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Go with the flow, she advises Asian visitors to New Zealand – as she did in affair with David Bowie after video shoot

  • Geeling Ching had a brief fling with David Bowie after shooting his ‘China Girl’ music video, but her advice for visitors to New Zealand is to take their time

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Geeling Ching at Auckland’s Soul Bar & Bistro, where she is now operations manager. The actress, tour adviser and former flame of David Bowie gives travel tips for her native New Zealand. Photo: Deborah Cassrels
Deborah Cassrels

Tall and willowy, a woman in green satin shorts and polka-dot top approaches my table, which is facing Auckland’s marina.

At 63, Geeling Ching could be 20 years younger. The affable New Zealander has a certain something – a certain something that once caught the attention of David Bowie.

The British musician picked her to be the star of the music video for his 1983 hit “China Girl”, which was filmed in Sydney, Australia. They went on to have a relationship, with her joining him in Europe on his Serious Moonlight tour the same year.
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Ching has agreed to talk to me about Bowie and that video. But first we are in travel mode.
Ching and David Bowie in a still from the video for Bowie’s China Girl. They portrayed an affair on screen, and had one off screen.
Ching and David Bowie in a still from the video for Bowie’s China Girl. They portrayed an affair on screen, and had one off screen.

The sometime model, actress and now hospitality doyenne has some firm advice for Asian travellers to New Zealand: “Relax, be patient, embrace the Kiwi nature and go with the flow.

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“Asians – particularly fast-paced Hong Kong Chinese – need to under­stand that we’re laid-back and relaxed,” says Ching, now operations manager of the Soul Bar & Bistro at Auckland’s trendy Viaduct Harbour precinct. “We have great service but it’s not going to be really fast action.”

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