Living the Dream
The Katherine Outback Experience is a wonderful example of an agile and adaptable business.
My first encounter with Tom and Annabel Curtain was in 2018 when they put on a performance in the mining town of Collie in Western Australia. They had such an interesting story including the challenges to establish the Katherine Outback Experience and decision to take it on the road during the wet season. Tom’s love of the outback, incredible horsemanship, affinity with animals, and by-the-way-I-can-sing-as-well talent, created a unique business that was worthy of inclusion in my latest book.
Wind forward to February 2022 and I welcomed a chance to catch up with this dynamic duo on their Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us Now tour down the eastern seaboard. Having followed them on social media I knew all about the addition of Harry and Lottie to the family. A zoom chat in early 2020 revealed how they had adapted their business model yet again during the pandemic. In 2022 the Katherine Outback Experience claimed gold in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, and in early 2023 Tom was inducted into the Tamworth Hands of Fame. They’ve been busy.
Under the guise of taking the family out for a night of entertainment, we caught up with their tour in Elmore. It was interesting to observe what has changed, and what hasn’t, in their life and business.
For starters, Tom greeted us with a bead of sweat dripping down his face before the show even began. He was heading from the horse truck towards the merchandise stall, where the star of the show is supposed to be. With utmost patience and humility, he greeted fans, posed for photographs, and signed merchandise as the venue filled. At his side, a smiling Annabel handled the payments and raced off to check what time the food van would open.
In the greatest test of whether they are truly from the outback, the advertised start time of the show came and went as Tom continued to chat with fans still arriving. Everyone forgave him the minute he strode on to the arena and the microphone fired up. For the next hour he chatted as he put an affray of mismatched dogs, horses and goats through their paces.
The show provided valuable lessons for horse and dog lovers as well as parents.
Often, almost always, the desired exercise went pear shaped. ‘It’s all part of the show,’ Tom assured us. An overzealous kelpie, Bess, her name repeatedly called out by Tom in a low drawn-out growl, did her best to test his patience. A new horse didn’t get on with one of the others. Throughout it all Tom retained a calm demeanor explaining his animal training techniques as he dealt with the organised chaos. Even his toddler Lottie responded beautifully to the ‘get baaaaack’ command when she strayed into the arena.
It was much more entertaining than if everything had gone to plan.
‘Can I have some helpers?’ Tom asked. The kids came from everywhere. As the evening progressed, they participated in slug and wheelbarrow races and danced their hearts out to get Tom’s attention and the chance of winning a CD.
Behind the scenes Annabel had moved from the merchandise stall to help out at the truck. Dogs, horses and goats needed to be prepared for their starring roles and then secured as they came off the arena. After the animal segment Tom took to the stage with his support band for another hour or more. Annabel was still busy helping to bed down the horses for the night. Four on the lead she strode off into the darkness.
When Tom broke into the song that he wrote in lieu of wedding vows, Annabel was behind the stage heading back towards the truck, Lottie under one arm and supplies in the other. She didn’t break stride, clearly a woman on a mission.
Annabel, like so many other business partners working in the background, deserves a medal.
So, what else did I take away from all these observations?
The business model has continued to evolve to suit the ever-changing conditions, they are very sensitive to what is going on in communities Australia-wide. While still very much hitting the mark with word of mouth referrals, their marketing has skyrocketed in sophistication and reach. Skilled staff provide support in Katherine and on the road, though Annabel admits they were down on numbers that particular night which put them under the pump. And everywhere they tour, excellent support bands are attracted to accompany them.
Tom and Annabel are very much hands on behind the scenes as well as centre stage because this is their business built on their skills. As is typical of a small business family they work bloody hard and are good at what they do.
Could they do it smarter? Possibly.
Would they want to? Probably not. This is clearly a lifestyle choice.
One of the elements that makes Tom, Annabel and the Katherine Outback Experience so unique is that they aren’t just conveying the outback lifestyle through carefully crafted words and clothes. They are living and breathing it.
You can see it in the sweat on their faces, the dust on their boots, and their love of working with animals.
When I see clips of Tom on stage performing with other awesome legends at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, from which he has brought home many awards over the years, I am reminded that singer-songwriters write and perform from the heart through real-life experiences.
Tom is the real deal. He does live on Territory Time, one of his hit songs. He has a truckload of stories from his Jackaroo days and can control a horse cutting out ‘cattle’ while playing a guitar and singing a hit song to an audience. There is no ego. He is committed to ensuring that the animals and people in his circle are happy and engaged. That’s what makes him such a great entertainer.
Catching up at Elmore was the first opportunity I’d had to give him a copy of Australian Rural Entrepreneurs since I’d launched the book. Annabel was busy serving customers but Elise Brown from Fair Dinkum Dogs, who also features in the book, was only too pleased to share the limelight with Tom.
Before leaving home I had written inside the front cover: To Tom and Annabel, Keep living the dream!
Yep. They sure are.
PS. My family was also very happy with me for taking them to such a great show.
Photos 1, 2,3 courtesy of Katherine Outback Experience.
Katherine Outback Experience - Northern Territory + Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us tour (Victoria/Tasmania/South Australia)