About Us
Unearth Adventure was founded by two professional ecologists who spent years working in the field across Southeast Asia and Australia. This is the story of how that shaped the way we design every journey.
Our Story
Unearth Adventure's story begins with two fresh university graduates and a shared conviction that the natural world deserved more than just observation. Nick and Sonny set off on what would become nearly a decade of field work, ecological research, and wildlife encounters across some of the most biodiverse landscapes on Earth.
From protecting sea turtles on the remote beaches of Bangkaru Island in Sumatra, to documenting the work of tropical biologists deep in Borneo's Danum Valley, to researching tropical rainforest ecology in Sabah, the two built a body of ecological knowledge and a shared philosophy about what responsible, purposeful travel could look and feel like.
Back in Australia, both pursued careers as professional ecologists documenting the wildlife and ecosystems they studied whilst developing a profound love for Australia's bird diversity. Through that professional lens, they saw more clearly what was missing from most travel experiences: genuine ecological depth, meaningful connection, and a commitment to experiencing destinations in a way that respects the places and the wildlife within them.
Unearth Adventure was born from a vision of deep ecological purpose, a perspective that shapes every adventure we design.
Authenticity
Genuine experiences designed through an ecological lens, rooted in real field knowledge and local expertise, not manufactured tourism.
Responsibility
We design every journey with respect for the places we visit, the wildlife within them, and the communities that call them home. Responsible travel is not an add-on. It is built in from the start.
Curiosity
We design experiences that spark wonder and deepen understanding of the natural world.
Craftsmanship
From itinerary design to client communication, every detail is considered, refined, and personal.
Connection
We believe travel should make people feel part of the world, not merely observers passing through it.
Co-Founder
Co-Founder and Head of Australian Adventures
Nick has spent more than a decade working as an ecologist across Australia's most remote and wild corners, from the spinifex plains of the outback to the dripping wet tropics of the far north. That breadth of field experience in surveying, observing, and deeply learning the country has given him an insider's understanding of Australian wildlife that is genuinely difficult to come by any other way.
Ask Nick what makes the perfect Australian wildlife encounter and he will start with the season, the habitat, the time of day, and the behaviour of the species. Every Unearth Adventure itinerary he shapes reflects that instinct, putting travellers precisely where they need to be, when they need to be there, in the right conditions to witness something genuinely rare.
Beyond Australia, Nick spent formative years living and working in Borneo, immersed in the ecosystems and communities he now designs journeys for. He is an avid wildlife and nature photographer with a particular love of birds and reptiles, though he is quick to note that any good forest will talk you out of having favourites.
"We created Unearth Adventure as a way to share the wild places we love, and to connect people to them in a way that feels meaningful rather than an afterthought."
Co-Founder
Co-Founder and Head of International Departures
Sonny has spent his working life in places most people only ever see in documentaries. From managing sea turtle nesting operations on the remote beaches of Bangkaru Island in Indonesia, to years of ecological research across Borneo's most intact rainforests, to leading field programmes through some of Southeast Asia's most biodiverse landscapes, his career has been defined by going where the wildlife is and learning to read those places properly.
Back in Australia, Sonny brings that same instinct to every trip he shapes for Unearth Adventure. A trained ecologist with postgraduate qualifications and years of field experience across Queensland and beyond, he has a particular talent for finding the story in a landscape and making it accessible to anyone curious enough to look. The trips Sonny leads tend to move at the pace of the wildlife, which is to say they move at exactly the right pace.
Photography has been a constant companion throughout his adventures, giving Sonny a documentarian's eye for light, behaviour, and the fleeting moments that define great wildlife encounters. He is never without a camera, and neither should you be.
"We created Unearth Adventure because we wanted to share these places with people who care about them. The goal has always been adventures that feel meaningful."
In the Field
Between them, Nick and Sonny have conducted field work across some of the world's most ecologically significant landscapes. That depth of direct experience is what makes every Unearth Adventure journey different.
Our Philosophy
We did not start Unearth Adventure to run tours. We started it because we believed the way you experience a place matters. That the right kind of journey, designed through an ecological lens, with the right local operators and the right approach, could change how someone sees the natural world.
Every trip we design reflects that belief. We work with local operators and expert guides whose knowledge of these ecosystems runs deep. We choose partners who approach their environments with care and who understand that the quality of the experience depends on the health of the places they take people to. We keep our numbers small deliberately, because the quality of the encounter matters more than the volume of travellers.
Where we sit on the broader question of responsible travel and our impact as a business, we are being honest and deliberate. We are a young company with clear values and a genuine commitment to operating thoughtfully, and we will keep sharing that journey transparently as the business grows.
Travel With Purpose
Acknowledgement of Country
Unearth Adventure acknowledges the Yugambeh people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We recognise the deep and enduring connection between Country and the custodians who have cared for this land for tens of thousands of years.