Sorrel Wilby
Award-Winning Adventurer, Media Presenter & MC
Sorrel Wilby has trekked across Tibet, traversed the Himalayas, and undertaken expeditions across Africa, documenting her journeys in bestselling books and documentaries. A passionate storyteller and environmental advocate, Sorrel delivers motivational presentations, corporate events and tourism programs, inspiring audiences to embrace adventure, sustainability and personal growth.
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Sorrel Wilby is an award-winning adventurer, media presenter, producer, keynote speaker, and MC, as well as Chair of the Australian Geographic Society. Known for her courage, curiosity, and storytelling, Sorrel inspires audiences to pursue their dreams, reconnect with nature, and embrace adventure.
Throughout her life, Sorrel has ventured into some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. She was a guest and roving reporter for Channel 9’s Getaway, produced the Best of Australia documentary series for Australian Geographic and Channel Nine, and created Tourism Australia’s National Landscape campaigns, including online content for Indigenous Tourism Australia.
Her early adventures set the tone for her career. Sorrel’s first solo trek — 3,000 km across Tibet — earned her recognition from National Geographic and Australian Geographic, with her book Tibet: A Woman’s Lone Trek Across a Mysterious Land becoming a bestseller. In 1991, she and her husband Chris Ciantar became the first people to traverse the entire Himalayas, documenting the 6,500 km journey in her book Across the Top. Their subsequent African Summit Safari, climbing all major mountains on the continent, was recounted in Africa: A Timeless Soul and a three-hour documentary screened in over 30 countries.
Sorrel is also a prolific author and photographer, with her work appearing in over 100 publications worldwide including Australian Geographic, National Geographic, The Weekend Australian, The Australian Way, 4Wheeler and Expanse. Her books include Beyond the Icefall, Images from the Wildside, Journey Across Tibet, Surviving Australia, Africa: A Timeless Soul, and a series of children’s books including Wombat and Emu Trekking in Tibet and Let’s Go Wild.
Sorrel is a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability and reconnecting children with nature. She regularly MCs or speaks at conferences, tourism events, and award presentations, delivering motivational and entertaining accounts of her adventures. Her clients include Eco-Tourism, Regional Tourism, ATE, Tourism Futures, Parks Forum and ATEC.
Sorrel and Chris live on Norfolk Island, where they also own the local television station. Her life of adventure, resilience and curiosity continues to inspire audiences to follow their own paths, whether personal, professional or environmental.
