My Holidays: Sue Bradford

Sue Bradford in Beijing. Photo / Supplied

What was your greatest holiday? Adventuring in the mountain snow with my twin boys near Whakapapa village and playing along the banks of the Tongariro River with all the family on one of our low-budget "snow" holidays when our five kids were young.

And the worst?

Years later taking another whole-of-family holiday, much harder to do when everyone has grown up, and making the mistake of going to Bali. The vaunted beach was a strip of plastic waste, and the economic desperation all around too heart-rending to enable much relaxation.

If we bump into you on holiday, what are you most likely to be doing?

These days I'd be making up for cultural and historical lost time in a museum or art gallery or venturing along some waterway in a very foreign part — most recently, the Kerala backwaters in India.

If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, where would it be? Rakiura (Stewart Island), because I've never been there. Would love to go fishing and bush walking.

How about for a dream holiday internationally?

It would be great to visit Greece with a decent amount of time to explore even a little of its history, culture and politics, so significant in our Western heritage. It's another place I've never been.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling? Casually walking into danger metres from a "tourist" zone in Bogota, Colombia. A guy on a motorbike drove on to the footpath and tried to seize my bag. Only quick action from my partner Bill saved the day.
Aisle seat or window seat? Aisle.

Complete this sentence: I can't travel … without a few good books to read — still prefer the real thing despite the weight.

What's the best travel tip you've ever been given? Follow the eternal quest to pack more lightly. Very hard with those books along.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling? Happening for the first time upon a very tasty version of the mythical American conch fritter at the Cracked Conch Cafeé in Marathon, Florida Keys (and being told you pronounce it "conk").

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip? The magic mix of stimulation and relaxation that comes from adventuring in new places, plus the benefit of a certain distance from home territory concerns.

Favourite airport to land at? Auckland. It's a cliche, but I love coming in over all that green land and home seas.

What's the next trip you've got planned? Greece, if and when we can gather the resources.

Sue Bradford talks about her life and public career at Tauranga's Escape! festival (June 1-4).