Actress Jodie Dorday shares her favourite travel memories. Photo / Supplied
What do you miss most about travel right now?
Not being able to! Priorities change when you’re juggling a mortgage, kids and work commitments.
What are your strongest memories from the first overseas trip you ever took?
Getting stuck in immigration in the USA for 3 hours because I didn’t know the address of where I was staying! I was terrified – everyone else had left the airport and there were just official-looking men standing around kind of enjoying the whole thing.
What was a standard family holiday like when growing up?
Myself and my brothers were very lucky to have a mum and dad who had a real love of places like Waiheke and the Coromandel, so we had old baches and we grew up around the sea – I recall being in the surf for 8 hours at a time.
Who has most inspired your travels?
My Uncle Johnny lived on Kawau Island in the 70s and built a 60-foot ketch. He sailed the yacht to the Virgin Islands and I remember thinking as a young girl that I wanted those kinds of adventures when I was grown up.
What is the greatest trip you’ve ever been on?
My hubby and I travelled around the coast of Bali on a motorbike for our honeymoon. We travelled up the East Coast to Amed, which is reminiscent of a Moroccan coastline. There was cheap local food, yoga, and forests full of monkeys, and we were welcomed with open arms in local villages.
And the worst?
Having a very very Bad tummy bug in Koh Chang, Thailand, and being stuck on a diving charter where no one spoke English… Let’s not go there!
What’s your approach to packing for a big trip?
I’m hopeless – I throw things in a suitcase and then realise I’ve packed 25 pairs of undies but no t-shirts. I’m trying to be more mature about this as I get older and pack things into separate bags so I’m more organised.
What is the destination that most surprised you – good or bad – and why?
I worked in New Caledonia in my 20s setting up a cabaret show there. I couldn’t believe the cost of a coffee and how expensive the food was!
Where was your most memorable sunrise/sunset?
My husband Troy and I got married in Uluwatu, Bali – the venue was on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean and was renowned for beautiful sunsets, you felt like you were on the edge of the world.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home from a long trip?
Curse at all the dirty washing!
What do you miss most about home when you travel?
I miss the greenery. When I lived in Japan for 6 months, every inch of space was taken up with buildings, shops and houses.
Where is the one destination you must see in your lifetime, and why?
I want to live in the South of France for 6 months. I’ve dreamed of a place since I was a kid and never really known why – old farmhouse, lavender fields, I’m on a bike. I found out a few years back that my family name used to be Dordogne but was changed to the English “Dorday” later. I feel strongly that one day I’ll travel to that region and find that place in my dreams!
What’s your favourite thing about travel?
Every sense is heightened – sight, sounds, smell – new experiences make you feel alive!
Jodie Dorday performs in Auckland Theatre Company’s season of The Heartbreak Choir, on from February 14 to March 4 at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre. More info and booking at atc.co.nz