Adventure Works Australia

What Adventure Works Australia does

Adventure Works Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers Bush Adventure Therapy (BAT) and Outdoor Counselling across Tasmania and Victoria, structured as two related bodies: Adventure Works Australia Ltd (AWA), a registered ACNC charity with Deductible Gift Recipient status that provides therapeutic services, and Adventure Works Pty Ltd (AW), a for-profit sister entity operating on cost-covering principles that delivers practitioner training, supervision, and research support. Core offerings include BAT programs (Taster Days, Weekend Walkshops, multi-day Courses, and Expeditions), specialised Outdoor Counselling modalities (Walk n Talk, Fish n Talk, Paddle n Talk, Labyrinth n Talk), targeted programs such as Adventures 4 All (NDIS-funded disability services), Out Bush On Country (trauma-informed BAT for Tasmanian Aboriginal children, young people and families), Cancer Support Programs, and the Navigate Veterans' Journey program. The methodology integrates narrative therapy, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), Blue Knot clinical guidelines, and socio-ecological and Indigenist frameworks, with programs delivered in small groups in natural environments under a co-creation model.

The organisation generates revenue from fee-for-service therapeutic programs (charged at cost-covering rates, funded via NDIS individual brokerage, government grants, or direct payment), training and professional development (a two-year pathway comprising Foundations, Professional Scope, and Professional Leadership courses priced $1,400-$5,600 + GST, plus supervision services), and research/evaluation commissions for partner agencies. Customer segments span individuals and families experiencing adversity, NDIS participants, children and young people with trauma histories, cancer and chronic illness patients, veterans, allied health and outdoor professionals (training buyers), and government/NGO agencies commissioning programs. Distribution is direct via the website, phone, email, Microsoft Forms registration, Moodle LMS, and partner referrals; the Outdoor Health Supervision Collective and AABAT/OHA sector leadership provide additional ecosystem reach.

Adventure Works is founder-led by three co-directors — Anita Pryor, Ben Knowles, and Pete Rae — each with 20+ years in outdoor education, clinical therapy, and Indigenous community work, and the team holds leadership positions across AABAT, Outdoor Health Australia, IAANT, and the Adventure Therapy International Committee. Strategic depth is concentrated in proprietary BAT methodologies, deep Aboriginal community partnerships (Dooloomai Youth Project Inc., Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre), and an Australia-India training collaboration with Qualia Outdoor Therapy; recent activity signals continued investment in the practitioner pipeline and incremental vertical and geographic expansion.

Name

Adventure Works Australia

Legal name

Adventure Works Australia Ltd

Website

https://adventureworks.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Adventure Works Australia is a Tasmanian-Victorian not-for-profit delivering Bush Adventure Therapy, Outdoor Counselling, and a postgraduate-equivalent practitioner training pathway for people with disabilities, trauma histories, chronic illness, and adversity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Therapy

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA), Wildlife & Nature Interpretation Guides (Birding, Photography, Naturalist) (THAAALAE), Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Adventure & Expedition Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAC), Safety, Permitting & Logistics Support Services (Trip Leaders, Route Planning, Rescue Support) (THAAALAL)

Keywords

• Bush adventure therapy
• Outdoor health services
• Therapeutic outdoor programs
• Outdoor counselling
• Trauma-informed therapy

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-service therapeutic programs: Bush Adventure Therapy programs and Outdoor Counselling charged directly to participants or funded via NDIS individual brokerage funds. AWA delivers programs at cost-covering rates.
2. Training and professional development fees: Revenue from the two-year training pathway (Foundations, Professional Scope, Professional Leadership), supervision services, and tailored professional development for organisations.
3. Research and program evaluation: Cost-covering fees charged to agencies and organisations for program evaluations and research projects. Research evidence provided free of charge for grant submissions.
4. Social enterprise cross-subsidy: Profits from training and other service areas are directed toward increasing access to BAT and counselling services for people on low incomes. AWA is a registered not-for-profit charity with DGR status; donations are tax-deductible.
5. Donations and recurring contributions: Adventure Works accepts one-off donations and recurring monthly donations ($50, $100, $200, $300 per month) to support access for people who cannot afford services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adventure Works Australia delivers Bush Adventure Therapy (BAT) and Outdoor Counselling services that combine adventure activities in natural environments with therapeutic support for individuals, families and groups across Tasmania and Victoria. The organisation also offers a two-year professional training pathway in Outdoor & Adventure Therapy, supervision services, and research/evaluation support through its for-profit sister entity Adventure Works Pty Ltd.

