Your first car?
A Volvo 360 sedan handed down from my grandmother to my mother to me. Midnight blue, heated seats and wipers on the headlights.
Your dream car?
Something iconic and original. An old Landy with the roof cut off.
Favourite car colour?
Black. Classic.
Who taught you to drive?
My first lessons took place, age 12, on our annual Christmas camping trip to my cousin's high country station at Lake Benmore, in the old family Valiant V6 ute used to tow the jetboat. I had to sit on the edge of the seat to reach the pedals and I remember coming to terms with the column shift as I navigated the rabbit hole-ravaged hay paddock. While my father was the first teacher, my mum had a more patient manner.
Manual or automatic?
Automatic around town, but nothing beats a manual on a winding gravel road.
Most memorable road trip?
Christchurch to Wanaka via Thompsons Track, the Mackenzie Country and the Lindis Pass en route to Wanaka.
Sand and cars?
I love the feel of sand squidging between my toes, but I detest it when it gets through my car. I like to empty everything out of my car once a week, shake out the sand, lay it all out, reorganise everything and repack it with all the kit I need for the week ahead. It's a cleansing as well as a cleaning process and all part of my weekly ritual no matter where I may be. I try to rinse off boards with fresh water before I put them back on my roof. I keep a couple of flexi buckets in the boot for my wet gear.
What do you listen to?
I love tuning into local radio stations. Often I'll be on the phone organising the next adventures, via hands free.
What's a great day trip out of Auckland?
Piha, the Waitakere Ranges and Muriwai offer the rawness of Auckland's West Coast surf and black sand, while skipping across to the East Coast you can enjoy the contrast of Tawharanui, Matakana, Omaha and the Whangaparaoa.
Does what people drive influence how you perceive them?
The location defines how you perceive the person at the wheel of what they are driving. I love Hermosa Beach for the fact that a mega sports hero can drive a golf cart and park it without paying and it's got more cred than the latest Maserati who can't find a park. It's the same as driving a "beater" on the North Shore of Oahu so it doesn't get stolen or having an electric car in London so you can use the cab lanes and avoid the congestion charge.
What irritates you most about other drivers?
Impatience.
Would you rather drive in Auckland or take public transport?
If I have to do things in the city, a bike or a skateboard solve time and frustration finding carparks but the Forester's reversing camera has made squeezing into tight spaces easier.
Bikes and cars ... is there space for both on NZ roads?
Unfortunately New Zealand drivers have yet to mature to the point of peaceful coexistence with their two-wheeled friends. Auckland, I challenge you this. More people commuting on two wheels means that traffic congestion is eased. Here's to a cycle path over the bridge and cycle super highways along arterial routes and parks.
As told to Donna McIntyre
