Day 4 of the The Great NZ Road Trip and NZ Herald's editor at large Shayne Currie is making his way from Tekapo to Christchurch after a night in Aoraki-Mackenzie dark sky reserve.
Each day on The Great New Zealand Road Trip, we catch up with a notable and noteworthy New Zealander, posing to them the same nine questions. Today, journalist, health advocate and strategic communications adviser Rachel Smalley responds.
I wish people knew that our country is still a place of quiet greatness. Right now, New Zealand feels tired, scruffy and fractured. We’re caught up in a vortex of division, blame and fearmongering. We need to look up, remember who we are, and start walking in the same direction. I miss who we were.
What are your passions?
My partner Dave, my son Finn, and Dave’s two girls are at the heart of my world. I also love big, bold gardening and watching life take root. Plus, I love to travel. It’s good to keep moving, keep learning and keep seeing New Zealand and the world through fresh eyes.
Which New Zealander (alive or dead) do you most admire – and why?
My Nana, Myrtle Mackie. She wasn’t famous, but she was extraordinary in all the ways that matter. She adored her grandchildren, lived without judgment, and found ways to praise even the most mediocre of our achievements. She showed her love in the simplest of ways, but she loved without limits.
Broadcaster Rachel Smalley. Photo / File
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
There’s no such thing. Life is messy and unpredictable, but I do believe you can find moments of joy and happiness in every day.
What is your greatest fear?
The untimely death of someone I love.
What is it you most dislike?
Goat’s cheese. Seriously, that stuff honks.
What is on your bucket list?
I don’t have one. I can’t even make it through my to-do list.
What do you hope New Zealand will look like in 10 years?
I hope that we’re looking beyond GDP as a singular measure of our country’s success, and we’re considering the health of our people, the strength of our communities, the resilience of our economy, and the opportunities we’re creating for the next generation. Our eldest child has just moved to Australia, and the second and third will travel too. I hope one day they’ll all come home – not out of obligation, but because New Zealand really does feel like the best place in the world to live.
Editor-at-large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including managing editor, NZ Herald editor and Herald on Sunday editor.
