Industry Traveller Wayne Deed
For my sins I am: I am currently in my dream job – Regional Director for Tourism Fiji in New Zealand, connecting kiwis with the happiest place on earth ( Editor: Wayne is actually living the life as the acting Chief Executive of Tourism Fiji based in Nadi until the new CEO starts in 2015) How old were you when you got your first passport, and where did you travel to in order to “break it in”? I was 14 years old and attending Pukekohe High School. We had an amazing school orchestra and we travelled to Fiji (surprise, surprise) where we played at schools right around Viti Levu. I still have memories of this trip – we left Auckland on an Air NZ DC8 How many countries have you travelled to? Too many to remember – with a long career in the travel industry there have been lots of fantastic famils and holidays. I’m currently working through my 4th passport and trying to record places and dates from the stamps My favourite offshore destination is…and why? Apart from Fiji, I have a few favourites. I love the Australian Outback, particularly the north of W.A., as it is so diverse and untouched. I also fell in love (again) with Vietnam this year…the gentle people and the delicate amazing food made for a beautiful journey. Hanoi is an amazing city…I could easily live there My favourite local destination is … and why? I love both the Hawke’s Bay, for its wonderful wine and food experiences, and also Wanganui for its unique and fascinating art scene. Go to the next Artists Open Studios Weekend & you’ll be amazed My favourite dining experience (anywhere in the world) is: Local Hanoi restaurants…if you’ve been to a few good ones you’ll know why My favourite kind of holiday is (beach, adventure, shopping etc): I’m an active relaxer so I need it all – on the beach or by a pool + out and about experiencing new things + bit of shopping + great food experiences What’s the one thing you can’t/won’t travel without? My partner – too many solo trips in the past, which were fun when I was young, but it’s great to share the experiences now What’s your best packing tip? Start packing a few days before you go then toss half it out just before you leave the house for the airport
What’s your best travel tip:
Go with the flow Do you dress comfortably or stylishly for long-haul trips? Depends which end of the plane I’m sitting, but generally I go for comfortable – I always seem to be able to spill food on something new I’m wearing If WE were paying, tell us about your perfect holiday: WOW! OK…it’s a combination of all my favourite cities I’ve so far been to, as I love revisiting - from Auckland to Hanoi to Istanbul to Cape Town to Paris to Edinburgh to London to Dublin to San Francisco to Hilo to Auckland…plus I’d add some places still on my bucket list like India, Egypt, Crete, Italy (can't believe I’ve still not been to Italy) What’s your best travel memory? Swimming with the Whale Sharks off Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia Anything “hilarious” ever happened to you while travelling? There’s always something memorable to come with for the dinner party stories and of course they always get exaggerated after the 4th telling Where to next? Drive from Vancouver to San Francisco via Seattle and a few National Parks enroute