Meet the Accidental Motorcyclist. Sonja Duncan
I wasn't supposed to become a motorcyclist.
Or a yoga teacher. Or a writer.
I was born in Germany, spent the first five years of my life in Canada and arrived in Sydney, Australia, as a child migrant aboard the SS Australis. My family spent our first months in Australia at the Endeavour Migrant Hostel in Coogee South before eventually settling on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
| With my sister Sue - the early years in Canada |
My early years were marked by change. As a teenager, I navigated my parents' separation, a move from Sydney to country New South Wales, changing schools, and a struggle with anorexia that would shape much of my understanding of resilience, identity and belonging.
Like many people, I spent much of my adult life doing what was expected of me (and what I expected of myself). I studied, built a career, married, and raised two extraordinary children.
Professionally, I built a consulting business and spent more than 30 years working in sustainability, human rights and ethical leadership. The work took me around Australia and across the Asia-Pacific, exploring the complex intersections between people, communities, business and social change.
But life rarely follows the script we imagine.
| Arriving in Australia, 1973 |
There were periods of loss, heartbreak, reinvention and learning to begin again. Relationships ended. New chapters emerged. Some lessons had to be lived before they could be understood.
Then, at 50, I met Richard. And there was no going back.
We shared a love of adventure, travel and (eventually) motorcycles. What began as weekend rides grew into journeys across continents and, in 2025, a 311-day motorcycle adventure from the southern tip of Africa to the Arctic Circle (and beyond).
Along the way, I started writing. Those journal entries and Facebook posts evolved into The Accidental Motorcyclist: A Journey into Courage, Connection and Becoming – a memoir about adventure, vulnerability, resilience, love, privilege, connection and the surprising ways we continue to grow throughout our lives.
| Our home in New South Wales, Australia, 2026 |
Today, from our acreage in the beautiful Barrington region of New South Wales, Australia, I continue to write, teach yoga, travel, and remain endlessly curious about the people and stories that connect us.
We hope you enjoy our journey as much as we did.
Sonja x
