"I was representing Australia as a junior at that competition in a transtasman clash with the Kiwis and then in October last year I was in the Australian test team for a similar event in the senior grade - we didn't beat you guys then either," she lamented.
"It's really neat to come to dad's hometown, though, and see all my aunties, uncles and cousins."
The cousins, however, did have ammo to fire back at their Aussie relative - while the winner in her grade in Auckland was from Switzerland, second-placed Tahlia Hansen from New Zealand came second.
"Tahlia and I have competed against each other since we were about 10 and have become great mates - it would still have been good to beat her home, though," Smith said.
Sponsored by US BMX company, Red Lion, Smith has been No1 in her age group at home, but arrived here as No3 and amazingly, just eight or nine weeks after knee surgery.
"I had knee trouble from a fall and had to give up netball because of the stop-start nature of that game. My knee blew up like a ball and the surgeons opened it up and cut the offending bit out. It didn't take me long to recover, though and I'm okay now."
BMX competition at this level is an expensive sport and her parents pick up the remaining costs after funding from Red Lion and money she receives through the Australia "Developing Champions" programme. Fortunately, father Brian works in the lucrative mining industry.
After a bit of shopping, visiting relatives and snowboarding on Mt Ruapehu, the father and daughter combo will wing their way home to Bunbury on Saturday.
