Nicknamed by the Italians: ORLANDO.

Retired 2014 & bought a boat. October 2015 sailed from San Francisco. Via Mexico, French Polynesia, Tonga, Fiji, NZ, to Australia June 2017. Bought a car & drove Cairns to Melbourne. Then a mate asked if I’d help sail his new/old boat from Geelong to Brisbane. That’s done, so resuming my car tour.

I’m 5’ 10”, 170 lb, fit but not highly athletic. I’ve visited most continents & lived on 3.

Enjoy meeting people from all over & Oz has that. Fond of varied cuisines - especially chocolate & guacamole, music, dancing rock & swing, museums, hiking, skiing, SCUBA, snorkeling,

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Wanting to meet people & learn about the area.

I’m traveling, so I can’t host.

Interests

• culture
• swing dancing
• dining
• chocolate
• coffee
• technology
• socializing
• classical music
• jazz
• rock music
• cycling
• hiking
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• sailing
• tourism
• museums
• hot springs
• guacamole
• east coast swing
• dixieland music

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Winged Migration, Delicatessen, 2001

Music: Dig Dig by Rene Lacaille, Benny Goodman, Thelonious Monk, Yma Sumac, Ottmar Liebert, Beach Boys, Beatles

Books: The Botany of Desire, Guns Germs & Steel, 1491

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Survived sailing passages in NZ & Australian waters, including a gale, The RIP, and Bass Strait

Teach, Learn, Share

My mission has been to offer physics demonstrations at the islands I’ve visited. It has been great fun, and very satisfying. In the process, I’ve been adopted on two islands, allowing me to gain insight into other cultures. Since they would not accept money, I shared my handyman skills to help repair things.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I’m pleased to share my pictures and stories of home and travels, as well as fix-it skills.

Countries I’ve Visited

Anguilla, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Canada, China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Niue, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin (French part), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), South Korea, Tonga, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Italy, Libya, New Zealand, United States