H I T S A N D MI S S E S :

At 16, I lived in Nagahama Prefecture, Japan for one year as an exchange student. Japan is a country I would return to in a heartbeat now, and I did then, returning for another year. The people, the culture, the food and history continues to fascinate me as the nation continues to strive forwards in terms of technological development. Another hit is Hawaii. I lived and worked on the family guava plantation on the island of Hilo. Hawaii is just like what you see on postcards. Paradise surrounded by dramatic waterfalls, rainforests and mountains. Other travel hits include surfing in Bali and snorkelling and sunbathing in Fiji and Rarotonga. I’ve been fortunate as a

reporter to travel and cover stories in Australia, Korea, Canada and most recently Brazil for the Rio Olympics. Japan is, however, still my favourite.

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When I lived in Japan I biked to school from the countryside. I noticed a log in the middle of the road and decided to pedal up to it so I could remove it from the road. It was a snake and it wriggled towards me. As quick as a flash, I picked up my bike and carried it over my head while sprinting and screaming to school. Another miss is Samoa — because I’ve never been there, despite speaking the language fluently. My father is Samoan and my mother Samoan/ German and they keep shaking their heads with disappointment that I’ve travelled extensively but have not made the time to visit Samoa. It’s on the cards. Breakfast,