My Holidays: Author Renee Liang

Renee Liang. Photo / Brett Phibbs

What was your greatest holiday?
I did the big OE in my 20s. Fifteen months after getting my degree, I finished up my job at Starship and headed for Europe with a mate and a Eurail pass. There's an amazing feeling of freedom leaving home with just a backpack and no clue what will happen. I travelled for three months, worked to save up, travelled again and repeated that pattern. You know that movie Before Sunrise where two strangers meet on a train and find out they're soulmates? That happened to me again and again (without the hook-ups). I made lots of friends, and many I'm still in touch with. I learned how to sleep in a six-bed hostel room. I danced with the captain of a ship in Antarctica. I sat down with the whole population of Easter Island to a traditional umu feast. I travelled overland Beijing to London (last bit by sea). Russian border guards laughed at my Kiwi passport, patted my head and let me through — apparently the sight of a tiny Chinese woman wearing a ginormous backpack and toting a toy kiwi opens hearts and doors.

I learned people are the same the world over — we have more in common than we have differences.

And the worst?
A resort holiday in Fiji. It was our first overseas family trip. I've never been a resort person and it turns out neither are my kids.

If we bump into you on holiday, what are you most likely to be doing?
Swapping silly faces and fart jokes with my kids (5 and 6) to keep them entertained. Hitting the nearest food markets to taste everything and carry our finds to the nearest park to indulge.

If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, where would it be?
We are massive fans of Whakatāne. I sometimes go there for work and the kids and hubby come too. If we're lucky we score a house by the beach, we hit all the playgrounds, the L'Epicerie Larder is hard to go past for brunch and, unfortunately for my waistline, there's an icecream shop on every corner. We walk along Ohope beach, exploring the driftwood sculptures, dipping our toes in the sea foam and watching the long orange fingers of sun slide down the sand.

How about for a dream holiday internationally?
Our kids are still too little for long-haul flights, but when they're older we'll take them to Croatia and to China so they can see their family histories come to life.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling?
In my backpacker days, I left my bag with my camera at the foot of my bed. In the morning it was missing, but luckily I still had all my rolls of film. The thief had missed my mate's shorts, which were hung over the foot of his bed and had far more valuable diamonds sewn into the pockets. (We'd passed by Amsterdam and he'd decided on a whim to get engagement rocks for his girlfriend.)

Aisle seat or window seat?
I used to be 100 per cent a window girl (Earth from the air — wow) but now I'm aisle (post-pregnancy bladder).

Complete this sentence: I can't travel without ... my toy kiwi. His name's Pio and he has a wonky beak.

He's travelled further than I have because he once got sent back in lost luggage from London.

What's the best travel tip you've ever been given?
Start the day early. I'm a terrible night owl but the international dateline works in my favour.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling?
When I was backpacking in Kenya our group stayed with the Masai, and they killed a billy goat for a feast in our honour. I came across two guys barbecuing a familiar sac-like object, and in jest they asked if I wanted to try. They were surprised with my yes, but maybe they didn't know that Chinese eat anything. Goat testicles are delicious!

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?
My daughter's new tooth, which had emerged while we were away. It reminded me that time passed no matter what, she was growing up and would never be the same again. Live every moment the best you can, pull in memories with all five senses, write it all down.

Favourite airport?
I loved the old Hong Kong city airport, which is similar to Wellington in that it's a low landing, very close to houses. If you looked out while landing you passed close enough to apartment blocks to look in the window and see what someone was cooking for dinner.

Renee Liang and co-writer Michele Powles have a book about motherhood called When We Remember To Breathe being published on May 1, just in time for Mother's Day.
Published by Magpie Pulp.