Barbara Dreaver on her ultimate Pacific paradise and favourite NZ book of all time

As TVNZ's Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver knows the islands from all angles, including their most idyllic. She names her top picks for a summer swim, a gripping read and a song to have on repeat through January.

Having travelled to all corners of the Pacific, it's hardly surprising I have seen the most incredible beaches. However my favourites are those that are entwined in my memory with the joy that goes along with the people I'm with. Once when I was living in Rarotonga and to celebrate a friend's 'significant' birthday a small group of us sailed out from Muri beach to one of the motu (islet).

With our boat anchored we floated in the lagoon gazing back at Rarotonga, the birds soaring high above the peaks, the turquoise blue of the sea. We had a chilly bin with wine, cheeses and all manner of yummy things floating alongside us! But it wasn't just the beauty of it all, we were all so full of laughter and life.

There are daily tours that go out to the motu but also there are kayaks for rent and it's pretty simple to paddle across to experience a piece of heaven.

I usually have two books on the go at any one time – yes I am that person. My favourite summer read has to be 'The Bone People' by Keri Hulme. It's one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, I read it again and again. It's the description of the world around the main character, Kerewin – you can virtually smell the ocean – it's like watching a video as you read and it takes you on a journey. As well as a rocking plot, there's a great relationship with food – taken from the land and sea, your mouth waters reading it! Every time I read The Bone People, I get something different from it. It's a great example of human weakness in its rawest form but there is always redemption, such as it is.

The other book I'm dipping in and out of is Papua New Guinea: People, Politics and History since 1975, by Sean Dorney. Sean is a good friend of mine who I hung out with across the Pacific when he was the Pacific Correspondent for the ABC. We would often team up – he has a great sense of humour, his knowledge was and is incredible and his love for PNG (where he met his wife!) is clear. I trust what he writes and because PNG is so complicated it's an important book for me to read in my professional role.

I have such an eclectic range of music I enjoy, from classical to modern, but my favourite song at the moment is Satellite by Harper Finn. It's beautiful and while it's probably about love at a distance, for me it's about loved ones who have passed away – I feel really comforted whenever I hear it.