, catching up with whānau over a meal at The Lodge or rustling through flax bushes to weave mats and the balance back into my life.

If you were  heading on a family get away  now, where would you go?

I would take the whānau to Wharekauri, otherwise known as Rekohu or the Chatham Islands. This place holds special significance to our whānau as it is revered as the epicentre of our spirituality as Ringatū.

I would love to feel the energy of that land, its environment, its beautiful Moriori people and their history that is very much alive and present in this modern context.

What's your dream NZ  road trip?

A coast-to-coast food road trip would be amazing. Travelling from the East Coast to the West Coast on the hunt for the perfect fresh cream doughnut and the best "soul food" joints that are the talk of the town.

Travelling East Coast to West Coast, you pass through some of the country's most amazing native forests, around great lakes, over mighty rivers, past geothermal wonders and historical sights of significance… all while listening to playlists of the best homegrown music Aotearoa has to offer.

And if you could choose one ultimate, luxury, dream holiday in NZ, where would you go?

I'd really love to go to Ahuahu or Great Mercury Island. I hear the water is pristine and the environment is stunning. My ancestor Paikea arrived there some 800 years ago and married a woman by the name of Te Ahurumōwairaka.

The Māori name of the island Ahuahu comes from an event that happened on his arrival there. I would love to walk the beaches he walked, take in the sights and admire the night sky in all its glory from that special place.

Rob Ruha will celebrate Matariki with Ka Pō, Ka Ao, a night of uplifting Haka Soul with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and world-famous rangatahi choir Ka Hao on Thursday June 23 at Auckland Town Hall. aucklandlive.co.nz

For more travel inspiration, go to newzealand.com/nz.

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