Inspirations: Newshub’s Melissa Davies

Melissa Davies is a TV reporter and presenter for Newshub. She is based in Auckland.

My ultimate indulgence is… Travel. I’m always planning my next adventure!

I’ve had so many wonderful experiences – it’s hard to pick favourites but Croatia and Portugal would be right up there.

A book I’m reading this summer is…The

Morning They Came for Us by Janine di Giovanni. Giovanni is a war correspondent who has been reporting from Syria for the past four years. In this book she interviews people from both sides of the conflict – from those who’ve lost their homes and family members to the elite who continue to live as though the shelling going on around them isn’t happening.

My most memorable start to the year

was spent… In New Zealand this year after having the previous five New Year’s Eves overseas. One time I had a Champagne picnic under the Eiffel Tower, but there’s nothing like being with loved ones in Coromandel. There’s no place like home.

The quality I most appreciate in other

people? Open-mindedness. I’m lucky in my job that I get to meet so many people from such different walks of life. I admire people who are tolerant of difference and open to listening to opinions other than their own.

A perfect summer night with my friends

is spent… In the backyard sharing a typical Kiwi bring-a-plate meal, listening to some chilled-out tunes like DJ Bonobo, and then it would probably descend into searching YouTube for our favourite 80s and 90s tracks – with lots of laughing and singalongs.

The item in my house that never fails to

make me smile is... My box of Christmas decorations! I’m the biggest kid when it comes to Christmas and I’ve picked up tree decorations from all over the world. I get so excited about unwrapping them again every December. I think my mum is responsible for this – she has a collection of hundreds of Santas, which my sisters and I tease her about, but now I realise I’m just as bad!

The advice I’ve never forgotten is…

Always go with your first answer. This is especially useful when it comes to pub quizzes! But I think it’s also good advice for more serious matters – trust your instinct, it’s almost always right (unlike my pub quiz answers).

If I could invent one thing it would be…

The ability to physically transport myself through my phone while video calling family and friends overseas.