My holidays: Mia Blake

Actress Mia Blake. Photo / Kellie Blizzard

Actress Mia Blake shares her most memorable holiday moments.

What was your greatest holiday?

When I was a kid we used to spend holidays in Tonga visiting our family. It was always ridiculously hot and muggy, and if it rained, mind-numbingly boring (no TV or wi-fi guys!). When I think of a great holiday, my mind instantly fills with these iconic holiday images: riding on the back of utes with the wind in my face, jumping off shipwrecks into the ocean, drinking cold fresh niu (coconuts), eating way too much watermelon and playing fiercely competitive card games around the table after dinner each night.

And the worst?

My partner and I decided to have a quick getaway to Nelson for the weekend. We only had our eldest child then and she was about 18 months old. It was idyllic at first - fish and chips on the beach with a golden glow over everything, but then our poor little girl got slammed with a fever, and a vomiting bug and another miscellaneous viral bug. She was waking every hour, so to survive I did night shifts and Sam did day shifts. It was a nightmare four days and we all came away twice as shattered.

If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, where would it be?

Oh gosh, there are so many good places. The Marlborough Sounds would be special though.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling?

Moaned.

Complete this sentence: I can't travel without ...

An eye mask. You never know when and where you'll end up snoozing - and it's hardly a space-taker.

What's the best travel tip you've ever been given?

Don't moan.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling?

An incredible Indian feast in Goa.

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?

Invitations to go back and visit strangers in their home towns. It is something special when you connect with people over the course of the trip and they open their lives to you. The generosity and kindness of your fellow traveller never fails to inspire me.

Favourite airport at which to land?

Nuku'alofa, Tonga.

What's the next trip you've got planned?

A trip to Vanuatu. We have family living there, which always makes a holiday better; when we went last year we had such a blast we've decided to save our pennies to go back.

Mia Blake plays "Mother" in the Auckland Arts Festival and Silo Theatre co-production, The Book of Everything, which runs at Q Theatre from March 14-22.