Petra has worked in TV and radio for over 30 years. She grew up in Christchurch and attended the University of Canterbury, where she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She began her television career at local TV station Cry TV and later co-hosted youth TV series Ice TV and Ice As. She went on to host What’s Really In Our Food? and present TVNZ’s Breakfast.

Most recently, Petra has moved into podcasting, hosting two podcasts - Grey Areas and Sunday Sanctuary. Grey Areas remained in the top 10 Apple Podcasts for eight weeks and just won Best Entertainment Podcast – Seasonal at the 2023 New Zealand Radio Awards. She is also a chaplain with Media Chaplaincy New Zealand, offering support and a listening ear to media professionals.

Petra and her husband Hamish have three children and live in Auckland.