What was your greatest holiday?
Two weeks in the Queenstown Lakes District - snowboarding on Coronet Peak, a helicopter trip to Milford Sound, days by Lake Wānaka and Lake Wakatipu, wineries, cycling - a perfect mix of action and inaction.
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And the worst?
I recall 10 horrific days in Fiji expecting perfect blue skies and 30C days and instead getting 9.5 days of torrential tropical cyclone during which all we could do was huddle on the porch of our bure feeling miserable and trying to amuse a 2-year-old. I seem to remember a bit of crying, and it wasn't the 2-year-old.
If we bump into you on holiday, what are you most likely to be doing?
Visiting an art gallery or a park.
If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, where would it be?
Queenstown at any time of year, Great Barrier Island in January.
How about for a dream holiday internationally?
Anywhere in Italy.
What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling?
I once went to the airport 24 hours late for my flight. Have only done that once and have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of flights, so not too bad really.
Aisle seat or window seat?
Window - I love to watch the approach into any town.
Complete this sentence: I can't travel without . . .
My Bose noise-cancelling headphones and my silk eye mask.
What's the best travel tip you've ever been given?
You only get one hour of jet-lag back a day so plan accordingly and don't fight it.
What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling?
A magical day in Rome with three of my favourite men - my husband, brother and brother-in-law. After a wonderful morning in The Forum (we're all history nerds) we had lunch in a restaurant specialising in grilled artichoke in a tiny courtyard in the Jewish Quarter. It's one of the places you'd never stumble across and it was magical - just us in the lovely neighbourhood eating grilled artichoke followed by wild strawberries.
What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?
On my last trip to NYC I bought only one thing - a silver-plated tea-strainer from the Neue Gallery (one of my favourites). I've used it every day since and it gives me joy every time. There were two shapes and I kicked myself for months that I didn't get both and for my birthday a very dear and attentive friend presented me with the one I hadn't bought. She'd been in NYC and gone all the way up to 86th Street to get it for me.
Favourite airport at which to land?
Auckland.
What's the next trip you've got planned?
Great Barrier Island in January. My friend's building us a fern frond cabana on Medlands Beach and we won't be moving. We do have a house to stay in - the cabana's just for the day time.
