Nat’s What I Reckon: ‘Taking lights with you might sound weird but it’s actually a massive travel hack’

Nothing lives on in our memory quite like travel. We probably all still remember the first holiday we ever took, the worst holiday we ever took, and the characters we met along the way. But with a bit of distance, even the bad times tend to make for a great story.

That’s why, for a new column, we’re asking prominent Australians about their life in travel. We want to find out about the trips that shaped our favourite personalities, their holiday rituals and, yes, their stories of the times it went awry.

First up is Nat’s What I Reckon, the Sydney cook and comedian who has built a huge following with his no-nonsense, profanity-littered kitchen advice (see: “mushroom doesn’t fuckin’ go in bolognese, you dickhead”). Nat also appears in the upcoming ABC docuseries Eat the Invaders, which explores whether we can help eradicate invasive species like cane toads by eating them.

While he may look like a laissez-faire type of bloke, Nat is, by his own description, “very sensitive to a lot of things”. For that reason he’s learned to pack his own portable lighting when he travels. Here, he tells us about that and his other curious travel habits, and shares a hard-learned lesson in why you should avoid booze on long-haul flights.

Who makes an excellent travel companion?

I think it’s crucial to travel with someone who agrees that cool-white lighting is evil and no hotel or public space should ever use it unless someone is trying to find their keys or contact lens.

Honestly, though, travelling with someone who runs at the same speed as you do can make a massive difference. You’ve got to be up for similar vibes at least most of the time.

Earliest childhood holiday memory?

Our family were big fans of the classic and seemingly mandatory Sydneysider getaway: a trip to the Gold Coast. We did it most years. I was a real middle-ear infection magnet from spending too much time in hotel pools; I remember drinking lots of 7 Up and not being able to stand up without spewing.

Describe your most memorable travel meal – good, bad or just surprising.

I won’t out the particular place because that would be cruel, but let me tell ya, holy shit we had a shocker in Ireland, at an airport hotel. The menu was such a load of wordy nonsense that turned out to be so hilariously bad it just made us laugh.

One of the dishes was a roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese salad, which arrived looking like it was having an argument with itself. We also ordered a margherita pizza that looked and tasted like a midday television soap – it was jar sauce, I swear, topped with enough cheese to shave a few years off your life. Oh, and part of my front tooth came out while eating it.

What’s the most relaxing place you’ve ever visited?

Hands down, Seal Rocks [in New South Wales]. There’s a gazillion beaches back to back there and they are all absolutely stunning.

And the most stressful?

London. I absolutely love performing there but, as a highly anxious person, particularly in public spaces, it was full-on. It felt at times like I was involved in a game of human dodgeball where everyone else was the ball and I was the target.

What is your holiday ritual?

I look for a good place for dinner and then immediately move all the furniture around in my hotel room if it doesn’t suit my pain-in-the-arse disposition. As far as I’m concerned, as long as you return it to its original state then what’s the harm? There’s no sign saying “don’t mess with setup”, so that in my mind gives me licence to do some on-the-fly interior design.

What’s one item you always put in your suitcase, and why?

I travel a lot for work and conveniently I’m also very sensitive to a lot of things like shit lighting, as I mentioned before, so I carry with me my own personal lighting and a small comforting pillow.

I know taking lights with you might sound weird, but it’s actually a massive travel hack. I tend to carry with me several small USB LED lights, some rechargeable. They are super lightweight, cheap to buy and compact, so why not? If the place I’m staying in is lit like a medical centre, then I have enough lighting with me to survive.

The little pillow is amazing for flights and being in places where the pillows are seemingly placed there by the local chiropractor chasing more clients.

What’s your strategy for surviving long-haul flights?

Don’t get absolutely sloshed on the flight and drink everything on the menu because it’s “free” then stay up watching Jumanji and Twister.

I’ve bloody done it more than once and paid dearly for it – for a start, bourbon, red wine and Baileys should never be consumed in the same sitting. And if you get tanked on the flight, you end up feeling 10 times as rough when you get off.

• Nat’s What I Reckon features in the ABC’s new documentary series Eat the Invaders, airing from Tuesday 7 January at 8.30pm