I grew up in a town called Albury on the Murray River, which borders New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. I started travelling the east coast of Australia at 18, returned to Albury when I was nearly 20. I then decided to travel to the Netherlands in 2000. That didn't work so I moved to London, UK with 300 pounds in my pocket. I found a job and ended up staying for 4 years!!
I moved back to Australia eventually; fathered 2 amazing children, completed an honours degree in Environmental Science (Marine Biology). The kids got a little older and I realised I could both be a dad and start taking trips over seas again, going to bands and adventuring in general!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couch surfing because the only way to really get to know a place is to meet the locals and experience the 'real' culture; not just the touristy areas.
I hope to meet people who want to do the same!

Interests

Travel, immersing myself in different cultures. I like to get the 'real' experience of a country/culture. Off the beaten track as we say in Oz.
I try to learn to authentically prepare and cook at least one local dish from every area I travel to.
I love fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, motorbikes, reading, science, debating, exploring, MUSIC, cinema, art.....

• arts
• culture
• books
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• fishing
• surfing
• scuba diving
• track and field
• biology
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Books- all Robin Hobb; Peter F. Hamilton; the Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns; To Kill a Mocking Bird; Lord of the Flies; Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and many, many more.

Movies - The Dark Crystal; The Never Ending Story; Labyrinth; The Dead Poets Society; most Marvel movies; Monty Python and the list goes on.

Blues! Rock, Folk, Metal such as Tool and Metallica, zydeco, some Bluegrass, Guns n Roses, Led Zeppelin, Vivaldi and so much more. The last concert I saw was Florence and The Machine at Red Rocks amphitheatre in Colorado. Last New Years I was at a Folk Festival in the mountains in Victoria, Australia listening to Celtic/Folk music around campfires....

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing I've done is father two incredible, beautiful children.

Other than that I've done a lot of fun, crazy stuff.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you about the environment and science. I can teach you about Australian culture and how to play the didgeridoo.
I can teach you to cook dishes from a few different cultures.
I want to learn about your culture. The secret spots the locals know but the tourists don't!
We can share a laugh, some food and an adventure or two!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories and experiences from my life, someone who wants to hear about your experiences; a good laugh, good food, beer, single malt scotch.
I can suggest books you might like (if you're a reader). I would hope to share my love of food, music and culture but most of all I can provide a friendly to visit next time they travel to Australia!!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United Kingdom, United States