Travel talk

What is your favourite holiday destination and why?

Paris. Although I have been there many times, each time I see a new side of the city, its people, and its history. It's just one of those magic places in the world. There is a saying: "tired of Paris, tired of life" - I think this is very apt.

What is your favourite place in WA to take a short break and why?

Margaret River. It is three hours away, it has everything you could ask for, yet is remote enough to feel like you have escaped.

Where's the best place in Perth to take out-of-towners and why?

Twilight sailing on the Swan River. There is something magic about experiencing this city from the river. The Royal Perth Twilight experience is one of the best - a great fleet, lots of fun and a relaxed barbecue afterwards. It brings everyone down to the same level and does so in a great environment.

What has been your biggest travel disaster and what did you learn from it?

Fortunately, I haven't had many disasters. The worst I have experienced is repeated delays from aircraft breakdowns.

What is your pet hate when travelling on airplanes?

Not receiving enough top-ups of water. It's not a big deal [any more] as I now take a water bottle on board with me on every flight.

What's always in your carry-on luggage?

A change of clothes. Anyone who has had the experience of having to rely on the 'emergency clothing pack' from the airline lost luggage counter will end up doing this.

How often do you travel? Is it usually for business or pleasure?

I usually travel every five or six weeks. Sometimes, I will travel two or three times in a week, but I try to avoid this as any travel from Perth inevitably involves long distances.

Where have you always wanted to travel/holiday but haven't managed to yet?

On my list of 'want to' travel experiences is a sailing trip around the top of Australia to Airlie Beach in Queensland. Current timing is June next year, but time will tell whether I will be on the yacht when it leaves.

What is your favourite overseas restaurant?

L'Atelier Robuchon in the 6th in Paris. It's a one-star Michelin Restaurant with a difference - you sit at a long bar with everyone else and design your menu with the help of the kitchen staff.

I wish Perth could be more like...

Melbourne, because of the unequalled number of restaurants and bars Melbourne has throughout the city. Perth has improved a lot in the last five years, but we still have a long, long way to go compared with Melbourne.

You hope Perth always retains...

Its ability to attract people from other places. A friend of mine (not a local) once said to me that you can usually get a feel for a place by reference to the question that locals ask you. I won't go into the questions he said were asked by people in other cities in Australia, but his experience was that people in Perth often asked "where are you from", because so many of us are from other places, yet choose to live here. This brings a unique diversity to the city that is worth retaining.

What was the last book you read? Rogue Economics by Loretta Napoleoni; an interesting insight into the darker sides of world economics, such as slavery, fake pharmaceuticals, intellectual property violation and the sex-trade coming out of Eastern Europe.

What WA/Perth restaurant do you keep going back to and why?

Balthazar - for its consistently excellent food, wine and service. While others often get two out of the three right, Balthazar just seems to be able to manage to get all three right, almost every time.