Our Team

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Anthony Osborne

Anthony Osborne (AKA Ozi) is an industry leader and the driving force behind The Destination Agency. Following a 25-year career in advertising and communications, and nearly a decade at the helm of Sapphire Coast Tourism, Anthony’s vast experience in brand, project delivery and tourism has given The Destination Agency an enviable edge when faced with marketing challenges and optimising business outcomes.

Anthony currently takes the Strategic Planning and Industry Leadership role for TDA’s flagship client Sapphire Coast, with his specialised team delivering destination marketing and industry development services under contract to Bega Valley Shire Council since 2018.

Other signature tourism consultancies include brand development for the Great South Coast Walk project (current), capacity planning, brand development and marketing for the new Wharf to Wharf Walk on the Sapphire Coast. Anthony was also responsible for building the brand story and marketing platform for the emerging Aboriginal tourism experience, the Bundian Way.

Industry development is Anthony’s mantra when working with destinations, and he is well known for his strong views on putting ‘every single dollar into improving experiences’ in emerging regional destinations. He walks the talk, having developed the bespoke industry development program Tourism Future, which is being rolled out for the second time on the Sapphire Coast. Anthony has also worked on a number of tourism capacity building projects with the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council in partnership with NSW state government.

Whilst tourism has become something of a specialty over recent years, Anthony’s skills also currently see him leading strategy, implementing campaigns and building brand value for the likes of Bendigo Bank on the south coast, Six8 coffee roasters in Yass and Sapphire Coast Wilderness Oysters.

Anthony is the founder and chair of the hugely successful Eat Festival on the Sapphire Coast and a former board member of Australian Regional Tourism.

As befitting the sea change ‘Ad Man’, you can find Anthony spending his spare time with his family either on the ski slopes, or at their tropical rainforest shack in the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest (we’re not making this up). You may also find him getting his hands dirty on the family hobby farm, growing vegetables, feeding the chooks and running an Airbnb.

Tourism Manager

Rhys Treloar

Rhys Treloar is Tourism Manager for TDA’s flagship client Sapphire Coast, managing tourism industry development, stakeholder engagement and destination marketing for the region.

Rhys spent the last 8 years working in the tourism industry, predominantly for Flight Centre Travel Group, Regional Manager for World Challenge Expeditions/Travelbound and more recently as Industry Development Manager with Destination Southern NSW. Rhys has been incredibly fortunate that his various roles have allowed him to travel around the world, and recently spent 4 years in Dubai.

Rhys is originally from the Sapphire Coast and is excited to be working within the amazing tourism sector across the regions he calls home. He hopes to share his global experiences and time spent within the Tourism, Hospitality and Retail industries. A Merimbula local, you can spot him at Mitchie’s Jetty most weekends, enjoying a coffee with his family or riding the waves at Bar Beach.

Project Coordinator

Ella Freestone

Ella Freestone is a communications professional specialising in creative project management and destination marketing. Ella has an industry background of working with NGOs, not-for-profits as well as commercial projects.

Ella leads TDA’s project coordination, creative management, destination marketing, copywriting and interpretive projects. Her experience delivers the highest level of accuracy of detail in all facets of a project and ensures a client’s peace of mind.

A Communications graduate from the University of Technology Sydney, Ella relocated to the Sapphire Coast five years ago to be immersed in the rugged beauty of the deep south. Good luck finding her on weekends - she'll be in the water or on the hiking trails!

DESIGN

Lara Forsdick

Lara Forsdick is an industrial and graphic designer with a passion for user centred design and innovation. Lara has accumulated a number of skills over the years adding to her creative portfolio, with the most recent as a service design consultant where she worked closely with clients to improve and design services with the end user in mind.

Over the past 3 years Lara has designed and developed luxury accommodation on her family farm with involvement in the complete journey including product development, design and implementation, marketing and website development and ongoing social media.

Lara lives in the beautiful Towamba Valley on her family farm and can be found hanging out with some adorable goats, getting creative with woodwork or painting in her free time.

VISITOR ECONOMY CONSULTANT

Natalie Godward

Natalie Godward is well-known as a leader in the development of regional cruise destinations and was instrumental in developing Eden to become the most successful regional transit port in NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Natalie’s expertise is in community and stakeholder engagement, recognising that successful projects start and end with this key component. As a regional community member and having worked with regional communities, Natalie is confident in delivering sustainable project outcomes that benefit all parties.

Following leadership roles in cruise tourism and with local and regional tourism boards, Natalie followed her passion and started Saltando Consulting to further explore the opportunities cruise visitation can provide destinations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

In her spare time Natalie is a volunteer firefighter and President of Merimbula Rural Fire Brigade, involved in many volunteer tourism and events groups and a mother of two teenage daughters, who know everything and keep her on her toes!

PHOTOGRAPHY

David Rogers

David Rogers is an award-winning landscape photographer based on the Sapphire Coast, NSW. He has an industry background of working in publishing, advertising and lifestyle media, including work for some of the world's leading brands at Australia's top publishing houses.

After years of living and working in the nation's capital cities, he has returned to his idyllic Sapphire Coast home town to focus on photography. He combines his two passions - photography and media - to help brands achieve their marketing goals through powerful imagery, and to remind people of the beauty of this planet.

FILM

Kyle Wilson

Kyle Wilson is an experienced film producer, musician and creative. As a storyteller, he believes in the power of narratives to connect, inspire, and evoke emotion. Whether unraveling the untold tales of local legends or capturing the daily rhythms of coastal life, his films seek to transport audiences to the heart of the narrative, inviting them to experience the world through a cinematic lens.

With a camera in hand and a vision in mind, Kyle embarks on a cinematic journey that captures the essence of our coastal landscapes and the unique narratives that unfold within.

DIGITAL

Adam Foale

Adam Foale is a digital consultant with over 24 years experience, working with some of Australia's biggest and most recognisable brands.

He specialises in web development, user experience, project management, website performance & usability audits, email marketing, eCommerce, integrated campaign management & automations, technical & local SEO, Google Ads, digital signage, POS systems and integration.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Andy McLean

Andy McLean is a writer and creative director whose skills have been honed at top end of town agencies like JWT, DDB, DMB&B and Clemenger. As Head of Art at DMB&B he contributed to their creative reputation as well as ensuring Telstra, Mars, Whereis and Uncle Bens benefitted from their choice of agency. His role as Creative Director at HMA George Patterson saw him work with Hyatt, ABC New Media, RMIT and Borders.

Sound, strategic thinking supported by a strong reason to believe is critical to Andy’s creative endeavours and he prides himself on work that builds brands by delivering to the bottom line.