Product overview

Adventure Works Australia operates as a not-for-profit charitable organization providing a suite of Bush Adventure Therapy and Outdoor Health services across Australia. The core offering consists of therapeutic outdoor programs (Bush Adventure Therapy, Outdoor Counselling, Adventures 4 All, Out Bush On Country) combined with a comprehensive Two Year Training Pathway for practitioner development. The organization is structured as Adventure Works Australia Ltd (AWA) providing therapeutic services, partnered with Adventure Works Pty Ltd (AW) delivering training and research. Services operate primarily in Tasmania and Victoria, with programs targeting diverse populations including people with disabilities, at-risk youth, families, and those affected by trauma or illness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adventures 4 All (A4A) Bush Adventure Therapy and Outdoor Counselling service offering individual, group and family sessions tailored to participant needs, with NDIS support for people living with disabilities in Tasmania.
• Out Bush On Country A trauma-informed, evidence-informed bush adventure therapy model for Tasmanian children, young people and families with complex needs, using NMT principles and Aboriginal cultural approaches.
• Cancer Support Programs Bush Adventure Therapy as an adjunct to medical treatment for cancer and chronic illness, offering integrated supports combining bush, adventure, therapy, healthy living and extras.
• Specialized Bush Counselling Services (Walk n Talk, Fish n Talk, Paddle n Talk, Labyrinth n Talk) Activity-based outdoor counselling options combining therapeutic conversation with specific outdoor activities including walking, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, and labyrinth walking, tailored to different demographics in Victoria and Tasmania.
• Foundations of Outdoor & Adventure Therapy Course Element 1 of the two-year training pathway providing an online and experiential introduction to Outdoor Health principles through a 5-day immersion and follow-on sessions, available at standard, pay-it-forward, part-time, and student/concession rates.
• Professional Scope of Outdoor Health Practices Course Element 2 of the two-year training pathway, a year-long online and active professional learning journey for therapeutic outdoor practitioners aligned with AQF Level 8, including webinars, supervision sessions, peer groups, field placements, and resources.
• Two Year Training Pathway A postgraduate-equivalent professional training program in Outdoor & Adventure Therapy consisting of three progressive elements: Foundations, Professional Scope, and Professional Leadership, for allied health and outdoor professionals.
• Outdoor Health Supervision Collective A collective of experienced practitioners offering individual, group, peer, and organisational supervision services for people providing Outdoor Health services, with diverse therapeutic approaches including embodied practice and equine-facilitated therapy.
• Research and Evaluation Services Research services, program evaluations, and provision of research evidence to support organisations examining their work, offered at cost-covering rates for agencies, NGOs and government bodies.
• Partnerships and Consultation Services Collaborative services working with agencies to develop creative programs, events and experiences, including program design, delivery, training for teams, staff supervision, and research project support for partner organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regenerate program evaluation found supports for recovery across nine domains, with greatest gains in safety, mental health and wellbeing, empowerment and self-esteem, and financial independence.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Langford Disability ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership program 'Adventures For All' (A4A) — a year-round BAT experience program for adults living with disabilities in Tasmania and their families, funded through individual NDIS brokerage funds. A video showcasing the program is available.
• Dooloomai Youth Project Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed the Out Bush On Country program model alongside Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre mentors and 45 specialists through the Out Bush On Country Technical Advisory Group. Dooloomai is a key Aboriginal community organisation in the partnership.
• Tasmanian Aboriginal CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAboriginal knowledge holders providing cultural guidance and mentorship for the Out Bush On Country program, ensuring culturally appropriate and trauma-informed delivery for Aboriginal children, young people and families.
• Good Samaritan InncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegenerate program — a BAT demonstration project for survivors of family violence, delivered by Adventure Works Australia in collaboration with Good Samaritan Inn, funded by Family Safety Victoria (Victorian Government's Department of Health and Human Services).
• Berry StreetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventure Works conducted formative evaluation of Berry Street's Gippsland Wilderness Program (GWP) — an expedition-style outdoor adventure intervention for high-risk young people in Eastern Victoria. Ben Knowles was also a senior clinician, trainer and NMT consultant with Berry Street's Take Two program.
• EACH (Eastern Access Community Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered Bridging the Gap early intervention adventure-based program for at-risk young people (funded by Victorian Law Enforcement Drug Fund grant awarded to Victoria Police) and Wildside Trek program (with Leaps and Bounds Student Development Centre and Victoria Police).
• YSAS (Youth Support and Advocacy Service)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with EACH and Victoria Police on the Bridging the Gap program — an early intervention adventure-based program for at-risk young people in Victoria.
• Human Nature Adventure TherapyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventure Works conducted the Recre8 program evaluation for Human Nature Adventure Therapy, contributing to the evidence base for BAT programs.
• Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy Inc. (AABAT)coreOthersAdventure Works is a member of AABAT — the national body for Bush Adventure Therapy in Australia. AABAT supports the professionalisation of the sector. Ben Knowles was a founding member and served as Chairperson from 2010–2014; currently one of two Australian representatives sitting on both the AABAT committee and the Adventure Therapy International Committee.
• Outdoor Health Australia (OHA)coreOthersAdventure Works supports the emerging Outdoor Health Sector and the development of OHA. Adventure Works team members have contributed to OHA ethical principles development and led a recent review of sector ethical principles. Luke Mabb serves as a cultural advisor to OHA; Amanda Smith is Co-Queensland Representative and Co-International Representative for IAANT.
• Qualia Outdoor Therapy (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralia–India collaboration resulting in the co-adaptation and delivery of the Foundations of Adventure and Nature-Based Therapy Practice course in India. Rooted in shared commitments to ethical, inclusive, and culturally grounded adventure and nature-based therapy practices. Since 2022, scholarships have supported Indian mental health practitioners to attend AWA's Foundations course in Australia. Tanya Ginwala is Co-chair of IAANT (2025–2028).
• Groundwork TherapyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Outdoor Health Supervision Collective. Groundwork Therapy (Kylie Peters) provides individual and group supervision services alongside Adventure Works. Kylie is a psychologist, family therapist and Director of Groundwork Therapy, specialising in equine-facilitated therapy.
• Aligned Living TasmaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Outdoor Health Supervision Collective. Aligned Living Tasmania (Clare Raffety) provides embodied practice and supervision services. Clare is a Certified Map of Meaning Practitioner and Courage & Renewal Facilitator.
• Explore YAFTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Outdoor Health Supervision Collective. Robert Coller represents Explore YAFT on the collective, contributing to the cross-disciplinary supervision offering for Outdoor Health practitioners.
• Gilwell ParkminorOthersTraining immersion venue at Gilwell Park near Gembrook, Victoria, on Wurundjeri Country in the Dandenong Ranges. Provides a fitting setting for Outdoor and Adventure Therapy learning with a long history of outdoor education, challenge, reflection and personal growth.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Human Nature Adventure Therapy: Australian adventure therapy operator delivering nature-based programs for at-risk youth and families. Adventure Works conducted the Recre8 program evaluation for Human Nature, indicating closely overlapping client cohorts (youth, trauma), modality (adventure-based therapeutic programs), and competitive positioning for the same NDIS and government grants.
• Wild Earth Adventures: Not-for-profit delivering adventure and nature-based therapeutic programs for people experiencing homelessness. Co-established by Amanda Smith (a former Adventure Works team member), making it a direct analogue in modality (nature-based therapy) and target cohort (vulnerable populations), and a close competitor for government homelessness funding.
• Qualia Outdoor Therapy (India): India-based partner organisation that co-adapts and delivers Adventure Works' Foundations course for Indian practitioners. A direct international peer in modality (outdoor and adventure therapy practice) and training pathway, with bidirectional scholarship flows.

