Around the time that his third novel The Rig was published, in 1991, Collee became a columnist for The Observer and wrote articles about travel, science and medicine, weekly for the next six years.

[4] While escorting medical supplies to Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union, Collee met his wife Deborah Snow - Moscow-based correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The following year, and mid-way through writing a book about Soviet medicine called The Kingdom of the Blind, Collee accepted a medical post in the Solomon Islands.

[4] then both worked in London for a short time before moving to Sydney, Australia where Collee joined forces with Australian directors Peter Weir and George Miller.

Tanna was a collaboration with anthropological film-makers Bentley Dean and Martin Butler which was shortlisted for an Oscar in the foreign language category.