Donna spent her youth backpacking around the world, reporting freelance on adventure travel: camel riding in the Sahara, hiking in Tibet, and journeying through Africa and Asia on a shoestring (to name but a few). When she returned to New Zealand, she worked for New Zealand’s international airline, putting layovers in exotic destinations to good use, studying journalism.

When the chance came to work as a travel editor for a popular car magazine, her foot was already on the accelerator, and she spent seven years exploring every inch of New Zealand in late model cars, writing travel features and taking photos.

With a deep knowledge of New Zealand road trips, her first book was commissioned in 2004. For several years following this, she juggled book contracts with NZ, Australian, Singaporean, and UK publishers, while she continued to work as editor-in-chief on three consecutive magazines, managing a creative team.

Donna now holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. She is a longstanding member of the New Zealand Society of Authors. In 2013, she won an Excellence in the Arts Business Award for the Kiwi Critters series (100% NZ Made), and for four consecutive years, 2003-2006, she made the finals of the Cathay Pacific Travel Media Awards. She is available for school visits through Read NZ.