Keeping it in the family
GERRARD O’KEEFE IS HERITAGE AUCKLAND’S NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF
You drive a black 2011 Hyundai i45 Elite? I got it from a dealer second- hand. ( I am the first New Zealand owner). I saw the car as I was driving past, and then turned around and went back to test- drive it. It’s a good looking car. I got it with the thought of family and road trips in mind. How does it suit your work? It has room for everything, and it lets me do it very comfortably. Who else drives your Hyundai? My brother and my mother occasionally take it out. What do you keep in your car? I always have wet wipes in the car just in case the kids spill things. How often do you clean it? I clean it maybe once a week myself; it’s almost therapeutic. This is tiptronic, what are your thoughts on that? Yes. It’s tiptronic with the paddle shift — but there is no need for it, really. I have always preferred manuals but nowadays the autos are so smooth. Who taught you to drive? I largely taught myself to drive and failed my learner’s twice due to working late nights and having my test early in the morning. Third time is the charm. Advice to young drivers? Relax and take your time. Take a defensive driving course. First car you owned? I had a Holden Gemini which was great for getting to and from work. I liked it until I got an MR2. Your most memorable road trip? The i45 took me and some friends down to Mt Ruapehu for a snow trip. Heated seats made the car cosy inside, and there was enough space for all the toys. If you could on a road trip anywhere in any car? I would like to do a road trip across the US in a 65 Mustang or a Dodge Viper. Both cars are awesome in their own right, and I am a fan of two- door sports cars having owned a few different ones. Do you have a favourite car scene from a movie? Many of the car scenes throughout the Fast and the
Furious franchise, as I like to see the modifications done to some of the cars. Favourite racing car driver? Michael Schumacher; I grew up watching him before all the safety rules came into play to make it boring. Great day trip out of Auckland? Goat Island is a great day trip with the kids and there are some cool farmer’s markets to stock up the kitchen with fresh ingredients. Other drivers . . what irritates you most? People who don’t know what merge like a zip means, and the people who do 80 in the fast lane. Would you rather drive in Auckland or take public transport? I have not taken a bus since I was in school. ( A long time ago). The hours I keep as a chef mean I would have a late wait at the bus stop going home at night and then an hour- long journey home on top of that. Your take on Auckland’s traffic? Auckland traffic is a headache. The Britomart loop is a good start but we need to make it far more extensive and electric. Future generations will thank us for it. And you’re selling this car to your brother? My brother Chris is about to have another child and could really use the space of this big car for his family. So, as I do the daily commute solo, I will get a small run- around. As a dad and a busy chef, those long road trips are a thing of the past now for me so it’s a reluctant farewell to a great car but at least it’s still in the family.