CURRENT MISSION

To settle back into kiwi life after returning from my big Overseas Experience. Must save for more travel ;p

ABOUT ME

That most of the time I'm exceedingly honest and frank, determined and energetic, cheerful and good company.

PHILOSOPHY

I want to help those who need it and connect with people along the way. Do my best to make the world a better place :) "No one is useless who eases the burdens of others." Worthwhile work is that where a positive change is made on the world.

"Feel the fear and do it anyway", I try not to let fear hold me back from trying new things.

He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata... It is people, it is people, it is people for sure ;p Happiness is only real when shared but joy can be found in everything, everywhere.

Life rewards action. Dreams only work, if you do. Perfection is unattainable but in it's pursuit excellence is achieved. Things don't get easier, you just get better!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Went to events in London to meet people and find others to travel with. My favourite was Monday Movie night which I attended regularly as the people are lovely and the movies can be pretty good too. Have hosted but would like to do more in the future when I have my own place. I'm keen to look into events in my hometown.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have stayed on couches in Salzburg, Budapest, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Cardiff, Madrid, Paris and Wroclaw.

Interests

I like to try and be fit and healthy. I like music, movies, reading and spending time with friends.

• arts
• culture
• books
• beauty
• festivals
• dancing
• dining
• cheese
• beer
• running
• partying
• shopping
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• skydiving
• sports
• swimming
• netball
• communications
• history
• science
• beaches
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Acts I've seen live include M.I.A, tool, SOUNDGARDEN, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, john butler trio, RAMSTEIN, wolfmother, THE LIVING END, naked&famous, FOSTER THE PEOPLE, phoenix foundation, GIN WIGMORE, knives at noon, NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS, P MONEY, KIMBRA, MIDNIGHT YOUTH, SIX60, I AM GIANT, Black Eyed Peas/LMFAO, Paramore, The Datsuns, Foo Fighters, Rolling Stones/Nickelback, James Blunt, Shihad, Elemeno P, Katchafire, Black Seeds, Kids of 88, Savage, the Babysitters Circus, Smashing Pumpkins, Robbie Williams, Blindspott, The Feelers, Salmonella Dub, Dane Rumble, Nesian Mystick. Like rock, pop, a bit of electronic, dub, old stuff, NZ artists etc. Like White stripes, Incubus, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, System of a Down, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Bruno Mars, Pharrell, Jack Johnson, Ed Sheeran, One Republic, Kanye West, Keri Hilson, Ke$ha, Kelis, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Jet, Sublime, Outkast, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Tom Petty, Brooke Fraser, Bic Runga, Anika Moa and would love to see some divas like Beyonce, Pink, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Shakira, Rhianna, Avril Lavigne etc.

Fav movies include Action, Drama, Comedy and Thrillers - Me before you, Into the Wild, magician movies, Matrix, Quentin Tarantino movies, Life is Beautiful, 10 things I hate about you, Sin City, Sweetest Thing, Moulin Rouge and Gladiator. Liked Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, 127 hours, Brokedown Palace, American History X, the Avengers, Silver Linings, Now You See Me, American Hustle and Wolf of Wall St! NZ movies - Boy, Whale Rider etc Like movies based on a true story like The Impossible. Fav actor's prob Tom Hanks. Guilty pleasure is trashy chick flicks including Love Actually, Pitch Perfect, Knocked Up, Notebook, Charlie's Angels, Bridget Jones, Notting Hill, About a Boy, Hunger Games.

Jodi Picoult, Phillipa Gregory, John Marsden and Phillip Pullman books, the Alchemist, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mao's Last Dancer, Angelas Ashes, the Horse Whisperer, Chocolat, Sleepers, Power of One and Twilight. My book case and DVD collection is on the other side of the world so struggling to remember :(

Fan of Game of Thrones, Grey's Anatomy, Homeland, True Blood and Talent Reality Shows.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

OK, basically using this section as my travel bio: The latest highlights are Las Vegas lights, Grand Canyon's colours, Houston, Miami's Art Deco, St Pete's Beach, Key West Martini, Florida City wine cellar &dessert lounge, Pensacola, New Orleans sounds. Singapore's Zoo!

