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ABOUT BEN
Ben was born in 1973, in South Australia, the driest
state in the driest continent on Earth. Perhaps
significantly, perhaps not, he grew up in a city that
was once reputed to be one of two ports in the world
where visiting ships refused to take on water.
As a boy, when not indulging a ravenous appetite for
playing sport – especially cricket, soccer and
Australian Rules football – he could be found with
his nose planted firmly in an atlas. By the age of
ten, an unnatural love of geography saw him able to
rattle off the capital, and basic statistics of almost
every country on Earth.
state in the driest continent on Earth. Perhaps
significantly, perhaps not, he grew up in a city that
was once reputed to be one of two ports in the world
where visiting ships refused to take on water.
As a boy, when not indulging a ravenous appetite for
playing sport – especially cricket, soccer and
Australian Rules football – he could be found with
his nose planted firmly in an atlas. By the age of
ten, an unnatural love of geography saw him able to
rattle off the capital, and basic statistics of almost
every country on Earth.
Having flirted with the idea of a career in the navy, he entered university with the short-
lived intention of becoming a biochemist. Ultimately, a long time passion for nature
documentaries and a growing environmental ethic saw him pursue majors in Zoology
and Botany.
However, a critical turning point came midway through the third year of his degree.
With only six months remaining, and with the protests of his parents ringing loudly in
his ears, the decision was made to put study on ice. Tired of life as a poor student,
and nurturing a plan to drive around Australia, he worked three jobs simultaneously,
which included a year of getting up at three o’clock every morning to deliver bread for a
bakery. Then, having repaired his ailing Datsun, he hit the road.
He got as far as Queensland and there spent several months getting his hands dirty
as a conservation volunteer. His interest in restoring the damage done to the
Australian environment took him all over that state planting trees, attacking noxious
weeds and building educational walking trails.
During a two year stint as a team leader on such projects, Ben had the great fortune of
working with people from all over the world. Inspired by the many stories they told him
about their homelands, and with a lot of places to stay, he left Australia to backpack
around Europe.
He returned to Australia more than a year later, headed back to Queensland and
again worked in conservation, firmly believing that the rest of his life would be
dedicated to the service of the environment. Yet the seed of something else had been
planted. A travel bug, a particularly potent variety of travel bug, conspired with the long
neglected storyteller within to demand a review of career paths.
Oblivious to this period of self re-evaluation, an old backpacking companion named
Colin Angus proposed a trip across South America. Ben was ripe for the picking.
Less than a year later, he found himself peering at the Atlantic Ocean, a member of
only the third team ever to successfully trace the entire 6700 kilometre length of the
Amazon River. It must be said that the murky brown water rather reminded him of
home.
Although he proclaimed the Amazon journey to be a distinct aberration in a life of
much subtler types of wandering, a follow-up expedition was brewing soon enough.
Ben and Colin recruited two others for another long river journey, this time along the
world's fifth longest waterway – the Yenisey. Traversing Mongolia and Siberia with the
aid of kayaks, a rubber raft and an old wooden boat, they became the first people to go
down the full length of the Yenisey.
In the period since coming back from Siberia, Ben has written extensively about each
of these adventures. He has also finished off his science degree at last, and even
gone on to complete some postgraduate study. He currently lives in Melbourne,
where he divides his time between taming his toddler son, high school teaching,
freelance writing, paddling his inflatable kayak, and hatching plans for a journey
through Saharan North Africa.
lived intention of becoming a biochemist. Ultimately, a long time passion for nature
documentaries and a growing environmental ethic saw him pursue majors in Zoology
and Botany.
However, a critical turning point came midway through the third year of his degree.
With only six months remaining, and with the protests of his parents ringing loudly in
his ears, the decision was made to put study on ice. Tired of life as a poor student,
and nurturing a plan to drive around Australia, he worked three jobs simultaneously,
which included a year of getting up at three o’clock every morning to deliver bread for a
bakery. Then, having repaired his ailing Datsun, he hit the road.
He got as far as Queensland and there spent several months getting his hands dirty
as a conservation volunteer. His interest in restoring the damage done to the
Australian environment took him all over that state planting trees, attacking noxious
weeds and building educational walking trails.
During a two year stint as a team leader on such projects, Ben had the great fortune of
working with people from all over the world. Inspired by the many stories they told him
about their homelands, and with a lot of places to stay, he left Australia to backpack
around Europe.
He returned to Australia more than a year later, headed back to Queensland and
again worked in conservation, firmly believing that the rest of his life would be
dedicated to the service of the environment. Yet the seed of something else had been
planted. A travel bug, a particularly potent variety of travel bug, conspired with the long
neglected storyteller within to demand a review of career paths.
Oblivious to this period of self re-evaluation, an old backpacking companion named
Colin Angus proposed a trip across South America. Ben was ripe for the picking.
Less than a year later, he found himself peering at the Atlantic Ocean, a member of
only the third team ever to successfully trace the entire 6700 kilometre length of the
Amazon River. It must be said that the murky brown water rather reminded him of
home.
Although he proclaimed the Amazon journey to be a distinct aberration in a life of
much subtler types of wandering, a follow-up expedition was brewing soon enough.
Ben and Colin recruited two others for another long river journey, this time along the
world's fifth longest waterway – the Yenisey. Traversing Mongolia and Siberia with the
aid of kayaks, a rubber raft and an old wooden boat, they became the first people to go
down the full length of the Yenisey.
In the period since coming back from Siberia, Ben has written extensively about each
of these adventures. He has also finished off his science degree at last, and even
gone on to complete some postgraduate study. He currently lives in Melbourne,
where he divides his time between taming his toddler son, high school teaching,
freelance writing, paddling his inflatable kayak, and hatching plans for a journey
through Saharan North Africa.
