About Us

I am a consummate organiser with a passion for tourism and travel. I’ve not only studied tourism but I’ve also lived it, having visited over 80 countries. Leaving Zimbabwe with my family at age 9, we settled in South Africa before migrating to Australia.

I finished school in Townsville before completing an Associate Diploma of Business in Travel and Tourism. I began working for a local travel agency, before taking over its management.

Taking a break from the travel industry I ventured into selling print media advertising, developing further my customer service skills. My passion for adventure ignited with the prospect of a working holiday; the UK opened its arms and welcomed me to its shores. I was immersed in travel, visiting over 50 countries during my time away. New jobs allowed me to further develop my organisational and leadership skills, and learn new skills that have become integral to Coast to Hinterland Tours. Now the Mark Owner is the part of The Funtastic Tour Company.

Not content to stay in one location or one industry, an impulse decision saw me land in Shetland on the working side of the bar, sharing stories with locals and visitors, before returning to London in a new leadership role. This was another stepping stone, a chapter in a longer story. With my finger pointed the globe turned once more, this time stopping at Slovenia.

Soon work led me back to tourism; I became Sales & Customer Relations Manager for an online company selling travel packages throughout Europe. 4+ years later, I was back in London, planning my return to Australia.

Settling on the Sunshine Coast despite never having been here before was another challenge to be met. I had lived in 6 countries, one of them where I didn’t have the language, so how hard could it be? I found my feet before I had taken off my shoes, this was my new home; paradise. The Funtastic Tour Company

Starting a business was the only thing to do. I had found paradise and wanted to share it with as many people as I could; and what better way to do that than to utilise all of my skills and experience to create a company that would allow me to do just that? So I created Coast to Hinterland Tours. My passion for adventure, my love of food, of nature, of where I live, this place was too good not to share.

My life has always been an adventure and I will continue to make adventure my life. The rest, well, it’s still happening.

Geoff is a born and bred Queenslander from a small country town in the Central Highlands. Before settling on the Sunshine Coast Geoff worked extensively in a diverse range of customer service roles around Queensland, before jetting off to pursue his passion for travel, exploring the world, experiencing different cultures, and meeting new people. Since 2003 he has visited a total of 71 countries and lived in 4.

In 2015, Geoff moved to the Sunshine Coast, choosing this region for its exceptional beauty, the fresh local produce, and the unique Sunshine Coast energy that draws people in. Not to mention the incredible scenery and the plethora of places to see and explore. Geoff fell in love with the beaches, the rainforest, the open fields, the hinterland towns, and how significantly the scenery can change over a short distance.

With so much diversity, Geoff has no single favourite place on the Sunshine Coast – every single place is his favourite for its own reason and there is not a single place on the coast that he wouldn’t go back to. When he isn’t at work Geoff enjoys exploring the Sunshine Coast through a range of hobbies including camping, hiking and cycling, as well as reading, cooking, writing, and travelling.

In 2018 Geoff’s experience and passion for travel and tourism, the Sunshine Coast, meeting new people, and providing an exceptional customer experience all came together when he welcomed the first customers to Coast to Hinterland Tours.

Despite spending so much of his time travelling the Sunshine Coast, Geoff still loves meeting customers and showing them around the area, sharing the region’s history and stories, and taking in the scenery and venues that make up the tours. He is truly passionate about his work and never tires of driving around, showing off the slice of paradise that is the Sunshine Coast.