I'm a retired mental health worker who lives alone except when my partner who lives on the other side of the Island visits. I usually spend the bigger fine weather windows alone or with her or others in the mountains, hiking, climbing, or fixing up remote back-country huts and tracks. When I'm home and it's fine I'm usually out on my bike, kayaking on the lake, playing my guitar, reading sometimes, or indulging in a range of petty addictions. When it's raining I potter around and invent tasks to try and avoid painting, or head over the hill for a bit of sunshine. I'm an optimist and believe humans have a vast untapped potential when not preoccupied with destroying the planet and each other. I'm very keen to learn how to learn and understand more about this unfathomable universe in order to be of more benefit to the greater good.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm not a new member of Couchsurfing. I was on it for many years as a host in Christchurch and later here in Ruatapu. Got pissed off with them putting up a paywall up and left for a while but decided to join again because I missed connecting with all those wonderful people and shared experiences. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to retrieve any of my old profile data, references and contacts. It was all wiped. Real travel as opposed to tourism is much more than an accumulation of experiences dictated by algorithms. It's an inward journey that helps us realise our commonality as humans. Connections that lead to more connections and who knows where after nthat.

Interests

• photography
• reading
• painting
• music
• guitar
• learning
• climbing
• tramping
• beachcombing

Music, Movies, and Books

Have 20,000 songs on my iTunes randomly shuffling through the decades. Just about every genre except classic hits, country and western, and Beyonce. Have a pretty eclectic bookcase, mostly non-fiction, but an ass laden with books is still an ass.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Just getting to the age of 68 in relatively good health with all I need materially, and some good people in my life, is pretty damn amazing and worth being immensely grateful for. The incredible improbability of there being a me in the first place. 13 billion years of seemingly random cosmic violence, leading to the formation a small life-sustaining planet on the edge of a galaxy, on which in the late 1950s, two dysfunctional human beings managed to get it together for long enough to make a kid. Amazing!

Teach, Learn, Share

That's what we're here for. I'm happy to share the information and ideas I've accumulated. Mental Health, philosophy, knowledge, painting, music, and outdoor skills.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My company, my home, and the magnificent natural environment of the central Southern Alps.

Countries I’ve Visited

Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mali, Morocco, Netherlands, Niger, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Togo, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, New Zealand