About David Hibbins
The Experiences Behind The Stories
I’ve spent much of my life chasing adventure, exploring new places, meeting new people, and searching for experiences that sit beyond the ordinary. Those experiences continue to shape the stories I write today.
Adventure Has Always Been The Constant
Long before I became an author, I was drawn to the unknown. Whether it was learning to fly, serving in the military, sailing Australia’s east coast, or exploring Southeast Asia, each experience added another chapter to a story that is still being written.
Today, those experiences continue to influence the books, characters, and journeys that appear throughout my work.
My Journey
I’ve spent much of my life chasing adventure.
Growing up in a small Australian country town, I was fascinated by the idea of what existed beyond the horizon. As a teenager, I dreamed of cycling around Australia, flying aeroplanes, skiing the Alps, skydiving, and exploring parts of the world I had only seen in books.
Books were a constant companion during those years. I devoured war comics, adventure stories, and later the novels of Dick Francis. My father often encouraged that obsession, stopping at second-hand bookstores on the way home from work so I would always have something new to read. Long before I became a writer, I was already fascinated by stories.
At fourteen, I attempted my first great adventure by setting off on a bicycle ride that was meant to take me around Australia. Forty kilometres later, common sense prevailed and I headed home, but the desire to explore never left.
By sixteen, that curiosity had turned toward the sky. Determined to learn how to fly, I worked wherever I could, including the local fish and chip shop and a service station, saving every dollar for flying lessons. Earning my pilot’s licence gave me my first real taste of freedom and reinforced a belief that the world was far bigger than the place where I had grown up.
The Australian Army provided the next chapter. It offered challenge, discipline, leadership, and the adventure I had always been seeking. Although injury eventually brought that chapter to an end, many of the lessons learned during those years continue to influence both my life and my writing.
After leaving the military, I built a successful corporate career and became involved in several businesses, including owning bookstores. Despite the demands of professional life, reading remained a constant source of enjoyment and escape. Yet the desire to explore never truly disappeared.
Eventually, that pull led me back toward a more adventurous path. I spent years sailing Australia’s east coast, living aboard a yacht and exploring some of the country’s most spectacular waterways, including the Whitsunday Islands. The experience of life at sea offered a different perspective on freedom, self-reliance, and discovery. My passion for sailing eventually led to the purchase of a sailing school, allowing me to help others experience the same sense of adventure and possibility.
My travels later brought me to Thailand, a country that quickly became far more than a destination. What began as exploration developed into a deep appreciation for the culture, people, and way of life. Living in Thailand provided a gateway to discovering Southeast Asia, a region that continues to inspire much of my photography, travel writing, and storytelling today. Along the way, I embraced new experiences, including training in Muay Thai, while continuing a lifelong habit of seeking out the unfamiliar.
Looking back, many of the themes that appear throughout my books can be traced to those experiences. Adventure. Discovery. Resilience. Human connection. Curiosity. The desire to look beyond the obvious and see what lies over the next horizon.
Those experiences continue to shape every story I write.
What Shapes My Writing
Every writer draws inspiration from somewhere.
For me, it comes from a lifetime of experiences, challenges, conversations, places, and people encountered along the way.
The books I write are not autobiographies, but many are influenced by the themes that have followed me throughout life: adventure, discovery, resilience, human relationships, and the choices that shape who we become.
Travel has taught me that every destination has a story.
Photography has taught me to look beyond the obvious and pay attention to the details that others often miss.
Military service taught me discipline, leadership, and how people respond when circumstances become difficult.
Business taught me that success, failure, risk, and reinvention are often closely connected.
Together, those experiences provide the foundation for the stories I tell today.
Whether writing action and adventure fiction, creating photography books, or exploring travel-inspired themes, my goal remains simple: to create stories that transport readers somewhere new and leave them seeing the world a little differently.
Adventure
The pursuit of new experiences and life beyond the ordinary.
Exploration
Travel, discovery, and curiosity about the world.
Experience
Relationships, challenges, growth, and resilience.
Connection
Finding meaning in the journeys we take.
Published Books
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to write across both fiction and photography.
The books below represent different chapters of my journey as an author, combining themes of adventure, exploration, photography, travel, and human experience.
- Shadow Drift
- iPhone Photography Unlocked
- Whispers From Vietnam
- Nights Between Temples
- The River In A Dream
- The Storm King of Dnaliath
Each book reflects a different perspective, but all share a common thread: a curiosity about the world and the stories that emerge when we step beyond the familiar.
Beyond The Books
While writing remains my primary creative focus, storytelling takes many forms.
Alongside my books, I continue to explore the world through photography, travel publishing, and destination-focused content projects throughout Southeast Asia. These experiences provide a constant source of inspiration and often influence the places, themes, and perspectives that appear throughout my writing.
Whether through a camera lens, a travel article, or a work of fiction, the goal remains the same: to tell meaningful stories that encourage curiosity, exploration, and a deeper appreciation of the world around us.
Where Will The Next Story Take You?
Adventure has shaped much of my life, and it continues to shape the stories I write today.
Whether you’re discovering an action thriller, exploring a photography book, or reading one of the stories inspired by travel and human experience, every journey begins with a single page.
Explore The Books
Stories From The Road
Contact Me