Experience The Wild

What Experience The Wild does

Experience The Wild is a privately held, owner-operated guided bird and nature tour company headquartered in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Founded in 2011 by Ian McKerrow (ACN 085 148 778), the business specialises in very small-group birdwatching and nature tours — capped at 5-6 guests per departure — across the Australian Top End, with additional international tours to Sri Lanka (16-day) and Indonesia/West Papua (21-day). The company employs 1-3 people: owner-operator Ian McKerrow as primary guide, Mike Jarvis as occasional co-guide, and Ian Morris (biologist, conservationist, author of 'Kakadu National Park' and co-author of 'A Natural History and Field Guide to Australia's Top End') as guest guide on the flagship Kakadu Naturalists' Tour.

The product portfolio includes 10+ named tours spanning single-day Darwin outings to 18-day Kimberley and 21-day Indonesian expeditions, plus private charter arrangements and a paid 48-page A5 'Checklist of Birds of Australia' booklet ($12 AUD domestic, $20 AUD international) as an ancillary offering. Core technical infrastructure is minimal: bookings flow through the third-party Rezdy online booking platform (provided by partner VCubed Pty Ltd), the website runs on a CMS for Designers platform built and maintained by Elpamsoft (Ashley Maple), and the company maintains organic social channels on Instagram (@topendbirds), Facebook, and YouTube. No proprietary software or AI capability is associated with the operation.

The business model is direct-to-consumer nature tourism. Pricing is per-person, varies by duration and destination (e.g., $4,495 per person twin share for the 6-day Kakadu Naturalists' Tour), and is structured with a 20% booking deposit and balance due 30 days before departure; payment options include Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and bank transfer. No revenue figures are disclosed. Customer segments span individual nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers, small private groups, and homeschool/educational cohorts. Operations paused from 2020 due to COVID-19 and resumed in 2023, with 30% discounts applied to marked tour prices to rebuild demand. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent entity, and no subsidiaries.

Name

Experience The Wild

Legal name

Experience The Wild

Website

https://experiencethewild.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Experience The Wild is a Darwin-based, owner-operated guided bird and nature tour company running very small group tours (max 5-6 guests) across Australia's Top End and occasionally Sri Lanka and Indonesia, serving dedicated birdwatching and nature tourists since 2011.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature and Ecotourism Tours

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC), Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation) (THAAAGAB)

Keywords

• Guided birdwatching tours
• Nature tourism
• Ecotourism experiences
• Wildlife observation tours
• Birding field guides

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Guided Nature Tours: Per-person tour packages ranging from day trips to 21-day multi-destination tours. Includes accommodation, meals, park entry fees, and expert guide services. Pricing varies by duration and destination.
2. Bird Checklists and Field Guides: Sale of printed A5 checklists and field guides for bird identification. Includes comprehensive bird lists with taxonomic order, IUCN status, range maps, and space for personal notes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Experience The Wild operates guided bird and nature watching tours in Australia's Top End (Darwin, Kakadu, Kimberley) and select international destinations (Sri Lanka, Indonesia/West Papua). Tours range from day trips to 21-day expeditions, with very small group sizes (max 5-6 guests) led by owner Ian McKerrow. The company also sells printed A5 bird checklists and field guides as a supplementary product.

