Congratulations on your recent win at the Voyager Awards. You took home the Le Mana Pacific Award for your coverage of Pacific issues. How does it feel to be recognised for your work? 
I worked hard for this. Not for the award but to be in a position to be able to tell stories that change the course of history or document history changing, and hold people in power to account - to be the real deal. I feel extremely honoured to have received this. This is a massive win not just for me but for the whole team.

Tell us about your career so far. What drew you to journalism and covering Pacific issues specifically?  
My first job in the industry was Autocue at TV3. I moved on to the weekend assignment desk while I was still at uni and started reporting from there. In the last eight years, I have done almost everything from producing and reporting to night shifts and very early mornings. I've been made redundant and come through the other side.

I have always been good at finding and interviewing real people. I started breaking Pacific stories when Covid hit. I became passionate about Pacific issues and wanted to learn more about the different cultures. I want to be a great journalist and broadcaster and believe you not only need to do your time but take time to learn about the population you serve. We are a Pacific nation so it only felt natural for me to apply for this job and soak in as much as I can. I love it so much.

Can you walk us through what a day working in the RNZ newsroom looks like? 
Being a Journalist and Presenter my days can look very different. A general reporting day means I come in with my story ideas. I may have placed bids the day or night before because we have time zones to work with.

I write news for bulletins, web stories, may read the afternoon news and package a story for Checkpoint, Pacific Waves and / or Morning Report. I also read the morning news which plays on the BBC.

Are there any particular stories you’ve covered this year that stand out for you? 
Too many - every week I produce important exclusive stories. I have interviewed more than six Pacific prime ministers or presidents this year alone. I love my job and the work we do. It is very important.

From the largest ever recorded undersea volcanic eruption, last year’s historic Fiji election, a family under tunoa (or house arrest) in Tokelau for not getting vaccinated, and many more - all stories that took a team to come to life.

What advice do you have for pitching stories to you and the team? 
It needs to benefit the whole of the Pacific. Send me the name and phone number of your talent in the first email - I don’t generally have time for too much back and forth. We have the luxury to be able to run full six-minute interviews. I want to speak with your person on the ground - not the CEO or your fly-in person but your local worker who has indigenous knowledge.