CURRENT MISSION

I am riding my motorcycle around the world to raise awareness for prostate cancer and men's health

ABOUT ME

Website - www.riderightround.org -

My first independent travel experience was a trip to Africa I took with my then girlfriend as a compromise between the US and Europe. The trip opened my eyes to so many things, not the least of which the ability of the tour guide to make or break the experience. I’d caught the bug, and there was no turning back.

After returning home I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a semester abroad, and spent my time in Springfield, Missouri in the USA. It was then to the UK and Europe. En route to Gallipoli for the ANZAC day commemoration, I visited a small island in Greece called Ios. I was there for the next three months, where I worked as a doorman and found myself drawing people into, rather than out of the bar. I continued on to the Middle East back to the USA before returning home to finish my degree.

The office for my graduate position at a financial management company gave me splendid views of the constant stream of tourist coaches dropping visitors to Melbourne. This and answering phone calls about personal investment and life insurance did little to quell my wander lust, and I decided to get my coach license and give touring a go.

A couple of months later I was on the way to Alice Springs to begin work as a tour guide, my little car packed with all the necessities of life. The training was intense and thorough, and the job the most rewarding I had ever done. From there it was to the East coast where I spent the next few years driving backpackers up and down the coast, meeting the most amazing people, and having the most amazing adventures.

I took a short break from touring to put my university education to use in Melbourne starting and running a street press magazine dedicated to reviewing bars. With my brother we started with nothing, and on good will alone were able to produce 18 monthly issues before selling the magazine.

My touring then took me to Europe, and after a generous stopover in Thailand where I undertook my first motorbike tour from Chang Mai, I headed for London. The opportunity for a job driving Aussies and Kiwis all over Europe involved a six week training course. The course took me all over Western Europe, and I spent the next two summers driving people around on their once in a lifetime ‘European experience’. The winter was spent working in a small ski village in Austria.

I returned to Australia to take stock of my direction in life, and to attempt to formalize my tourism experience by undertaking further study. I secured a job with Tourism Melbourne managing volunteers, and began my Master of Tourism at Monash University. My interest turned to developmental tourism, and the positive impacts of tourism. Tourism as a catalyst for sustainable development, pro poor tourism and the idea of tourism as ‘public diplomacy’ are my areas of interest. I want to bring the world closer together, and do it for a good cause.

PHILOSOPHY

You can do anything, just not everything.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I was an avid couch surfing host before I even knew about this site. As a traveller I am always inviting friends and friends of friends to stay. i am away from Melbourne now for another 6-8 months.

Interests

Developmenal Tourism, travel for personal diplomacy. Love a coffee or beer and people watching.

• education
• beer
• coffee
• running
• coach
• traveling
• drawing
• surfing
• skiing
• teaching
• emergency services
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Mostly text books. i am reading about the formation of the EU at the moment.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Russia was a real suprise. Riding my motorcycle through I expected it to be dodgy and scary, but everyone I met, from customs officials to police to other travellers to Russians in cities and in villagers. Amazing experiencee and a real shock to my perception.