Hi, I'm Ellen. I am from Australia. I was born in Newcastle, moved to the Coffs Coast at a young age and have lived there since, it's beautiful. I did move to "the country" (Armidale) for University and have spent some time traveling, including a three month stay in New Zealand which I am currently still enjoying. I have spent a large portion of my life studying, so at the moment I'm taking some time to adventure and ponder the deeper meaning of life before throwing myself into the next job or qualification.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am on Couchsurfing because I believe that living and traveling can be simpler than working hard to save up for a luxurious 2 week holiday and then returning to our crappy jobs for the rest of the year. I want to live and travel more sustainably and enable others to do the same. I now prefer to spend my time abroad connecting with locals and getting to know areas more intimately rather than staying in hotels and sticking to the tourist route. I would also love to be able to show others the highlights of my home town and am always happy to give people advice on where I live.

Interests

I feel happier being outside, whether it is doing something or just sitting around taking it all in. I love being in the ocean and am trying to learn how to surf, although I'm pretty hopeless! I enjoy hiking and bushwalking. In the future I am hoping to challenge myself more with some overnight hikes and harder hikes. I like to read inspiring books. Lately I have been trying to introduce some meditation and yoga into my life. I am interested in advocating for social causes I believe in. I hope to be able to do something amazing with my degree one day.

Music, Movies, and Books

I absolutely love the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (books and movies). I don't watch a lot of tv, I do tend to enjoy documentaries on the environment and travel. Oh and like most people I'll totally devour a season of Game of Thrones. Fight Club would have to be one of my favourite movies and has helped to shape my view of life.

Otherwise I have been enjoying non-fiction stuff lately. The best books I have read lately are Eat Pray Love, Into the Wild and The Power of Now.

New music I am listening to at the moment includes Jack Garrat, Grimes, Fidlar, Violent Soho, Tame Impala, PUP, James Blake. I tend to like 90s stuff, such as Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. I went through a phase of liking heavier stuff and still enjoy bands like Slipknot and System of a Down. I fell in love with Arcade Fire after seeing them a couple years ago and would have to say they are my favourite band.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Definitely volunteering with DOC NZ in Curio Bay as a ranger to protect the rarest penguin in the world. Sometimes I want to pinch myself to make sure the experience is real! I have spent my days swimming with the dolphins at the beach and my nights monitoring penguins and meeting people from all over the world. It has been incredible and I can only hope I can continue to have such amazing experiences in my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share my new penguin knowledge with you! I can play very basic guitar, perhaps I can teach you some if you don't already play.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I always like to clean up after myself and can help people with general chores. I am happy to cook. I'll bring my partner Brad along, he makes great gnocchi ;) I enjoy making pizzas with Brad, he makes the bases from scratch and I enjoy experimenting with toppings and flavours.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cook Islands, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, New Zealand