Product overview

Experience The Wild offers a portfolio of guided birdwatching and nature tour products centered on the Darwin and Top End region of Australia's Northern Territory. The core offering consists of day tours, multi-day tours (2-18 days), and extended international tours (Sri Lanka, Indonesia/West Papua). Key domestic tours include Best of Top End Birding, Darwin Bird Watching, Kakadu Naturalists' Tour, Kakadu Nature's Way, Kimberley Naturalists' Tour, Woodland & Wetland, Breakfast with Gouldians, and Private Charters. All tours are small-group experiences led by owner Ian McKerrow and occasionally co-guided by Mike Jarvis or Ian Morris. Supplementary products include paid and free bird checklists/checklists for species identification. The company operates as a service-based nature tourism business rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Best of Top End Birding Multi-day guided birdwatching tour covering the Top End region including Darwin, Fogg Dam, Kakadu, Timber Creek, and surrounding areas, featuring target species such as Gouldian Finches.
• Breakfast with Gouldians Two-day tour focused on observing Gouldian Finches at feeding and drinking locations near Darwin.
• Darwin Bird Watching Day tour covering birdwatching hotspots in and around Darwin city, including coastal reserves, mangroves, and suburban wildlife areas.
• Kimberley Naturalists' Tour 18-day extended tour covering the Kimberley region with focus on natural history, wildlife, and endemic bird species.
• Kakadu Naturalists' Tour Six-day, five-night immersion tour covering Kakadu National Park, Mary River region, and Litchfield National Park with Ian Morris as guide, featuring escarpment endemics and cultural heritage. Price: $4,495 per person twin share.
• Kakadu Nature's Way Five-day tour through Kakadu National Park focusing on natural history, wildlife, and landscapes of the region.
• Woodland & Wetland Tour focused on savannah woodland and wetland habitats around Darwin and the Top End.
• Private Charters Customized private tour arrangements for individuals or groups seeking personalized birdwatching experiences.
• Sri Lanka Tour 16-day international birding tour to Sri Lanka.
• Indonesia/West Papua Tour 21-day international birding tour to Indonesia and West Papua region.
• Chestnut Rail Expedition Boat-based expedition focused on observing Chestnut Rail in mangrove habitat, operating from Darwin Harbour.
• Checklist of Birds of Australia (Booklet) 48-page A5 booklet containing all birds of Australia and its island territories including subspecies, with numbering system, scientific/common names following IOC v7.2, IUCN status, range maps, and personal notes sections. Priced at $12 including postage within Australia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-50 species typically seen on morning birding trips; 80+ species on full-day tours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Australian Wildlife ConservancyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExperience the Wild is a proud supporter of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which owns and manages more than 3 million hectares of land, protecting more native wildlife than any other organisation in Australia.
• Wildlife Tourism AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a proud supporter of Wildlife Tourism Australia, an organization encompassing both free-ranging and captive wildlife tourism, including tours, fauna parks, national parks, and eco-lodges.
• BirdLife AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated with BirdLife Australia, the authoritative voice for birds and bird conservation in Australia.
• Sea DarwinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as an eco cruise operator in Darwin Harbour offering unique harbor experiences, with potential for combined tour offerings.
• VCubed Pty LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides booking technology platform used by Experience the Wild. Processes bookings and manages reservations for tour operations.
• Elpamsoft (Ashley Maple)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite developer and designer providing CMS for Designers platform. Responsible for all website functionality, design layout, and ongoing upgrades.
• Save the Gouldian FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNot-for-profit charity for research and conservation of the Gouldian Finch. Experience the Wild supports this organization and promotes its mission.
• Zen-Ray OpticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuality binoculars and scopes available for purchase through Experience the Wild, providing equipment access for birding customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Limosa Birding & Nature Tours: UK-based birding and wildlife holiday company running small-group trips led by expert guides. Operates largely outside Australia but competes directly for European birding-travel customers in shared destinations such as Sri Lanka.
• Field Guides (Field Guides Incorporated): US-based birding tour operator running small-group, leader-led trips worldwide. Comparable small-group leader-driven model and target customer (serious birders); operates outside Australia but competes for international birding-tour spend.

Direct peers

• Wildiaries: Australian birding and wildlife tour outfitter offering small-group tours nationally with expert guides. Direct competitor for niche Australian birdwatching travelers with very similar small-group format.
• Naturalist Journeys: Nature- and bird-focused small-group tour operator. Shares the expert-guide-led, education-oriented experience design and similar premium positioning targeted at enthusiast naturalists.
• Inala Nature Tours: Australia-based birding and wildlife tour operator running small-group trips in Tasmania and across Australia. Closely mirrors Experience The Wild's small-group, guide-led birdwatching model with similar pricing and niche positioning.
• Aussie Birding Tours: Small Australian birding-tour company providing targeted birdwatching trips across regions including the Top End. Similar customer base, similar small-group tour structure, and direct competition for regional guides.

Broad incumbents

• Birding Ecotours: Global birding-tour company offering scheduled departures on multiple continents including Australia and Asia-Pacific. Direct overlap on Sri Lanka and Indonesia birding tours that compete with Experience The Wild's international extensions.
• Australian Wildlife Journeys: Marketing consortium of established Australian wildlife-tour operators. Carries similar Top End itinerary types under a multi-brand umbrella and serves a comparable audience, but functions more as a collective brand than a single operator.
• Rockjumper Birding Tours: One of the largest global birding-tour operators running scheduled departures on nearly every continent including Australia. Larger, more diversified competitor with overlapping destinations (e.g., Kakadu, Sri Lanka, West Papua) and similar product mix.

Others

• Coral Expeditions: Australia-based small-ship cruise operator with whom guide Ian Morris is a guest lecturer. Not a direct competitor, but an ecosystem partner with overlapping expert personnel and potential for cross-marketing premium Top End coastal and cruise experiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcNdmROLQpG4xs8fo7wP02g
• Facebookfacebook.com/116148511911362
• Instagraminstagram.com/topendbirds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eupharmacon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Experience The Wild