We Are Explorers has launched the inaugural ExplorerFest — a bold new festival designed to bring together brands, communities, and creators through immersive, offline experiences.
Held on Worimi Country at Jimmys Beach in Hawks Nest, NSW, the event welcomed hundreds of attendees from across the country and has firmly established itself as a flagship gathering for Australia’s outdoor and adventure community.
Across three days, attendees participated in a dynamic mix of outdoor adventure, environmental action, workshops, talks and entertainment — including sea kayaking, climbing walls, sunrise train runs, live music, film premieres, story slam competitions, survival workshops with Alone contestants, and even the planting of 176 native trees.
The festival combined nature, purpose, and storytelling to deliver an experience far beyond traditional event formats.
“ExplorerFest was built to close the gap between digital connection and real-world impact,” said Henry Brydon, founder of We Are Explorers.
“Our goal was to create something tangible and lasting – a media experience you could feel. We believe this is the future: community-driven, values-led, and built offline”.
With Osprey Packs as presenting partner, the festival featured a strong brand line-up including Jeep, Sea to Summit, The North Face, Dometic, Paddy Pallin, OM SYSTEMS, and Scarpa. Each activation was designed to align closely with brand values, providing hands-on opportunities for high impact and authentic engagement.
“ExplorerFest offered a rare opportunity to connect with our audience in an environment that truly reflects our ethos,” said Tim Angus, group manager at Osprey Australia.
“It wasn’t just brand presence – it was brand participation”.
The launch of ExplorerFest marks the latest chapter in We Are Explorers’ mission to redefine what meaningful media can look like.
Recently named Travel Publication of the Year, the company has built a reputation for bold, values-driven campaigns — from purchasing and protecting a hectare of the Daintree Rainforest, to planting 8,000 trees in the Snowy Mountains, reforesting Sydney’s seas, and touring the country in a bus to spotlight everyday Aussies driving change. ExplorerFest is more than an event — it’s a culmination of a decade spent pushing boundaries in how stories are told, brands are activated, and communities are built.
