Couch-surfing is just so passé. Nowadays it's all about bench-blazing — not the whimsical arson of park benches, but the practice of arriving in alien cities or towns late at night without pre-booked accommodation and seeing what happens.
Bench-blazers don't stay in hostels or hotels, but home for the night doesn't necessarily have to be a park bench. It could be a botanical garden or a stranger's garage. Just pack a sense of adventure and be prepared for anything.
Why bench-blaze?
If luck be a bench-blazer tonight then you could be taken in by a kind stranger. If this happens then you're not only getting a bed for the night, but you're also gaining an insight into local culture. On a flight to Auckland I met a Samoan rapper who invited me back to his house in Mangere, a suburb blighted by gang wars. He fed me and gave me a bed in his garage, and although I unwittingly ended up on a drug run I got a unique insight into gangland life that I would never have experienced had I checked into the YHA.
Bench-blazing nights are often the highlight of any trip, and as a result my journal is bulging with quirky encounters. The great thing about bench-blazing is that people aren't expecting you — and in some cases you'll be spontaneously absorbed into whatever someone's doing (IE you may score an invite to a party or venture out to hunt possums).
If you don't get taken in then having nothing but a backpack for a pillow and grass for a mattress gives you a greater appreciation of all the things you have back home. And as the sun rises and you're awoken by the pitter-patter of joggers' feet, you'll be more compassionate to the plight of homeless people. Perhaps more bench-blazers means more copies of the Big Issue will be sold and, hence, more roofs over heads.
Bench-blazing is also kind to your budget. And if you do have a crap night roughing it, then you can always treat yourself to a slap-up breakfast. It has to be better than eating the cardboard cereal dished up by most hostels.
Tips for a top night
Difficult is the journey of a heavily-laden bench-blazer. Since you may have to walk a reasonable distance before you find a place to kip, don't cram half your wardrobe into your backpack. Tear yourself away from Facebook and leave the laptop at home (the less expensive and cumbersome your gear, the better). You're here to meet people and explore foreign cultures. Carrying a smaller bag draws less attention.
Bench-blazing may sound a little reckless but safety does always comes first: the idea here is to have fun by stepping outside your comfort zone, not to end up in C-Wing with multiple stab wounds. I've never had a problem because I've always followed my instinct; if you feel uneasy about crashing somewhere then trust your gut and move on.
Bench-blazing shouldn't be stressful; it should be liberating and exciting. Researching potential bench-blazing berths can be a good idea before you set off, but don't be too swayed by what you find out. Some of the best experiences stem from serendipity.
You should always have a back-up plan just in case the weather is torrential or you can't find anywhere safe. Carry the contact details of a hostel or two as well as a mobile so you can ring them. Only abort a bench-blazing mission at the last possible moment — you never know when something magical might happen.
Location, location
Don't go loco in Mexico City — choose your destination wisely. Bench-blazing in downtown Baghdad is a definite no-no. Be aware of any civil unrest, of dangerous and poisonous wildlife and of the climate. Bench-blazing in summer is a lot more fun than roughing it on a frosty winter's night (although that's not to say you can't do it). Only pick areas in which you envisage it'll be fun to sleep under the stars. I enjoy staying in cities that have lots of parks. Ideally though, you'll find a Good Samaritan who'll take you in. Find a local bar and chat to the patrons — something may eventuate. Don't be a desperado though, just tell them what you're doing and they might tune into it.
If sleeping rough, then be a stick insect and merge with your surroundings. Look for places away from main drinking drags. A bench-blazer's nirvana is a weeping willow tree because it cocoons and shields you from prying eyes. And there are few things better than waking up to the sun peeking through the leaves. Find shelter if the weather forecast is looking dodgy and avoid sleeping in areas prone to flash flooding unless you've packed a snorkel.
One night I was bench-blazing in Melbourne and I wandered into a sports grandstand that overlooked a park, with the city skyline as a backdrop. It seemed perfect until I realised I was on a vagrant's patch. Sleeping in that grandstand would've been akin to that vagrant wandering into my living room uninvited and crashing on the couch. Some areas are off limits and you have to respect that.
Bonza bench-blazing destination in Oz
Tasmania rules when it comes to BB (not to be confused with B&B). I've had nothing but great experiences there. I've ended up in a farmer's caravan near Tomahawk. I've scoffed beef stew with an 80-year-old man in Smithton who let me sleep on the floor of his tin shed next to a swearing cockatoo. But my favourite all-time bench-blaze on the Apple Isle was when I turned up in
Burnie soaking wet and buggered after a 14-day bike ride. I was taken in by an elderly woman who fed me rhubarb crumble and told me about the time she beat
Rolf Harris at tennis.
In this xenophobic age bench-blazing is something that can reaffirm the decency of strangers. So far away from home it is comforting to know that the breast of human kindness still lactates.
Have you, or would you ever bench-blaze? Or is this guy a lunatic? Have your say in the comments field below.