One thing, so hard to choose! 6 countries in 7 days - Croatia's Dubrovnik to Italy's Pompeii via Austria, then back up to Milan and on to Portugal's Porto via Paris and Spain. A week without a bed sleeping on public transport and station's.

Iceland's Golden Circle, Croatia's Plitvice national park & old town's, Porto's port tastings, Cinque Terre views, Santorini's scenery, Pemukkale's hot pools, Nice's waterfront, Rome and Athen's ancient ruins, Vatican's church, Venice's canals, Florence's sculpture, Monacco's richness, Switzerland's snowy mountains, Amsterdam's fun???

I lived in London for 2 years, it takes some getting use to but one grows to love it. It's huge! There's always something new to see and do. Every night is as big as the next so no need to wait for the weekend to go out and enjoy yourself. I loved being in the Abbey, historic palaces and Tower of London after previously experiencing them in books and media. St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster and the Eye are spectacular. The museums, parks and markets are fantastic public treasures, my favourites being dinosaur bones at the Natural History museum and Spittlefields. The Harry Potter sights are fun too ;p

Paris was the only European city I visited twice because like London there's so much to do and see there. Versaille Palace and it's gardens are truly spectacular and the Louvre is a marvelous building indeed.

Stonehenge was memeorable & Bath lovely. Enjoyed the history of Belfast and seeing the Northern Irish countryside including Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Denmark's royal stables were a bit different and Palace beautiful. Berlin's Wall and Museum island impressed, particularly seeing the Gates of Babylon. Wroclaw and it's gnomes were gorgeous, Warsaw and Krakow old town's were really nice. Ruins galore in Pompeii and loved Milan's cathedral, especially from the roof! Morroco was an eye-opening experience, would recommend sticking to Marrakesh as Fez was a bit out of my comfort zone. Was wonderful to see important Egyptian structures up close and swim in the famous river Nile!

Day trips to Caterbury, Oxford, Cambridge and Salisbury give different impressions of English life and all have beauty in common.

Naples and the Greek Island beaches's including Mykonos and Paros was a fun experience to share with my parents after not seeing them for a year and a half.

Belgium waffles and Balfry tower in Bruges. The town square, Cherry Beer and Atomium in Brussels. Christmas Kisses in the Belgium Markets (marshmellow with vanilla in choc ;p). Cheese and windmill in Sluis, Netherlands. Champers tasting in the capital of the Champagne region of France and the real French chateaux Pierrefonds where the Man in the Iron Mask and Merlin was filmed!

Austria's charm, Budapest's culture, Ibiza's party, Pamplona's San Fermin - Running with the Bulls Festival, San Sabastian's food, Madrid's art, Granada's views, Valencia's Science and Marine Park, Barcelona's Gaudi, Biarritz's relaxation, Stockholm's Skansen, Liverpool's museums, York's castle, Stratford-Upon-Avon's theatre, Wales's scenery, Ireland's Cliffs of Mohar, Scotland's Isle of Skye and Houssteads' Roman Fort and Newcastle's river lights at night were all highlights as well.

Dubai and then Prague was an amazing contrast to experience. Felt like I was on a movie set in Prague and Dubai looked like there was a competition to see who could create the most unique building... AMAZING.

The luxury of the Dubai hotels was unbelievable. The Grand Mosque and swimming in the waters of the Palm Jumeirah with the Burj Al Arab in the background (the fourth tallest hotel in the world, in the shape of the sail of a ship) was surreal. Views from the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) and the dancing fountains were also impressive.

The Gold Coast beach, Melbourne's shopping, Perth's lifestyle, Bali's uniqueness and swim-up bar with ocean views, Hawaii's paradise, LA's Beverley Hill's/Hollywood/Boardwalk, Washington DC's White House, New York's Broadway and Statue of Liberty, Niagra Falls, Toronto's nature.

Awestruck moments at home include skydiving, bungy jumping and water rafting.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to hongi (it's a Maori traditional greeting) and share some knowledge of Australasia and Europe. I love learning about other cultures and places if you'd like to reciprocate.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I've learnt that the sport of netball isn't worldwide so can tell you about that.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United Kingdom

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