My Holiday: Mike Puru

Photo / Mike Puru

What was your greatest holiday?
Just before I turned 35 I was sent on a 10-day Contiki trip through Europe to escort some winners from The Edge [radio station] - it was amazing. It was my first time there and a great way to get a taste of the other side of the world. Most of the young ones partied all night and slept on the bus but I was wide awake watching the world go by.

And the worst?
The Gold Coast when I was young. Mum got a spider bite and we got lost getting to the airport. It was a great time but the last day was hell and I remember Mum and Dad arguing over directions while Mum was debating if she should go to the hospital - let's just say it was time to go home.

If we bump into you on holiday, what are you most likely to be doing?
Weirdly, I travel with a Property Press, so I would probably be lying on a beach with headphones on, planning a way to fund a house with a pool.

If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, where would it be?
Russell, Bay of Islands - it's such a beautiful spot and that little ferry ride from Opua is like a spell - it tricks you during a three-minute sail that you are somewhere far from Auckland.

How about for a dream holiday internationally?
Biarritz, southwest France - my partner is from there, so it would be great to see the tiny village where his parents have a b'n'b - in fact anywhere in France would be good. Having a local as your tour guide and translator would make the trip so much better. I remember wanting to do more in Paris on my Contiki but I struggled to top up my cellphone, so gave up pretty fast and stuck to the classic tourist stuff.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling?
Once, I hired a car from LA to drive to San Francisco - it was a normal sedan but I kept bumping into tourists who were driving Mustang convertibles and found out it was the same price as my car. The 101 would have been way cooler with the top down. Luckily, Jordan hired one in Hawaii for The Bachelor, so I managed to have a drive and feel the wind in my hair.

Complete this sentence - I can't travel without ...
Dave Dobbyn music - it is a taste of home and is quite comforting.

What's the best travel tip you've ever been given?
Don't look like a tourist and never tell a taxi driver you don't know where a place is or they'll take the long way.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling?
A cocktail and a steak at the top level of the Tour Montparnasse building in Paris. All the other people on the bus paid to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower and I was told about this bar at the top of this building where, if you said you were meeting someone for a drink, they let you up for free. It had amazing views and, ironically, tourists who wanted a look paid for the privilege. Inside knowledge is always handy.

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?
An appreciation for New Zealand.

Favourite airport to land at?
Queenstown - always a spectacular flight.

What's the next trip you've got planned?
A weekend in Whananaki. It's cheap, quiet, beautiful and just a few hours away from Auckland.

Mike Puru hosts The Bachelor, TV3 Mondays and Tuesdays, 7.30pm, and new show The Cafe, 9am weekdays, TV3.