Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2014 | Page 108

106 Explore | Interview INTERVIEW © Simon Enderby / Scubazoo.com STEVE BACKSHALL BORN TO BE WILD Adventurer and natural history presenter Steve Backshall took time out from filming his new Deadly
Pole to Pole series to speak to Colours about expeditions that have taken him across the world in search of the extraordinary. Interview by Karen Donald “I first discovered Indonesia with my parents at the age of 12. They both worked for airlines and we visited many exotic locations. When I was 18, I spent four extraordinary months travelling Nusa Tengarra. I love the diversity of Indonesia; each island is like a different country – it feels like a hundred countries in one.” Steve has been passionate about the wild world ever since he was a babe in arms. Childhood dreams led Backshall on the journey of a lifetime. It all began after a rainy-day visit with his family to an exhibition of artefacts from Papua New Guinea. With his imagination running wild, Backshall waited until he was old enough, then left England and set off to explore the jungles of Irian Jaya. “After graduating from university I began writing for the Rough Guides travel series, which then led on to television work.