I'm 32 years old, working both as a bartender in a Belgian beach bar (indeed, Belgium has 65km of coast) and as a freelance journalist. I mainly write about travel, and about drinks (spirits, such as gin, whisky and cognac).

I used to write full-time for various lifestyle publications, but got tired of sitting at a desk all day long instead of actually going places and meeting people. So I got a job on the beach, where I feel right at home, and started freelancing, in order to be able to write about things that I actually care about.

I've been in Australia since January on a Working Holiday Visa, working, travelling and writing my way around this beautiful country. So far, Belgian newspapers have published pieces of mine about Sydney and Melbourne, but I'm looking to add to that list.

You can find more about me and my Australian experiences on this website: Facebook.com/dieterdownunderenglish. I also have an Instagram account with my Australian photos: @dieterdownunder.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As I've said earlier, I've been in Australia since the middle of January, and so far, I had the good fortune of being able to stay over at Belgian friend's places, both in Condobolin, New South Wales, Indented Head, Victoria, and in Perth, WA. Apart from that, I've been staying in YHA youth hostels.

As good as those experiences have turned out to be; I'd like to get to know this country and the locals better, by using Couchsurfing in order to get to know local hosts and staying at their places.

I've used CS when I traveled through the US back in 2013, and each one of the CS experiences I had there, was awesome and unforgettable. I think CS offers the best way to get to know a country and it's inhabitants.

Interests

I love sports. I play basketball and I swim and run, and I've got a big interest in NBA basketball and Formula One.

Other interests of mine include planes and spacecraft, books, music and movies.

• writing
• books
• running
• modeling
• drinking
• aviation
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• sports
• basketball
• swimming
• freelancing
• history
• journalism
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: TV on the Radio, Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, Nic Fanciulli, Lamb of God, DJ Shadow, Rolling Stones, etc.

Movies: Sicario and Birdman are the movies I loved the best the past two years; Pulp Fiction, Heat and The Big Lebowski are three of my all-time favourites.

Books: I enjoy reading historical books, such as In Europe (history of the 20th century in Europe, by the Dutch journalist Geert Mak) and Travelling Without John (Mak's account of a trip through the US). Navy SEAL books are a guilty pleasure.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Visiting the Air and Space Museum in Washington, as the history of aviation and space exploration, which has fascinated me since I was a kid, came to life right in front of me. The Bell X-1, the Spirit of Saint-Lewis, the Friendship 7 capsule, a model of the moonlander: it was all there.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm better at listening than at talking, but I do enjoy discussions about sports, music and movies, and I always like to share stories about my travel experiences.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium