Tim Cope

Mr Tim Cope
Adventurer
Filmmaker
Writer

Tim Cope is a 28 year old from Gippsland, Victoria who is pursuing a life of adventure, writing, and film. Tim, who speaks fluent Russian, and has guided in Antarctica, has spent five years travelling in regions of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine by bicycle, row boat, skis, horse, camel and many other means. Most of all, Tim enjoys coming to know people in their home environments by travelling in traditional and local ways.  

Upon return from every experience he has been motivated to take his personal discoveries to schools, organisations and community groups through the medium of lectures, film and articles. Over time this has become his profession with the writing of books, articles and professional presentations.

In 2002, his award winning documentary,Off the Rails, On the Back Roads to Beijing, was aired on the ABC, and his book Off the Rails co-authored by Chris Hatherly, was released by Penguin in April 2003. He was also principle cameraman for The Yenisey Expedition, a film sold to National Geographic's A1 channel in 2002.

His stills, which have been published by Australian Geographic, are featured in his book, and have been used as an important tool in his professional presentations. In the past six years he has secured on-going sponsorship from a host of companies, which has helped boost his career.

In September 2006 Tim was flown in from the Ukraine during his unfinished epic by horseback from Mongolia to Hungary to be awarded what is perhaps the most prestigious adventure award on Australian soil, the Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year.

In 2005 he also had the honour of being accepted as a member of the Royal Geographic Societyin London. At present he is on the road with many challenges ahead with his three horses and dog, Tigon.

At twenty-eight years of age, Tim has already ridden a recumbent bike 10,000km for 14 months across Russia, Siberia, Mongolia and China, been part of a world first rowing expedition down the Yenisey River through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean, and trained as a wilderness guide in the Arctic regions of Russia and Finland. For Tim, adventure, and sharing his experiences with others through writing, speaking, film and photography, has become his way of life.

Highlights for Tim have included:

  • Training as a Wilderness Guide in the Arctic and forest regions of Finland and north-west Russia (1998-1999).
  • Riding a bicycle for 10,000km across Russia and Mongolia (1999-2000)
  • Rowing a wooden boat through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean (2001)
  • Currently (2004-2007) travelling by horseback from Mongolia to Hungary on the trail laid down by Ghengis Khan's warriors in the 13th century.