Broad incumbents

• Jesuit Social Services: Large Australian social services organisation that operates wilderness-based programs (including bush adventure therapy) for disadvantaged young people. Comparable in cohort and modality, but materially larger and broader in scope, making it both a partner and a competitor for youth-at-risk and family-violence contracts.
• Berry Street (Take Two / Gippsland Wilderness Program): Major Victorian NGO offering the Gippsland Wilderness Program, a wilderness intervention for high-risk young people that Adventure Works has evaluated. Direct overlap in youth-at-risk cohort and expedition-style BAT, with Berry Street operating at significantly greater scale across child and family services.

Emerging players

• Groundwork Therapy: Psychology and family therapy practice specialising in equine-facilitated therapy, co-delivering supervision within Adventure Works' Outdoor Health Supervision Collective. Comparable niche (nature/animal-assisted therapeutic practice) and supervision offerings, but with a different modality (equine vs bush/adventure).
• Aligned Living Tasmania: Tasmanian embodied practice and supervision provider co-delivering within Adventure Works' Outdoor Health Supervision Collective. Comparable niche offering (supervision for Outdoor Health practitioners) with overlapping geographic footprint in Tasmania.

Others

• Outdoor Health Australia (OHA): National peak body for the Outdoor Health sector that Adventure Works helped establish. Not a commercial competitor but a closely related ecosystem player — its professionalisation efforts directly shape demand for Adventure Works' training, supervision, and credentialing products.
• Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT): National professional association co-founded by Adventure Works leadership. Functions as the sector's standards and community body rather than a service provider, but its membership growth and governance roadmap directly affect Adventure Works' positioning as the leading BAT training and supervision provider.

Regional players

• Langford Disability Services: Tasmanian NDIS disability services provider partnering with Adventure Works on the Adventures For All program. Comparable in serving NDIS participants in Tasmania, with Langford providing the broader disability case management and Adventure Works delivering the outdoor therapeutic component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/adventureworksaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adventure-works-australia-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/adventureworksaus

Compliance5 records

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 Adventure Works Australia