Michael Atkinson

Modern-Day Castaway Michael Atkinson

MICHAEL ATKINSON is an Australian adventurer and film maker who specialises in solo survival expeditions. After growing up in Canberra (Ngambri) he travelled the world on a shoestring budget and studied science at the Australian National University before joining the Australia Army as a helicopter pilot.
Holding a dual role as a survival instructor, he developed his skills on private expeditions such as a solo ski crossing of Iceland and extended solo expeditions in northern Australia. After an exchange posting to the Royal Australian Airforce as a flying instructor Mike transferred to the RAAF permanently, training on small fast jets and later large surveillance jets before moving to Saudi Arabia to instruct Saudi Airforce pilots as a contractor for British Aerospace. Undertaking expeditions in the deserts of Saudi Arabia with his own camels, Mike began a transition to adventure film making. Back in Australia he shot his first feature documentary, ‘Surviving the Outback’, where he escaped the survival situation of two German aviators who were stranded in the Kimberley in 1932. The documentary won several international awards and featured on the Banff World Tour (a celebration of the world’s best adventure short films).
His latest filmed adventure involves sailing a dugout canoe up the Great Barrier Reef. Most recently, Mike was a contestant on the survival TV series, Alone Australia. Mike lives in Port Stephens, New South Wales with his wife Melinda and their two children, Tom and Zara.