Pio is a cheerful chap who loves food, people, chatting and tramping the trail and is an ideal frontman for the Maori TV programme because of his endless cheerful demeanour.
With pack on back he headed out along State Highway 3 to Ratana Village then on to Turakina and down through the Santoft Forest to Tangimoana.
At Ratana he beamed as the brass bands played on in celebration of the great Prophet's birthday.
But it was his foray into the vast kitchen and dining room that really made his eyes sparkle when the delicious smells of roast meats, veges and gravy filled the air.
"Aaaaah," he breathed sitting down with a plate, knife and fork.
Next stop the Turakina Highland Games and a "wee dram" and a mighty hunk of haggis, assured to heal what ails ye.
It was a long hike to Tangimoana and the coast and a quick yarn with a crusty old fisherman before Pio went on his way.
Seeing the beauty of our region through the eyes of this special man was heartwarming.
Maori Television's documentaries have a magic which sets them apart from much of the commercial telly we're fed.
I loved watching its new entertainment show Sidewalk Karaoke featuring passersby urged to get and up sing.
The format is relaxed, easy and fun, so hardly surprising it has been recently picked up by global content company Freemantle Media, which has offices in 31 markets.
Frontman Te Hamau Nikora hands out cash prizes to all the hopefuls everywhere from night markets to sidewalk bars.
Anyone could be a winner as the Sidewalk Karaoke team search for their star.
Hopefuls step up sing into the custom-made app which gauges their superstar ability and, depending on the reading, sends them through to the next round or back home.
Prizes start from $100, with the grand prize of $1000 up for grabs if they can convince a stranger to sing a duet with them.
Sounds mad but it works. This show has the X factor without all the mad hoopla.