Meet one of our Flinders family businesses, The Infinite Horizon, a local, independent, family-run business offering tailor-made travel to hand-picked destinations in Africa.
The Infinite Horizon features on The Ship's Log - our College's online community business directory. The Ship's Log is an initiative of the Flinders Foundation to connect our Matthew Flinders Anglican College community in a practical and mutually beneficial way.
To read more business conversations with our families registered on The Ship's Log, or to register your own business, visit here.
Business Profile: The Infinite Horizon with Steve and Teena Chumbley
www.TheInfiniteHorizon.net
The Infinite Horizon recently supported the Flinders Round Square International Conference delegates of six Year 11 students and two Secondary staff when they ventured to Nairobi, Kenya in October 2023. Business owners Teena and Steve organised the first week of the group’s tour, which included a safari to the incredible Maasai Mara National Reserve in south west Kenya, a wildlife conservation haven.
We invited Teena and Steve to share some of their business goals, successes and challenges, as well as the highlights as they celebrate more than 20 years of business in 2023!
Tell us about your business and connection to Flinders.
We run The Infinite Horizon as a local, independent, family business offering tailor-made travel to hand-picked destinations in Africa. We joined the Flinders family in 2019 when our son Aidan started Secondary School as a Year 7 student. Aidan has thrived and grown in the environment created at Flinders. It was nice to be involved in the Flinders community as members of Parents and Friends and, more recently, the Friends of Music.
A special aspect of the recent trip we helped to organise for the Round Square delegation to Kenya was that our son, Aidan, was one of the students on the Round Square team. So this was a poignant trip for him. Not only was he part of a very special group but he felt like he was going back to his 'other' home. Once again he was able to converse in Swahili and to eat some of the street food he grew up with.
Learn more about Steve and Teena here.
What inspired your business?
Steve was from Reading in the United Kingdom, and I was from a wheat and sheep farm in Western Australia. We met in Kuwait while teaching at an international school. Steve said, "Why don’t we try something different?" So we did. In 2003 we moved to Tanzania in East Africa to live and set up a safari company. We lived in Tanzania for 13 years, building our safari company. In 2016 we moved to the Sunshine Coast where we continue to run our business. This year, 2023, marks 20 years of operation!
What is the vision for your business?
We aim for our customers to experience the magic of an African safari crafted to reflect their personal style of travel and sense of adventure. Our clients’ needs may range from having the ultimate wildlife encounter to going on a cultural journey or climbing Kilimanjaro. We have 20 years of experience living, working and exploring in Africa to draw upon, so we use our intimate knowledge of Africa’s iconic destinations and rely on the excellent relationships we have nurtured with our long-term African partners. Over the years, we have been honoured to take people to select African destinations in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar and Ethiopia.
What’s included in your safaris?
All inclusive-meals, accommodation, activities, transfers, private 4WD safari vehicle and knowledgeable English speaking guide, internal flights, activities, park fees and permits as well as emergency medical evacuation.
What’s not included?
International airfares, items of a personal nature, alcohol and gratuities.
What industry standards have you acquired?
We are fully accredited with both the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA/ATAS) and the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA).
What special offers should Flinders families be aware of?
Each time a Flinders family makes a safari booking, we donate $200 per booking to The School of St Jude in Tanzania. Fighting Poverty Through Education, The School of St Jude was the dream of Australian-born humanitarian, Gemma Sisia. Established in 2002, the school provides free, high-quality education to over 1,800 of the poorest, brightest Tanzanian children while boarding more than 1,400 students. Gemma’s achievements were honoured by an Order of Australia medal in 2007.
Did COVID impact your business?
Yes, our business was impacted, however, nowhere near to the extent that our African families, friends and colleagues endured. This period was an opportunity to be extremely thankful and appreciative for what we have in Australia.
What is a business focus for the near future?
Most of our clients are American, and we look forward to continuing to increase our Australian client base.
Please share some of the highlights of your African experiences.
Africa is full of the most amazing, life-changing experiences as well as incredible opportunities. It is really hard to define the highlights, but I will try…
So...
- Feeling your humanity challenged in the presence of a silverback while gorilla-trekking in Rwanda is spellbinding;
- Hearing the roar of the mighty Zambezi as it crashes down Victoria Falls is amazing;
- Climbing Kilimanjaro and looking at the ancient landscape beyond the mountain’s feet is breathtaking;
- Witnessing one of the largest animal migrations on Earth - the sound, the smell and the sheer number of wildebeest and zebra is astonishing;
- Eating hot roasted corn from a Maasai mama’s tiny roadside barbecue is always delicious.
These are the experiences of Africa that are forever stamped in our memories and the experiences we can share with our clients.
While living in Africa, at the same time as we operated our business, we were contracted by other companies to do all sorts of tasks from managing lodges in national parks, to working with the BBC and History channels, to writing conservation practice for the Tanzanian Government on tourists trekking after chimpanzee.
However, living in Tanzania was more than the spectacular scenery and extraordinary diversity of wildlife; it was the people. Their kindness, humour and humility remind you what is really important in life.
“An African Safari – More Than Just a Holiday.”
To learn more, visit www.TheInfiniteHorizon.net or contact Steve and Teena safari@theinfinitehorizon.net and support our Flinders families in business!
