Adventure Entertainment has acquired We Are Explorers, with the digital outdoor media brand joining the Adventure Entertainment group from 1 July.
Founded by Henry Brydon in 2014, We Are Explorers has grown from a personal blog into a major Australian outdoor publication. The brand now reaches more than 2 million Australians each month and has delivered campaigns for Patagonia, Toyota and Tourism Tasmania.
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The current We Are Explorers team will remain with the business, including managing director Tim Ashelford, who has been with the publication for nine years. Ashelford will continue to lead its editorial direction.
What the acquisition means
The deal gives We Are Explorers access to Adventure Entertainment’s portfolio of more than 20 outdoor publications, film tours and events. Together, the combined network reaches more than 6 million Australians annually.
The acquisition also expands Adventure Entertainment’s offer to advertisers across editorial, social, content creation, events, film tours and experiential activations.
After 12 years leading the company, Brydon, who is now based in the UK, will step away from day-to-day operations.
“Building We Are Explorers has been the defining project of my life. What started as a passion project became far bigger than I ever imagined thanks to an incredible team and community. I created the dream company I always wanted to work for, and we had an extraordinary adventure building it,” Brydon said.
“Handing over the reins wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I wanted to find someone who genuinely understood what makes this brand special. I couldn’t think of a better home than Adventure Entertainment – Toby and the team are the right custodians to take We Are Explorers into its next chapter.”
Continuity for We Are Explorers
Ashelford said the partnership would allow the brand to grow while maintaining its editorial identity.
“We’ve spent more than a decade earning the trust of Australia’s outdoor community. This partnership gives us the resources to grow while staying true to the storytelling and editorial values that built the brand in the first place,” Ashelford said.
“I’m excited to join a company that values our strong digital skillset and unique place within outdoor culture as we help shape the way Australians get outside.”
Toby Ryston-Pratt, founder and CEO of Adventure Entertainment, said the acquisition would strengthen both businesses.
“Henry and the team have built Australia’s benchmark digital outdoor media brand. Our role isn’t to change what made We Are Explorers successful, it’s to build on it,” Ryston-Pratt said.
“We’ll invest in the team, expand commercial opportunities, and preserve the editorial integrity that readers and partners trust. There are enormous opportunities ahead, and we’re excited to begin the next chapter. The addition of We Are Explorers boosts our digital and content creation capabilities and will allow us to uplift those capabilities across our business whilst retaining our focus on core print and film tour products.”
Adventure Entertainment expands outdoor media network
We Are Explorers is a media brand focused on encouraging Australians to spend more time outdoors and protect the natural world. In 2024, it was named Travel Publication of the Year at the Mumbrella Travel Awards. It also won Event of the Year at the 2025 Mumbrella Awards for ExplorerFest.
Adventure Entertainment is an Australian-owned media company focused on adventure, travel, outdoor and niche sports audiences across Australia and New Zealand. Its portfolio includes Wild Magazine, Australian Mountain Bike, Trail Run Magazine, Vertical Life Magazine, Caravan World Magazine and Great Walks Magazine.
The company also operates touring film festivals including Reel Rock, Warren Miller, Mountainfilm on Tour, Women’s Adventure Film Tour and RunNation Film Festival. Adventure Entertainment also runs film tours across the US.
Top image: Henry Brydon