QT Auckland to Kerikeri private car — Liam's conference trip

The air conditioning in the QT was already humming when I pulled up at precisely 8:00 AM. January 5th – a strange day for a conference, but then again, who was I to question it? Liam O. was waiting by the bell, pulling on a light jacket despite the mild summer air. He looked sharp, definitely geared up for a business event, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes, a kind of forced enthusiasm I’d seen before in people who were about to spend their holidays talking shop.

He told me he was heading up to Kerikeri for a tech summit. He’d flown in from Wellington the day before, spent New Year's alone in the hotel, and was now determined to make the most of the trip by networking and maybe even finding some new leads for his software company. He didn't seem particularly excited, more resigned to the task. I could tell this wasn't his ideal start to the year, but he was doing it anyway. We chatted for a bit about the usual things – the holiday traffic, the plans for the rest of January. He mentioned he’d done this drive before, years ago, and was curious to see how it had changed.

We cleared the city quickly enough, the usual post-holiday lull still in effect on the northern motorways. Past Silverdale, the landscape began to open up. Liam seemed more relaxed once we were out of Auckland’s orbit. He pointed out a few landmarks from years past, remembering a campsite his family used to frequent somewhere near Waipu. He spoke about the early days of dial-up internet, the sheer novelty of it, and how that sparked his interest in technology. It was a far cry from the sleek world he inhabited now, I imagined. I offered him a coffee from the thermos I kept onboard, a strong blend that always seemed to perk people up. He accepted, and for a while, we drove in comfortable silence, watching the rolling green hills and the occasional glimpse of the coast.

As we approached Whangārei, the traffic started to build up a bit – people heading to the beaches, no doubt. Liam mentioned that his company was developing some new AI tools for small businesses, hoping to level the playing field for them against the bigger players. He spoke with a quiet passion then, the earlier resignation replaced by a genuine excitement about the potential impact of his work. He explained how he’d started the company with a couple of mates right out of university, fuelled by late nights and cheap instant noodles, and how it had grown far beyond their initial dreams.

We stopped in Whangārei for a quick break. Liam bought a local pie, and I stretched my legs. He came back to the car with a more settled look, the awkwardness of the morning handshake replaced by a shared understanding of the road. He’d told me a bit about his family back in Wellington, his younger sister who was also in tech. He wasn't just a businessman; he was a bloke with connections, with a life beyond the conference room. It felt good to see that humanising side emerge. The rest of the drive to Kerikeri passed smoothly, the landscape becoming more rugged and subtropical as we headed north.

Pulling into Kerikeri, the air was noticeably warmer and heavier with the scent of citrus. I dropped Liam off at his hotel, the one that had been converted from an old mission house. He thanked me, a genuine warmth in his voice this time. He still had the conference ahead of him, but I got the distinct impression he was looking forward to it a little more now, perhaps already seeing the potential for connection beyond just business cards and elevator pitches. I watched him head inside, another quiet reminder that even on holidays, people are still on journeys, both literal and figurative.