Sara Wiseman, star of TVNZ's One Lane Bridge, loves travelling in New Zealand, but dreams of one day visiting Santorini. Photo / Supplied
Sara Wiseman, star of TVNZ's One Lane Bridge, loves travelling in New Zealand, but dreams of one day visiting Santorini. Photo / Supplied
A LIFE IN TRAVEL SARA WISEMAN
How are you coping with lockdown?
One of my favourite spots to hang out is early morning on the back porch. It's covered, so it's protected but spills out on to the backyard. The light and quiet is magic. The highlight is the amount of bird life - pīwakawaka, tui, bellbird, thrush, blackbird, grey warbler, wax eye, finch. Let's just say I've become an avid birdwatcher.
What are your strongest memories from your first overseas trip?
It went to Disneyland California with my mum and dad on a holiday package with After School presenter Olly Ohlson, age 11. I returned to Disneyland three times in four days. The last day I went with two young friends I had met, aged 14 and 12 without our parents (we had permission). That's how safe it was. We had an absolute ball.
What was a standard family holiday like when growing up?
I was incredibly fortunate to have two. We belonged to a ski lodge at Whakapapa and Turoa called Rangatira Alpine Sport Club, so winters were skiing. And my father, who was an avid yachtsman from a very young age, built our family boat, so every summer we were out sailing on the beautiful Hauraki Gulf. I treasure those memories deep inside my heart.
My sister Jo. When I was young, she travelled across the US back and forth three times in a van and inspired me to go to Breckenridge, Colorado, to ski. And my dear friend Micaela Daniel, who has explored more than 30 countries.
What is the greatest trip you've ever been on?
My (three) trips to Yosemite National Park in California. I weep like an idiot every time I go back and look up towards El Capitan and the Half Dome. I would return there again in a heartbeat.
And the worst?
The most impacting was being held up at gunpoint by Jamaican Police, while I was on holiday there and trying to renew my visa to return to the US. I had arrived early and was sleeping in my car outside the US Consulate at Kingston waiting for it to open. They assumed I was some kind of terrorist bomber waiting to plant something inside. I was 19 years old at the time.
What's your approach to packing for an overseas trip?
Be prepared for the elements you are entering into, and pack your passport first.
What is the destination that most surprised you – good or bad?
Milford Sound, NZ. Of course I had seen all the pictures and heard how people raved about it, but nothing, NOTHING, can compare to actually driving in and going out on one of the ferries into the Sound. It is gobsmackingly beautiful.
Sunset: Venice, Italy alongside the excellent company I was with, the colour palette of that place is like no other. Sunrise: Most mornings, walking solo along the Camino de Santiago across Spain.
What do you miss most about home when you travel?
Friends and family, Dizengoff Cafe mushrooms. Native wildlife. The ocean.
Where is the one destination you must see in your lifetime?
Santorini, Greece. To sit on one of those white balconies and look out towards the azure blue horizon. That'd be pretty spectacular.
Sara Wiseman, star of TVNZ's One Lane Bridge, has spent lockdown mornings birdwatching from the back porch. Photo / Supplied
What's your favourite thing about travel?
Experiencing new cultures, landscapes, accents, local food, being challenged by events outside my comfort zone. And then realising how fortunate I am to live where I do.
Sara Wiseman stars in One Lane Bridge, TVNZ 1, Mondays at 8.30pm, and on TVNZ On Demand
