Expenews

Kate has cycled a distance equivalent to twice around the world at the Equator on her major expeditions. In August 2010, Kate became the first person to cycle an unbroken line from Africa’s most westerly to its most easterly point, from Cap Vert, Senegal to Cape Hafun, Somalia. Kate has two previous world firsts under her belt – the Trans-Siberian Cycle Expedition (1993) when she became the first woman to cycle across the new Russia unsupported, and the Great Australian Cycle Expedition (2004/05) which included the first bicycle crossing of the Canning Stock Route by a woman. Kate has published two books, Out There and Back, the story of the 25,000km Great Australian Cycle Expedition (2007) and Njinga, Breaking the Cycle in Africa (2014) and made an award-winning feature documentary, also titled Njinga. In between expeditions, Kate works as a real tennis professional, having been ranked as high as World No.2 and winning 5 Australian Open singles titles. In March 2016 Kate was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education degree from The University of Western Australia for her services to education and the community. She is a Scout Ambassador, a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (UK) and a member of The Explorers Club (New York).

England born, Michael went to school in France in his teens; in his early twenties he hiked solo across nearly 30 countries all over Europe. Later he visited various destinations in the Middle East as an accomplished photographer and cameraman; and in South Africa, Southeast Asia and the Americas he worked as a tool designer in the automotive sector. Petrolhead that he is, his heart beats for vintage cars and motorcycles, restoring them in his free time and using them for the tasks for which they were originally intended; amongst others he drove his wife Elisabeth, son Tristan and dog Buddy on a 5,500 km round trip across the Alps to Sicily and back in a 1963 Series IIA 109 Land Rover Station Wagon, living in a tent. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast, travelling is his way of life. His other passion is writing…one thing led to another and since 2016, Michael, now based in Germany, is the publisher of Overland Journal for all of Europe.