Actually, the Breakfast presenter admits he struggles to lie on the beach, but when he does find stillness he loves nothing more than a gripping sporting autobiography.
My favourite beach in Aotearoa is...
When you hail from a city with coastal delights featuring imported sand (Oriental Bay) and gentle southerlies (Lyall Bay), easy access to the Winterless North feels like a cheat code for summer.
Mangawhai Heads is sensational, but when it comes to something a little more special, I’m picking Matapōuri / Whale Bay. The short, sheltered walk is quick enough to keep the kids interested, and the final destination is powdery white sand and crystal waters. Majestic.
I’ve got to be honest though, I’m not the type that can just lie on a beach. If there’s not a ball to kick, the first port of call is digging a hole, which usually morphs into a tunnel, which usually gets destroyed by small feet.
A book I recommend is...
My book reading is frustratingly sporadic during the year. When it’s holiday time, that’s when I can properly get back into it. I'm weirdly obsessed with sporting autobiographies. Last summer I read Billie Jean King's All In and Mike Tyson's’ Undisputed Truth. If you thought Agassi’s Open was wild, that’s child’s play compared to Tyson’s absolutely bonkers tale.
I’ll stay on the sports theme for a couple of crackers on my list. David Foster Wallace’s String Theory is a collection of tennis profiles, featuring a piece almost as elegant as its subject: Federer Both Flesh and Not.
And, seeing as it’s the FIFA World Cup this year, Simon Kuper’s Soccer Men. Rip-roaring fun and nostalgic.
And, this isn't exactly my favourite song but...
If there was one CD that was played more times than Mariah Carey’s ‘Fantasy’ in our family car growing up, it was a Fresh music mix (circa 1996) featuring Chumbawamba (before certain New Zealand politicians made it infamous). This CD only sticks out because it was the definitive road trip set of songs for family holidays.
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