BegPacking, would you? Could you?

razorblunt

http://www.traveller.com.au/cashless-couple-rely-on-charity-dumpster-diving-to-travel-around-new-zealand-h0vtl5#ixzz56af5wgXM

Cashless couple rely on charity, dumpster diving to travel around New Zealand
Virginia Fallon


If you don't mind eating occasionally at a soup kitchen, a lack of cash is no barrier to seeing a country.

German tourist Anna Karg and partner Enoch Orious, both 25, set out from Auckland on holiday two weeks ago and so far haven't spent a thing.

The pair have eschewed money in favour of trading, dumpster-diving, charity and the kindness of strangers.

After New Zealand, they hope to work their passage to Australia, and ultimately the world.

"It's about living our truth, and showing people how much love there is out there in the world," Orious said.

But their behaviour has not impressed Wellington city councillor Brian Dawson, who said people should use soup kitchens out of need, rather than choice.

"It does annoy me that people think it's a way to get around the country on the cheap," he said.

It was not the first time he had heard about tourists relying on social services. "There's a huge difference between doing this for a cheap holiday, knowing that afterwards you can return to another lifestyle."

The practice of "beg-packing" by European travellers, particularly in southeast Asia, attracted huge criticism last year.

Thai authorities now demand that tourists prove to immigration officers they have 20,000 baht ($A806) in cash on them before they are allowed into the country.

Karg and Orious, both 25, met three months ago at Wilderland, a sustainable-living community in the Coromandel, New Zealand.

They believed in trading goods, working for accommodation, and minimising resources, even going as far as not showering, Orious said.

"We just don't want to be part of the rat race any more. We know we can live without money – we just wanted to see if we can travel without money."

They won't accept money or allow people to pay for things they need. Instead they approach businesses to ask for unwanted food, and raid rubbish bins for produce still good enough to eat.

Orious denied that, by eating in the Sisters of Compassion soup kitchen in Tory St, central Wellington, they were using resources needed for the genuinely homeless or impoverished.

"We're in the same boat as them really. A lot of them have incomes, but it's a service that's been provided.

"We're not taking it from people who need more. We're all there for the same thing."

Karg said the pair had "back-up money", but had not been tempted to use it, although they came close a few nights ago.

Arriving in Wellington on Tuesday, too late to find a bed or pitch their tent, they sat on the dark street with a sign asking for a couch to sleep on.

"A nice person said we could go to the internet cafe, and they let us sleep there."

The pair were currently looking for a boat they could travel on to the South Island, and hoped they could swap labour for their passage to Australia when Karg's visa runs out in March.

Couple meet in a NZ commune, that uses minimal resources (they often went without showers). Are now travelling NZ and hope to move onto Australia.
They dip into bins for food that can still be eaten.

They don't accept money or let people buy them things.

Could I? No
Would I? No

In a way they're harmless enough so let them be, but the whole bin dipping things is just ridiculous.

Gravelly

razorblunt wrote: »

http://www.traveller.com.au/cashless-couple-rely-on-charity-dumpster-diving-to-travel-around-new-zealand-h0vtl5#ixzz56af5wgXM



Couple meet in a NZ commune, that uses minimal resources (they often went without showers). Are now travelling NZ and hope to move onto Australia.
They dip into bins for food that can still be eaten.

They don't accept money or let people buy them things.

Could I? No
Would I? No

In a way they're harmless enough so let them be, but the whole bin dipping things is just ridiculous.

Like a lot of things these days, being a bum has been given a more politically correct name.

FTA69

If you can afford a plane ticket you can afford to pay for your own food and accommodation instead of poncing off some of the poorest people in the world. Nothing worse than smelly, entitled hippies.

fash

Their justification for choosing to take food from services for poor people who have no choice is rather nauseating.

Ficheall

razorblunt wrote: »

In a way they're harmless enough so let them be, but the whole bin dipping things is just ridiculous.

I would have said that the dumpster-diving was the only part of it that wasn't a bit of a sh1tty thing to do.

biko

Fair play to them

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Tossers.

endacl

Living her truth = I want stuff to be free.

Boom_Bap

If that's what they are into, that's what they are into.

But they should not be using the soup kitchens, that's taking away 2 meals from people that genuinely need it.

Neyite

"they have money but prefer not to use it"

Contender for the stinge thread I think.

Red_Wake

I tried bangpacking, it's where I trade sexual services for goods and accommodation while travelling.

Hector Savage

I hate stingy ****ing layabouts like this.
I have met people like them on my travels, they have no f*cking shame, exploiting people asking them for food when they have just cooked it so they are under pressure to say yes, bumming cigarettes, picking butts of the floor to finish them !!

just scummy .

And one girl was stealing from her roomates...

super_furry

Orious denied that, by eating in the Sisters of Compassion soup kitchen in Tory St, central Wellington, they were using resources needed for the genuinely homeless or impoverished.

"We're in the same boat as them really. A lot of them have incomes, but it's a service that's been provided.

"We're not taking it from people who need more. We're all there for the same thing."

Arseholes. Greedy selfish arseholes.

Hector Savage

Just saw their photo.


Yeah.

Guy:Incognito

biko wrote: »

Fair play to them

Eating in soup kitchens by choice when they can afford not too, really? Stealing from charity.

Peatys

Same as the hippie i gave a lift to from swinford to finglas.. all the while he was telling me about his frugal living, i was telling him it was only possible through the charity of others. All of a sudden he had no problem with the harmful co2 emitting diesel car he was getting a lift in, as long as he wasn't the one who bought it.

How are these two planning on getting out of New Zealand? Swim? Ethically build a canoe? Doubt it. It'll either be a multi million boat or plane, both pumping out the planet destroying gases. But as long as our pair don't shower, sure isn't that the main thing.

Peatys

biko wrote: »

Fair play to them

Fair play to them what?
Sticking to their morals? Or getting an all expenses paid trip around the world paid for by suckers?

jamesbere

They shouldn't be taking from service's for homeless people. That's not right. If they want a cheap holiday that's fine but buy your own food and don't take away from the needy

Harry Palmr

It's remarkable what people with brass entitled necks will do for a free lunch in the name of the environment. Anyone who thinks this is somehow noble is a sucker.

Ajsoprano

If my children were doing this I’d feel like I failed as a parent.