CURRENT MISSION

To live a life worth writing about and in the meantime, write about other people's.

ABOUT ME

I'm a lifestyle journalist in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.

I am from the South Island of New Zealand, where I grew up in Christchurch and then studied at Otago University in Dunedin for five years.

I have a degree in Politics, and postgraduate qualifications in Peace & Conflict Studies, and Public Health.

I write for the lifestyle section of Stuff.co.nz - New Zealand's 3rd most visited website after Facebook and Google. My writing also appears in newspapers across the country and I have a weekly column in Wellington's daily newspaper.

I love my job and I love living in Wellington, and I think New Zealand is the best country in the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Sharing the good news of CouchSurfing, and sharing my couch where circumstances allow.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have hosted a few people but wish I could do it more often. Right now, I live in a house of seven young professionals, so space is already a bit tight.

Interests

I'm interested in learning about and visiting places I can't see on my Facebook newsfeed. I love reading and writing about health, wellbeing, food, gender, cooking, whisk(e)y, entertainers, fashion and beauty. I remain interested in international politics, particularly war and conflict. I live to hear other people's stories.

• writing
• fashion
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• politics
• news
• reading
• communications
• history
• journalism

Music, Movies, and Books

For recreation reading, I usually turn to longform features, but I also love Harry Potter and Bridget Jones, autobiographies and true stories, modern feminist rants, cult classics, and African histories.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have seen my home city destroyed by an earthquake and watched its people try rebuild it. I survived 1 month living in Burundi despite not speaking a word of French. I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. I trekked through the African jungle to see the mountain gorillas (twice). I was a 'tourist' in DR Congo during an armed rebellion. I recently went to the Australian outback in the midst of the worst drought in recorded history.

Teach, Learn, Share

I will enthusiastically recommend all the awesome bars and restaurants you should visit while you're here, plus other touristy stuff. I love talking about food, fashion, politics, media, love, war etc. and am always up for a good laugh.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Warmth, laughter, and a keen interest in who they are and where they come from. As a very proud Kiwi, I will happily share stories about New Zealand and it's insane beauty.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, New Caledonia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand