Sam Whitfield
Co-Founder · Head Guide
12 years guiding. Blue Mountains specialist. Obsessed with campfire cooking and early starts.
01. Who We Are
Born from a
love of the outdoors
NOMAD was founded in 2018 by a group of passionate campers who believed the best version of travel is slower, quieter, and closer to the ground. We started with one 4WD, two tents, and a conviction that Australia's wild places deserved better access.
Today we run over 400 guided tours a year across the country's most spectacular national parks. Every trip is still built on that original idea: a small group, a great guide, and an experience that makes you feel genuinely alive.
We're committed to responsible tourism — low-impact camping practices, partnerships with First Nations land custodians, and a Leave No Trace policy on every single tour we run.
5.0
★★★★★
Guest Rating
Based on 400+ reviews
2018
Founded
0
Tours Run
Each year across Australia
0
Happy Campers
Since we opened our doors
0
Expert Guides
Certified and passionate
0
National Parks
Explored and loved
02. Our Journey
How We Got
to Where We Are
From a single camping trip that went sideways into something magical, to a fully-fledged adventure company — here's the road we've travelled.
18
2018
The First Trip
Founders Sam and Rachel drove their beaten-up Land Rover to the Blue Mountains with five friends and a cooler full of optimism. Three days later, they returned with the kernel of an idea: guided car camping, done properly.
19
2019
NOMAD is Born
With a small business loan and a fleet of two vehicles, NOMAD officially launched. Our first six tours sold out in a week — mostly to friends, but still. We hired our first two certified guides and never looked back.
21
2021
Expanding the Map
We expanded into the Snowy Mountains, Victorian High Country, and Queensland's national parks. Our team grew to 15 guides, and we launched our first family-specific tour series — the most popular thing we've ever done.
23
2023
Leave No Trace Certification
After two years of work, NOMAD became one of the first tour operators in Australia to achieve full Leave No Trace Partner status. Every guide completed wilderness ethics training, and we overhauled our waste and equipment policies entirely.
Now
Today
400+ Tours a Year
50 guides, 28 national parks, and 8,200 campers later — we're still that same crew that believes the best seat in the world is one you pitched yourself, somewhere wild. Come join us out there.
See all tours03. What We Stand For
Our Core Values
Everything we do traces back to these three principles. They shape the tours we design, the guides we hire, and the places we take you.
Wild.
Go genuinely wild
We don't do glamping. We do real nature — which means real quiet, real skies, and the genuine satisfaction of being somewhere most people will never see. Comfort yes, but never at the expense of the experience.
Safe.
Safety without compromise
Every guide carries wilderness first aid certification. Every vehicle is equipped with emergency communication. Every route is scouted and risk-assessed before a single guest steps foot on it. Adventure should be exciting, not reckless.
Lean.
Leave it better than you found it
Leave No Trace isn't a slogan — it's an operating procedure. We pack out everything we pack in, use biodegradable products, and actively contribute to trail maintenance across the parks we visit.
04. The Team
Meet Your Guides
Every guide is hand-selected, trained, and genuinely obsessed with the outdoors.
Rachel Nguyen
Co-Founder · Operations
The engine room. Rachel designs every itinerary, vets every campsite, and keeps the whole machine running beautifully.
Marcus Tran
Senior Guide · Alpine
High Country and Kosciuszko specialist. Former ski patrol, now guides the most demanding routes in the catalogue.
Emily Stroud
Guide · Sustainability Lead
Botanist by training, guide by calling. Emily leads our Leave No Trace programme and our coastal and rainforest tours.
Want to join the team?
We're always on the lookout for passionate, certified outdoor professionals who share our values. If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.
As featured in & certified by
ADVENTURE
Australia
WILDERNESS
Magazine
LNT
Partner
TIMEOUT
Sydney
ECOTOURISM
Australia Certified
