- LIFE -

I'm a New Zealander currently living in Melbourne, Australia for half of every year and travelling the other half. When I'm not travelling, my time is usually divided between working, hiking, cooking, gardening and socialising with friends. I've been vegan for 18 years. I have a BSc in both Zoology and Psychology however I work as a creative. I'm heavily tattooed courtesy of a lot of beautiful artists I know allowing me to be their canvas. I respect the artistic process, body modification/decoration and permanence of tattooing but am in no way a badass haha. Tattooing is a cultural norm in NZ. I'm a multi-instrumentalist, predominantly piano, guitar, clarinet, flute and sax. I live an ethical minimalist partially-nomadic lifestyle and try to push my own boundaries often. As far as my personality goes, I'm very down to earth, open-minded and light-hearted. I enjoy a good chat and a good laugh with good people - life doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

- WORK -

I've had many jobs over the years - everything from cleaning, making coffee, office admin and selling dresses through to working on the end of a chainsaw in regenerative forestry, making housing insulation and recording bands! However, I've had my own business for about 18 years as a corsetiere and costumer; and am aiming to transition into hiking guide work by 2024.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I would rather meet and stay with locals than just stay with other tourists, removed from the people and culture. Connection and sharing with others is infinitely more valuable than comfort or convenience.

Interests

• animals
• design
• tattoos
• animal welfare
• philanthropy
• vegan
• yoga
• crossfit
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• marine science
• philosophy
• psychology
• quantum physics
• performance art
• weightlifting
• astrophysics
• mixed martial arts

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Tech Metal, Acoustic Singer/Songwriter, Prog, Post Metal, Sludge, Hardcore, Jazz, Experimental.

Film: Mr Nobody, Earthlings, Cosmos, Free Solo, Stand-up Comedy, anything funny or thought-provoking.

Text: Shantaram, The Alchemist, Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth, Tao Te Ching

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- Drove solo around EU for 4 months.

- Hiked Hardergrat - Brienzergrat, including the infamous Tannhorn in Switzerland.

- Climbed the Via Ferrata Donnerkogel in Austria, including the 40m long wire ladder suspended between the two mountains.

- Hiked through the Southern Alps of NZ.

- Swam with wild dolphins in Kaikoura, NZ.

- Kayaked to Donut Island in NZ - a secret beach inside an island!

- Got picked up whilst hitch-hiking by 3 newly released prison inmates in a stolen car (who didn't kill me haha)!

- Crowdfunded to directly supply schools and orphanages in The Gambia.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm always keen to learn new things and share experiences with people.

I'm happy to share my knowledge about music, philosophy, psychology, environmental awareness, vegan cooking, Maori language/dance/culture, Pacific Island language/dance/culture, NZ/AUS travel tips, yoga, business, social media marketing or just generally share life stories!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, New Zealand