Phil Keoghan sells Canterbury to Oz

Phil Keoghan

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The Kiwi host of US reality show The Amazing Race is taking a detour from Los Angeles to Sydney this week to impress upon Australians the benefits of holidaying in Canterbury.

Phil Keoghan, a Cantabrian by birth, lives in LA but calls New Zealand home and returns here on average eight times a year.

As well as hosting The Amazing Race, he has just taken on a new role as ambassador for Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism. He will host a lunch for Australian journalists in Sydney on Friday and although he plans to tell them all about the natural highlights of the region, he also wants to remind them to make sure they meet the locals.

"While there are incredible landscapes in Canterbury, one of the best ski regions in the world and pristine rivers, at the end of the day places are really about people."

Keoghan, whose show is currently screening on TV2, admits Cantabrians can be a bit one-eyed "in a good way" – especially when it comes to rugby.

He is an avid Crusaders fan, sparked after scoring his first job in television in Christchurch pulling the cables behind the cameraman at rugby games on the sideline at Lancaster Park.

"It was the best job ever. You got to see the game up close, you got fit; it felt like you were part of the game – but you were covered in mud by the end of it."

These days Keoghan and his family call the Coromandel home and he is planning a pitstop there following his Sydney duties.

Keoghan featured on last week's episode in his underwear. The near-naked Keoghan was in Siberia introducing a challenge in which under-dressed team members were required to run through the snow.

He wanted New Zealanders to know he was wearing Jockeys and that they were "supportive in all the right places". "Not that you need much support in cold places like Siberia."

Keoghan is putting the finishing touches to a documentary based on his 5500km bike ride across the US and in a few months heads back out into the world for the 17th season of The Amazing Race. He is, he says, frantic.

"I wish I had more time, more arms, legs and another couple of brains. I get to the end of the day and wish I could have it all over again."

Possibly wearing a fresh pair of Jockeys.

- © Fairfax NZ News