I grew up in Adelaide, a relatively small city on the southern coast of Australia and moved to Sydney with my family when I was a teenager.

I was fortunate to be raised on the notion that if you have the opportunity to travel, just take it. So it's not unusual to find me on the road, leaving all the stability and assuredness of home behind to see how other people the world over get by.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

AirBnB, hostels, hotels and Couchsurfing.

If you're travelling solo for a while then the combination of these makes for an ideal trip. Sometimes you want the social atmosphere of a hostel, meeting other travellers in a common serendipity. Other times you want to get away from it for a while and grab your own space at hotel or AirBnB apartment.

But none of those are grounded in the simple act of sharing with your fellow man/woman/human being. That's the appeal of Couchsurfing; built on the idea that you reciprocate where you're able to do so. It's simple, brilliant and very down-to-earth.

Interests

Rock climbing: indoor, outdoor, bouldering, sport climbing. It's a constant challenge against the limits of your own strength, endurance and adaptability. It's how I fill my spare time and the activity around which I organise my weekends when I'm back home. Of course, it helps that Sydney has some fantastic climbing just beyond its metropolitan region.

When I'm after something a little less demanding, I read books and listen to a wide variety of music. It's a form of escapism from the droll of everyday life; so it's no coincidence that I tend to do less of it when I'm on the road.

• books
• environment
• traveling
• bouldering
• music
• outdoor activities
• sports
• rock climbing

Music, Movies, and Books

Where do I begin? Right now I'm reading (an English translation of) Les Miserables, which I'm told is the crusading narrative of social injustice. It's a fairly hefty book so it might keep me busy for a while! Often I'll be reading hard sci-fi or one of the many classics I may have missed out on over the years.

Then there's the music. Give me anything that oozes with passion by the artist making the music. It could be a string quartet playing live on the streets of Prague, math-driven hardcore metal with weird time signatures, devotional music from the Far-East, classic British rock and roll or heartland American and country/western. It doesn't matter. If the performer's having a good time, I will be too.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Rock climbing on the outskirts of Kathmandu in Nepal has to be high on the list.

There's a special connection you form with nature if you're a climber. You begin to realise that the Earth can be both fragile and unmoving both at the same time. When you're up on that rock face it's all on you.

There's a certain respect for nature that comes with the act of scaling its walls. The more scenic the environment, the more profound that respect tends to be.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A friendly smile, easy-going attitude, and some fantastic Aussie slang!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia