Intrepid Travel has planted another confident flag deep into Australia’s premium wilderness, snapping up Experience Co’s Wild Bush Luxury business in a move that reshapes the upper end of the domestic walking and lodge sector.
The acquisition delivers Intrepid a suite of iconic guided walks and high-end wilderness properties, including two Great Walks of Australia and two Luxury Lodges of Australia, a rare combination of pedigree, exclusivity and conservation-driven tourism credentials.
Among the crown jewels now joining the Intrepid stable are Arkaba Walk and Homestead in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, the celebrated Maria Island Walk in Tasmania, and the remote and wildlife-rich Bamurra Plains in the Northern Territory. Together, they form a portfolio that reads like a greatest-hits album of Australia’s most extraordinary landscapes.
For Intrepid, this is not merely an expansion. It is a strategic tightening of its grip on the fast-growing premium nature-based travel market at a time when travellers are trading hotel foyers for red dirt, ocean air and ancient walking tracks.
“This acquisition is an important step in our ambition to lead low-impact, nature-based travel and invest in the future of Australian tourism,” said Brett Mitchell, ANZ Managing Director at Intrepid Travel.
“Travellers are increasingly seeking meaningful ways to connect with the land, wildlife and culture, and by expanding our portfolio with iconic guided walks and premium lodges, we’re offering experiences that immerse them in some of the country’s most extraordinary landscapes.”
Behind the scenes, the sale marks a significant strategic pivot for Experience Co., which has methodically refined its focus on high-volume adventure experiences following a portfolio review.
“Wild Bush Luxury has been a much loved part of the Experience Co portfolio. We are incredibly proud of our contribution to the legacy established by previous owners, Charlie Carlow and Ian Johnstone,” said Experience Co CEO John O’Sullivan.
“However, following a strategic review, we identified that our ongoing growth as Australia’s leading adventure tourism company, is best served by focusing on our scalable adventure experiences including our Marine (Great Barrier Reef), Treetops Adventure and Skydive /Aviation portfolios.”
The handover to Intrepid, he added, places Wild Bush Luxury in capable hands.
“We are delighted to hand over these important conservation experiences to Intrepid Travel. Their global reputation for sustainable tourism and immersive nature-based experiences makes them the right partner to continue Wild Bush Luxury’s story. We’re confident that our trade partners will benefit from their expertise and commitment, and we look forward to working closely together to ensure a seamless transition for the WBL team, guests and the industry.”
Operationally, the business will officially transfer into the Intrepid portfolio in February 2026, giving the combined teams time to transition staff, systems and booking pathways without disrupting guest experiences.
Strategically, the deal elevates Intrepid into the top tier of Australia’s walking operators, significantly scaling both its premium offering and its low-impact travel footprint. It also directly supports the company’s newly launched Climate Action Plan and long-term decarbonisation targets, reinforcing its long-standing reputation as a leader in responsible travel.
The timing is impeccable. Post-pandemic travel behaviour has crystallised into something far more deliberate: fewer trips, deeper immersion and an unmistakable tilt toward conservation-centred luxury. Walks such as Arkaba and Maria Island are already booked months in advance, often by travellers who would once have defaulted to international destinations.
For Intrepid, the message is clear: the next growth frontier is not size for size’s sake, but scale with substance.
Its full Australian walking portfolio can be viewed at: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/australia/walking.
As the industry continues to recalibrate, this acquisition quietly redraws the competitive map—placing Intrepid not just on the tracks, but firmly at the front of the premium pack.
by Jill Walsh – (c) 2025
Read Time: 3 minutes.
About the Writer
Jill Walsh has always had a pen within reach and a suitcase not far behind. She cut her teeth on media releases, then honed her craft shepherding press trips across half the globe—learning which stories travel well and which need a firmer edit.
In time, she wasn’t merely promoting places; she was representing them, translating civic ambition and local pride into words people wanted to read. Semi-retired now, Jill has swapped departure boards for deadlines, joining long-time colleague and friend Stephen at Global Travel Media on a casual basis.
Her beat is the business end of wanderlust: balance sheets, route maps, tender wins, the quiet numbers that decide where travellers actually go. She writes with tidy prose, dry humour and an old-school respect for facts, giving readers clarity without the clutter. In short, Jill brings seasoned judgement to travel’s moving parts—and a steady voice when the market gets noisy.
