My first trip abroad was when I was about 14. We went to Singapore and Dubai to play sevens, and most of the guys I met didn’t have a clue I was that age. They thought I was 18 or 19. I was so much bigger — I stuck out like a sore thumb. As we left for the trip, I remember the others getting dropped off by their wives or girlfriends. I was dropped off by my mother.
I was blown away just flying into Singapore, let alone playing there. And I’ve got some really interesting photos of Dubai from that trip: the highway is the same as it is today, but otherwise it’s just a desert. So different from how it is now.
Dubai just keeps amazing me whenever I stop there, which we do quite a lot. The place is kid-friendly and just so surreal. I went out to dinner with a good friend there recently and we found ourselves looking down the indoor ski slope. He suggested that I have a go. I told him that I know how to go down, I just don’t know how to stop. I reckoned I’d leave a pretty big dent in something.
I miss the camaraderie of touring with the All Blacks, but when you’re playing, your mind isn’t really on scenery and looking around. Travelling is obviously less restrictive now, but because I require kidney dialysis on alternate days, I can’t go anywhere that doesn’t offer the treatment. I always have to be mindful of that. But I keep myself in pretty good shape and I’m still able to chase our boys around. Though I’m not sure I could beat them at touch rugby on the beach. They’re very competitive.
I know how to ski down a slope, I just don't know how to stop. I reckon I could leave a pretty big dent in something I grew up in Auckland. A family break then was the rare occasion when both Mum and Dad could get time off. Mostly, we hung out on the beaches around Auckland playing volleyball with friends or members of the church — Long Bay, Browns Bay, places like that. They’re big surf areas, though that’s not for me. Whenever I try surfing, I end up doing a re-enactment of the Titanic.
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I headed back to South Africa recently to do a documentary on the 20 years since the World Cup there. The Kruger, the Garden Route, Cape Town: it’s just beautiful. It was fantastic to be a part of the tournament in 1995. It was the culmination of a whole lot of things, with the nation coming together under Nelson Mandela. South Africa wanted and needed to win. It took away a little of the pain of us losing to them in the final.
There aren’t many places I can go in the world and not get recognised. It’s crazy, particularly as I haven’t pulled on an All Blacks shirt for a decade. It’s humbling, and I certainly don’t mind. It only takes a moment to sign an autograph. That’s what you play the game for — to leave a lasting impression.
When I’m away, I like a mix of culture and chilling out. We like to immerse ourselves in places. Yesterday, we were in Bournemouth, and we missed our stop, so we decided just to ride the open-top bus to the end. One and a half hours later, we found ourselves at Sandbanks, where we took the little chain ferry across to Studland. Then we turned around and came back. It might be dull for some, but for us it was a novelty.
What’s on my bucket list? I’ve almost done my whole lot. When you’ve been travelling the world since the age of 14, that’s what happens. Now my list consists entirely of what my wife and boys haven’t seen.
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Jonah Lomu, 40, was the youngest rugby player to appear for the All Blacks and the highest try-scorer in World Cup history. His career was cut short by a kidney disorder that required a transplant in 2004. During the coming World Cup, he will tour Britain, hosting dinners during which he’ll talk about his life: for details, go to adsportsevents.com or jonahlomu.com. He lives in Auckland with his wife, Nadene, and sons, Brayley, 6, and Dhyreille, 4