CURRENT MISSION

I have successfully fulfilled my mission! I wanted to visit 50 countries and all 7 continents and I did it! Achieved my goal in Nov 2006. Now trying to think up a new mission...

ABOUT ME

I just love travelling! I can't get enough of going to new places and immersing myself in the culture. I have enjoyed a vegan diet for several years now and had been vegetarian pretty much my whole life. I was told by a Buddhist Monk I have great karma as I had chosen not to eat meat as a young child who only knew the ways of her carnivorous family. As a teenager I was teased about being some kind of tree hugging hippy as a vegetarian child was unheard of! Over the years I understood the association and became aware of the destruction of the environment and ultimately planet Earth. Knowing this was just too much for one person to cover every aspect, I decided to focus on the marine environment since learningn to dive in 2000. I am a realist - I know I can't save the world on my own but hopefully I will contribute to saving a small part of the fragile marine environment for future generations.

PHILOSOPHY

Live each day as if it were your last. (Yes that means maxing out the Mastercard without guilt!)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have surfed couches all over the world and have managed to travel through Europe thanks to the kindness of friends allowing me to camp on their couches! I have lots of friends in many countries who I have met through diving, crewing on the Sea Shepherd flagship the Farley Mowat and being a homestay provider for 7 years. I hosted international students learning English when I lived in Perth. It was a great way to learn about other cultures, make new friends and have places to stay and friends to sightsee with on my travels.

Interests

Travelling, scuba diving, marine conservation, photography, spending time with friends, watching movies and reading Lonely Planets to plan my next adventure.

• culture
• photography
• environment
• vegetarian
• vegan
• dieting
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• camping
• scuba diving
• rock climbing

Music, Movies, and Books

I love watching movies although most are viewed while on planes as I never seem to have any free time! I will listen to any music and enjoy pretty much everything. If only there was time to read the huge amount of books I have acquired. When I do read they will be books about travelling, diving, shipwreck history or environmental causes.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have been to so many amazing places, seen so many amazing things, met so many amazing people and achieved some amazing feats. Diving the Blue Hole in Belize, Cenotes in Mexico, crystal clear waters of Papua New Guinea, Tahiti and Sipadan, large shark encounters in Fiji and Indonesia and seeing whale sharks, manta rays and dugongs at Ningaloo Reef were my most breathtaking dives. Going to Antarctica and witnessing hundreds of whales, seals and penguins in their untouched paradise would be the most incredible life experience. Climbing a volcano in Guatemala during a lightning storm was just plain crazy!

Countries I’ve Visited

Antarctica, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Cook Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Russian Federation, Réunion, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, New Zealand