INTREPID JOURNEYS
OUR FAVOURITE METEOROLOGIST IS AS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TRAVEL AS HE IS ABOUT THE WEATHER
Weatherman Dan Corbett’s American adventure
Having a conversation with Dan Corbett is quite unlike shooting the breeze with anyone else.
More quietly spoken than you’d expect, the beloved
TVNZ weatherman is shocked when it’s suggested that his flamboyant, passionate presenting style has not only endeared him to Kiwis, but fans the world over – indeed, he’s even the subject of a fan blog.
“Yeah, I’m just doing my thing, really,” he says softly.
Dan’s passion for the weather is clear to anyone watching him and his long arms wave about, as he explains the highs and lows over New Zealand every weeknight. But today, the Weekly’s here to talk to him about his other big love, travel.
Though it’s very quickly apparent that the two often combine – as Dan (51) starts to explain his latest road trip he took through the south-west of the United States with wife Helen, out come the arms.
“So we started in LA,” he begins, raising both hands above his head and swishing them down as he tells, “And we went through San Diego, and all through the quiet bits and the desert bits, until” – final hand flourish – “we got to Arizona.”
Exploring the world with Helen, his wife of 18 years, has always been a priority for Dan. The pair have explored many corners of the globe together since moving to New Zealand from the UK seven years ago.
“We’ve done all different road trips and this latest one was fantastic,” he says. “I taught my wife how to use maps on the phone. In the olden days, you’d have to get maps from the hire car company! So that was great.
“We like doing things on our holidays, as opposed to sitting by a pool somewhere. We like hiking, but you have to watch out for critters, especially in that part of the US. Helen stepped on a scorpion when barbecuing. She was walking backwards when we heard a crunch!”
Dan and Helen have visited many parts of the States, where they lived for a time, as well as Europe and the UK.
In fact, it’s because of their love of a good adventure that the couple ended up settling in New Zealand, following a trip to visit relatives here in 2011.
“It was a road trip, actually,” Dan laughs. “We drove from Auckland to Kerikeri and it was there where we were just like, ‘Wow, this place!’ Next thing you know, the wheels are turning, we went back to the UK and made the plans to move here.”
Now a firm favourite on
New Zealand screens, Dan admits his profession does tend to follow him everywhere, even on holidays – not that he minds talking weather with anyone who’s keen. And as he explains, it also comes in handy when he and Helen are travelling on planes.
“She’ll always ask me one question before we board: ‘When will it get bumpy?’” he laughs. “I used to be a weather forecaster for pilots, so I can look at the maps and charts, then predict when the turbulence will hit. So I tell her when she can go to the toilet. I’m sad to say, I’m usually pretty accurate!”
But once they’re back on land, Dan is also pretty handy. The key to a great road trip, he reckons, is playing to your strengths. A self-confessed terrible packer, he leaves it to Helen to organise the suitcases, but he’s in charge of hiring rental cars, making sure they’ve got their passports and, “I carry all the heavy bags!”
Both of them share the music responsibility, however, with an old iPod, which contains their entire CD collection, put on shuffle for much of the trip.
“Sometimes, you’ll be driving along a Californian road and all of a sudden an Eagles song will come on, and you go, ‘Well, that works!’” he grins. “I do love moments like that.”
But when it comes to trying to choose someone who he’d pick out of the One News team to take on a road trip with him, Dan has to stop and think.
“Hmm … That’s a hard one! But probably Simon and Wendy. They’re a laugh actually!
“You could imagine the three of us in a car, couldn’t you? That would be funny.”