11 Dec 2017
Australian cricketer Aaron Finch spends more time travelling than he does at home in Melbourne. He shares his travel trips and camping memories with G’DAY Magazine.
I feel most at home when I’m… relaxing at home. Whenever you get a week at home it’s like gold. Especially after being away for five months straight. Spending that much time on the road you tend to just want to be at home in your own bed to just relax and unwind. To come home and sleep in my own bed and spend time with friends, family and my dogs is pretty nice.
My earliest childhood memory is… going as a family to Torquay which is about an hour from where I grew up. We used to have big family holidays with uncles, aunties and grandparents over the New Year break down there - out in the sun and enjoying the beach.
Back then… it was just about packing up the car and going down to the family holiday house for a couple of weeks. Those were the only real holidays we had during my childhood. Getting down to enjoy the coast, the beach and the summer. My parents, two older brothers and younger sister would go, too.
Our favourite thing to cook while camping… we used to eat anything we caught, so mostly fish and anything else we caught. It was proper camping - you eat what you catch.
A typical Aaron Finch holiday these days entails… to be honest, I haven’t had one for a few years. I’ve just been travelling with cricket, but [fiancé] Amy and I were able to get to Paris
for a few days two months ago when I was playing cricket. We really enjoyed it. Paris is probably one of my favourite cities.
My top camping memory is… I actually have some great memories - during school holidays as kids, my pop and my aunty used to take my brother and some cousins down camping near Apollo Bay to go fishing and things like that. I used to love it as a kid - great to be outdoors with your friends, brothers and cousins and have a good time as a youngster.
When I pack… I always make sure I’ve got an extra pair of thongs. You never know when you’re gonna have a blowout and you can’t get another pair of ‘Havies’ [Havaiana thongs]. I also always bring a spare phone charger and headphones – they’re always the staples in my bag.
My first car… I can’t say I actually owned it - it was handed down to me from my father. It was a Ford Falcon.
My favourite places in Australia…I don’t get to enjoy cities as much as I would like. You’re flying in, training, playing a game of cricket and heading out. I do enjoy going to Sydney though. There are some beautiful restaurants and bars and I love all of that. I love getting down to Torquay too. I get down there as often as I can to play golf. I’ve got quite a lot of friends down there, so that’s pretty fun.
When I get home to Melbourne I love to… catch up with friends and have a barbecue. We eat out at restaurants and hotels year-round, so it’s nice when you can enjoy some company and enjoy friends and family.
I experienced shock in… India is a place that can be quite intimidating the first couple of times you’re there. I just had my 16th trip but I suppose in terms of pure culture shock the first couple of times you go there, the pure amount of people and the craziness of the place is pretty surreal. It takes a while to get used to it.
Hong Kong is… one of my favourite places in the world. I loved every bit of it when I went so I would love to spend more time there. The people are amazing. Having close friends there to take us to some really nice restaurants, and walk around the markets with us at night was just amazing. We don’t have a lot of crazy markets in Australia with street food so I find that all amazing.
My top travel tip for a long flight or drive… make sure you’re prepared. I make sure I’ve got my laptop loaded up with quite a few seasons or movies to go. Plan a rest too, so when you get to your destination you’re ready to go.
Top of my Australian travel bucket list… I really like Tassie but I’ve only been for short periods of time. I love playing golf and I like driving, so travelling around Tassie would be quite nice and something I’d like to do with a bit more time.
Top of my Spotify playlist… Ed Sheeran is usually at the top of my list.
I don’t leave home without… Vegemite. There is always Vegemite in my bag, particularly on my way to India. If I don’t have it, one of the other boys (on the cricket team) does.
I’m happiest when… I’m at home with my family and my dogs. I’ve got a Cavoodle called Evie and a Cavoodle Maltese cross called Frankie. They’re my girls.
I am inspired by… my grandfather. He was a great influence - someone who helped get me into cricket and would always be there to throw balls and play with us as kids. It was a great childhood.
Coming up… Amy and I will hopefully get time for a nice long honeymoon. We’re getting married at the start of April, so hopefully in the next 12 or 18 months there will be time for a nice honeymoon around the world.
You wouldn’t know it but… I love to cook. Barbecues mostly. It’s something most men pride themselves on - it’s a bit of a staple and is part of our culture. I eat absolutely everything so it’s just a case of leaving it up to the butcher beforehand really. I ask him what’s best and he loads me up with way too much food.
My travel words of wisdom are… I think it’s all about embracing the culture you’re in and making sure you take the most of it wherever you are. We tend to stick to what we know when we travel but it’s about embracing other cultures whether it be food or anything else. Embrace it as much as you can. Live and adapt to their ways so you’re making the most of where you are. I have learnt that the more you make an effort with other cultures, the more they will make an effort with you - whether it be learning the language or anything. I think that’s important.
For more information on the Australian summer of cricket and to purchase tickets visit >> www.cricket.com.au/tickets
This interview was published in G’DAY Magazine.
