I live 10 minutes out of Perth city with my husband Ross and beautiful dog Mia. We are easily accessible by bus and train. Our home is located 5 minutes walk to the Perth Swan river where you can walk or ride around the river. Sometimes we even see dolphins. I have three daughters 25,23 and 21. None are at home; they live all over Australia but they may be visiting when you stay.

I enjoy listening to other people's travel adventures . Every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new from each other . An American hiker who stayed with us for a while ( before we were couchsurfers ) showed me how to make a burner for camp cooking using metholated spirits and an empty cat 🐱food tin . Just amazing - lightweight and inexpensive. I will show you too !

The Swiss in my genes makes me a very tidy, organised and clean host. I don't mind you cooking washing etc... but I just expect my home to look like it did before you started . I am very mindful of this when I am a guest and will leave your house immaculate. According to my children , that's my quirky side.

I enjoy being around animals and children. I always have time for both and like to help where I can. I'm also very curious about things in the world , politics, world news and issues. I am passionate about contemporary art and the way artists can teach us to reflect and examine ourselves and the world we live in . I work as a Primary school teacher with 9- 10 year olds so I'm always looking for new and exciting ideas to take back to the classroom .

http://barbandross.weebly.com/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

All our children are travellers because they grew up with a backpack on their back . My oldest daughter recently discovered couch surfing and kept telling us we would love it because it was a way to still feel like we were travelling when in reality we were stuck at home working !!
Well this year i became connected to the world with my first Smartphone . My husband and I are setting off in an adventure soon so we thought now that we have the tools we should enter the modern world of Couchsurfing ! In reality we have always welcomed strangers into our home but I guess this is a more formal and safe method. Our first surfer was so awesome I asked him to stay longer !
My husband and I have backpacked all over the world since 1986 and love travelling and meeting people from other countries. I've even started a blog on my phone so check it out and you will see a pic of us back in 1986 when you could walk the inca trail for 3 days and only see a few lonely shepherds !
Couch surfing lets us give someone an amazing travel experience so they too get the travel bug and pass it on in an effort to connect people , culture and community all over the world. A very cool concept.

Interests

• arts
• books
• traveling
• hiking
• backpacking
• beaches
• healthy food
• animal rights
• vegetarian cooking
• video art
• native plants
• installations
• long distance hiking
• hiking in the mountains
• endangered animals
• contemporary painting

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Two things I amazed myself with ....One of my paintings won a $2000 art prize and last year I hiked the 1000km bibbulmun track!! 😁

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach – i can teach lots of useful things like making a gasburner out of a cat tin !

Learn – I’d like to learn more useful things ( especially german grammar😩).

share: ...a red wine , conversation and my
secret to finding kangaroos very close to our home . I believe every day is a new learning day and I always look for an opportunity to gain an insight or a new skill or if the chance occurs, share my own knowledge with others.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share so much. All about Perth, great places to visit. If you like walking I can share walking my Japanese Spitz dog and short hikes in Perth, riding bicycles and of course our home. I can share with you about my travelling to some off beat locations or give you tips on my new travel obsession - travelling lightweight and hiking . It's even rubbed off in my life as I declutter and dream of transitioning into a Tiny House in the near future . I am crazy about good food and love to cook very healthy choices. I will make you a great Bircher muslei and fresh juice for breakfast ! I enjoy gardening and being close to nature. I am a very active person and always happy to go walking and exploring .

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia