Hello there!
Is Denise and Daniel here. We are an Italian - Aussie couple who lives in Bendigo, only 1.5 hours North of Melbourne.

We have hosted over 30 Couchsurfers in the past 5 years and have been met some amazing and interesting people during this time.

Guests will have their own bedroom with a queen size bed. We provide clean towels and you are welcome to use our washing machine and clothes drier. We have unlimited wi-fi.

We live 5 minutes away from the Kangaroo Flat train station. There is a bus stop 200 meters away from our house that will take you to the Bendigo CBD in approximately 20 minutes.

We have a very affectionate cat, Leo. Leo is truly part of our family and is always around for some cuddles. Please be aware that if you are allergic to cat or are scared of them our house will unfortunately not be suitable for you.
We also have four backyard chickens, so expect some fresh eggs in the morning! 🐓🐓 🐓🐓

We both work during the week but our schedule are flexible. We prefer to host people during weekends and for one night only. We don’t mind hosting solo male travellers or couples.

Our working hours can be long and we have a quiet busy schedule but we always try to get to know our guests.

We love drinking coffe, playing chess and chatting in front of a nice meal. We love to hear funny and interesting stories from our guest and are always up for a laugh.

If we are free we can show you around Bendigo: there are lots of cool things to see and experience! We live 15 minutes away from the CBD which has an abundance of amazing cafes and restaurants. Bendigo has a very vibrant food scene and has been recognised by the UNESCO as a gastronomy hotspot. Some of Bendigo tourist attractions include the Bendigo art gallery, Rosalind Park, the historic tram, the Deborah Goldmine and the Chinese museum.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We decided to be part of the CS community because we like the sense of sharing and trust between travellers that it promotes. We have hosted over 30 people in the last 7 years and we met some amazing, interesting and quirky people whom we created beautiful memories with.

Also, when we were young, CS was an important part of our travels and allowed us to travel to places that we couldn’t otherwise have afforded. Now that we have our own house we are in a position to give back!

Interests

Denise is a social worker and is completing her third year of an undergraduate psychology degree with La Trobe University. She is a also an amateur boxer and spends the majority of her free time at the gym. She likes drinking coffee, reading, crime podcasts, and going for walks. She has done many solo multi day hikes, both in Europe and Australia, the most notable being the Santiago Way (2014) and the Great Ocean Walk (2020).

Daniel runs his own small asphalting business. He likes all sort of podcasts, jiu jitsu, watching cricket and history documentaries.

• pets
• coloring
• dining
• cooking
• running
• crafts
• gardening
• movies
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• sports
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

We love playing fast chess, watching movies, listening to podcast and TV shows. Denise would read everything from novels to dictionaries :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

DENISE: when I was 19 years old, I left my home back in Italy carrying only a military backpack and decided to complete the Santiago Way alone. I crossed the entirety of French sleeping only in CS accommodations and 55 days and 1200km later I arrived in Santiago on foot. Such an amazing and challenging experience!

DANIEL: when I was 20 years old, I backpacked around South America by myself for 3 months while learning Spanish.

Teach, Learn, Share

Denise is Italian but she can also understand Spanish very well. She has been living in Australia for 10 years.

Daniel is studying Italian and studied Spanish in the past, with an intermediate level of understanding in both languages.

We love to learn about different cultures, traditions and ways of living. We like to think at our self as not judgmental, open minded and with a good sense of humor people.

Being food lovers, If you will cook us something typical from your hometown we will be absolutely amazed. Otherwise we are always up for a nice cup coffee or a game of chess! ♟

What I Can Share with Hosts

You will have your own room with a queen size bed. We can provide clean towels. You are welcome to use our washing machine, clothes drier and unlimited Wi-Fi.

We are happy to share our food and invite you to have dinner with us. We always have staples such as milk, eggs, peanut butter, bread and pasta that you are welcome to use. If you are Vegetarian/Vegan we will be more than happy to reserve a dedicated space in the fridge for you.

We do not offer transportation so if you don’t have your own car you will need to navigate the public system. We live about 20 meters away from a bus stop which will take you to town in about 20 minutes.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, England, France, French Southern Territories, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Italy, Spain