What Travel Has Taught Me: Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury

Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury in the Chatham Islands. Photo / Supplied

I've heard there's a German phrase for it. It's the sensation you experience when you realise that every other person in the world has a whole life going on, with their own beautiful/tragic/hilarious/passionate life stories that you have no idea about.

Basically travel reminds me that the world is jam-packed with interesting characters. They're in every pub, walking along every street, living in every house.

Hotel Chatham, on the Chatham Islands. Photo / Supplied

These last 12 months I've been visiting places in New Zealand I've never been to. One of the highlights was taking my parents to the Chatham Islands. Now, usually (and probably surprisingly) I'm quite shy. Especially around strangers. Thankfully, my parents are real talkers and got the locals chatting. It was a fascinating insight into life in isolation.

Not only was there a deep reliance on each other, there were also generations-long rivalries. Basically it was all incredibly fascinating and my mind came up with at least a dozen movie ideas.

The highlight might have been the old woman who lived by herself in the old missionaries' stone building, without power. She would scour the beaches every day for ambergris (whale bile), which fetches a very handsome payment from perfume companies.

The Chatham Islands' scenery and way of life inspired Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury. Photo / Supplied

And then there were the other visitors to the islands. My god, what characters. From the eccentric Upper Harbour baby boomers who had Chatham Islands on their bucket list, and who adored the local paua and crayfish, to the English Biotechnology lecturer who was visiting the world's remotest societies and who enjoyed telling me that the technology to live forever was just around the corner.

Kiwi comedian Tom Sainsbury. Photo / Supplied

And don't even get me started on the history of the islands! The peace-loving Moriori and all the tragedy that befell them. Again, a movie has gotta be made.

Catch 2019 Billy T nominee Tom Sainsbury at the International Comedy Festival, until May 26. For dates, venues, and tickets, head to comedyfestival.co.nz He also stars in Educators, available now on TVNZ On Demand