Tassie trek for Boorman’s Bike

To paraphrase, it was once said of Charley Boorman’s father, the film maker John Boorman, that ‘he made films set in alien environments about people who where stranded and desperate’. In a case of life imitating art, Charley, as well as careers as actor and writer, has found himself in many alien environments in his other career as intrepid motorcycle adventurer. Having driven in many places around the world he has on occasion felt a bit stranded and desperate, such as when he found himself feeling a bit desolate in the vast spaces of Mongolia. It was here that he became frustrated when his friend and adventurer companion, Ewan McGregor, whom he had met on a film set 15 years ago, reminded him that the life of adventurer and all that goes with it was his choice.

I was lucky enough to chat to Charley last week about his present Compass Expedition adventure in Australia, that will be focusing largely on Tasmania. He is thrilled to be visiting Tasmania for the first time. It’s a place he has been told is beautiful and is very much like England and there are a couple of Tassie guys in his travelling troupe.

It seems Charley was destined to be an adventurer from when he was a child and played a part in his Dad’s film ‘Deliverance’, a story about men on a wilderness adventure. Perhaps some of the spirit of that movie took hold of Charley as a young boy. He finds it more difficult to explain his love of motorcycles. He says it probably began with his love for horses and riding and his realisation that a motorised horse would require less care than the real thing.

I ask Charley how he manages to juggle all three of his careers which by his own admission, have an equal weight and relevance in his life. He says he manages to maintain all three careers by delegation, an ability he believes he owes to his dyslexia, which makes it easier to ask for help.

Charley has visited Australia many times, the first time being when he was invited to accompany his then girlfriend and now wife on a trip to Melbourne and Sydney. The love affair continues and Australia with it’s dangerous deserts is one of Charley’s favourite places to visit along with southern Africa, which he cites as not being as dangerous as is assumed.

I ask Charley about memorable characters he has met in his travels and he tells me about an Aussie character called Popeye who bore a resemblance to his burly,pipe smoking namesake. This Popeye was a grader ‘living in the shadow of Uluru’ and was an angel who would rescue bikers who encountered trouble in the desert and nursed them back to health.

Charley and his fellow riders are on the Tasmanian leg of the tour between February 25th and March 6. The tour starts with the ferry’s arrival in Tasmania and a ride to Freycinet National Park and Coles Bay after which they move on to Port Arthur and Hobart.

There will be a visit to the Franklin Gordon rivers and on to Strahan before heading back to Victoria. They will take in quiet roads,beautiful scenery and of course a pub or two or more!

For those who would like to experience more of Charley and his adventures. You can see a program on SBS airing soon called ‘Extreme Frontiers’ . Charley also has as a new book called ‘Extreme Frontiers Canada’.
Paula Xiberras