Benji Brundin

About the author

Benjamen Augusto Roca Brundin (b. 12 June 1983) is the middle child of a Filipino mother and a Swedish immigrant father. Born in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, he spent his childhood exploring the vast desert that stretched for miles at the rear of his home.

His mother, a proud woman, kicked his father out when Benji was five, stating that she could simply do a better job without him. It was his mother who encouraged Benji to journal his thoughts and adventures from a young age.

In 1995 she bought a small zoo with her then partner, and Benji and his two siblings moved with them across the country to Victoria.

At age 19, after finishing a roofing apprenticeship and feeling a deep desire for an adventurous life, he embarked on a road trip around Australia. Just months into this trip, his mother died suddenly of cancer; Benji chose to curtail his travels to protect his younger brother from a life in the foster care system. Benji and his brother Nonoy are still close and are proud of their mother and their Filipino heritage.

So far, Benji has been a boxer, a sailor, a husband and a public servant. He has written two books and is a mentor to young people. Constantly looking for ways to challenge himself, he set a new Guinness World Record in 2019 when he became the first person to cross all ten Australian deserts, solo and unsupported, on a motorbike.