Meet the Team
Chapman Tours is a small family-owned business based in the Blue Mountains offering international tourists and locals the very best day tour of our world heritage listed Blue Mountains. Our team has extensive years of experience in tour guiding and entertaining and understand the importance of giving guests the best day of their vacation.
Meet Chapo
As the business owner Graham Chapman has done a lot in his life. His work on air as a radio announcer during the 1980’s and 1990’s positioned him well for the tourism industry. One of 5 children, he grew up on a small farm at the base of the Blue Mountains. As a child, his parents were guiding lights as they demonstrated the importance of ‘community’ which is crucial to his belief today. He has been a long serving member of the NSW Rural Fire Service first joining his local brigade in 1978, becoming one of the first members of their junior brigade. He remains a member of the NSW Rural Fire Service to this day and holds the rank of Deputy Captain. He has refereed football since he was 14 and has worked tirelessly throughout his life donating his time for charitable events. A former boy scout, he loved exploring the bush as a child and that has continued as an adult.
‘I don’t see tourism as any different to working on radio or television. You are entertaining people. It is an enormous privilege to bring it all together for them and create special memories. I love, with a passion what I do, and seeing people leave their time with us saying it’s the greatest experience they have been on makes it all worthwhile’
Graham remembers his first family camping trip to Porters Retreat, near Oberon like it was yesterday.
‘My dad was a dreamer. He was always searching for elusive Gold in the rivers. Fortunately for my parents they found lots of Sapphires. I often look back on that era and give thanks that my parents were who they were. Dad always had a story, mum always had a saying, I have fond memories fossicking in the rivers over the Blue Mountains’.
Graham describes his life as perfect nowadays, he has three wonderful children, a loving partner and enjoys meeting new people and introducing them to new experiences.
Meet Alec
Alec is one of three children that Chapo often proudly talks about. He has grown up loving the outdoors through sport and camping. He often just decides to throw a swag in the car and enjoy a night under the stars with his mates. At 23, he loves meeting new people from overseas and around our country and he remains an important part of his family tourism business.
‘I remember my dad taking me on my first camping trip. I look back fondly on the photos. I was only 4 years of age but remember loving being out with the wild Kangaroos and listening to all the different birds’
Alec is exactly like his father – he loves Australia with an absolute passion.
Meet Hayden
Hayden was born in the beautiful Pacific Islands of Vanuatu. His Great Grandmother was the sister to Queen Salote of Tonga. As colourful as that history may be Hayden takes great pride in his Australian mothers’ side, where his 6th Generation Grandparents were both ‘forced tourists’ convicts on the First Fleet in 1788.
Swapping a group of little islands for the big island of Australia in 1969, Hayden has absolutely no hesitation in calling Australia HOME.
Hayden has always been in the service of people starting at an early age in the Australian Red Cross/Crescent organisation through to his late 20s, then as a Youth Pastor and Youth worker in the local community through to today as a Tour Guide.
Working with local indigenous children and taking them on a Pilgrimage to Uluru over a 7yr period, has brought him a beautiful connection to the land. A connection he uses today when he takes people into the Aussie bush with him.
Hayden isn’t content for you to simply see the views but experience nature through all the senses, feel, taste and sound.
Every day brings with it a new and exciting adventure, a new experience to be had and an opportunity to make a difference for the positive in another’s life, whether you’re a child or a child at heart in your late 90s.
With a heart of Gratefulness, it is easy to see why he’s often referred to as the ‘Happy Hugger”.
Meet Sean
Sean Smith is a Sydney local. He comes from a long line of creative ancestors and the creative gene has not skipped him or his children. Sean has a love of photography and so too does his eldest son, they both love to immerse themselves in their natural flair for nature photography. Sean has three children, two sons and a daughter playing water polo in the Netherlands at an elite level.
Sean has 25 years of travel and tourism Experiences stretching across most states and territories of Australia. He plays at integral role when showing international guests the Blue Mountains.
Sean grew up visiting the beautiful South Coast with his family for well over a decade. He has lived in many exotic parts of the world and has traveled extensively. The love of engagement ignites Sean and ignites his zest for people, animals and life. Sean is someone rare that understands the calm approach to entertaining and offering experiences but at the same time appreciating that it’s the little things that can make the experience outstanding.
Meet Jason
A passionate educator and adventurer, Jason is a high school teacher with a love for travel, storytelling, and the great outdoors. Having spent most of his life in Sydney and countless holidays in the Blue Mountains, he knows the region like the back of his hand.
Jason has led student tours across Europe, Japan, and Kenya, embracing new cultures and connecting with people from all walks of life. When he’s not in the classroom teaching Legal Studies and Economics, he enjoys guiding visitors through the breathtaking landscapes of the Blue Mountains, sharing its rich history, stunning vistas, and hidden gems.
Outside of teaching and touring, Jason stays active with triathlon training, enjoys photography, and has a keen appreciation for fine wine, cooking, and music—from pop and rock to jazz and classical. A devoted husband, father of two, and pet parent to a dog, cat, and a small school of fish, Jason brings warmth, knowledge, and a sense of adventure to every tour he leads.
The 5 star review feedback we get when Jason leads our tours is superb and we are proud to have him as part of our team.
Join Jason on a journey through the Blue Mountains—you’re in for an unforgettable experience!
Meet Amy
Born and raised in the picturesque beachside town of Noosa on Queensland’s sunny coast, Amy’s love for adventure was shaped by years of exploring Australia. In her 20s, she spent time traveling and working along the East Coast in her campervan before settling in Sydney 10 years ago.
Growing up near the ocean, Amy developed a deep passion for surfing, a skill her dad taught her at an early age. “I remember him taking me out the back behind the breakers in big swells. His love for adventure definitely rubbed off on me.”
Family holidays often meant camping in the Aussie bush, where Amy spent hours exploring rivers and connecting with nature. These experiences fostered a lifelong love of the outdoors.
“From a young age, I dreamt of being a ’round-the-world explorer.’ While I haven’t found a job title for that yet, tour guiding comes pretty close!”
Amy’s enthusiasm for her work, paired with her fun and carefree spirit, has earned her rave reviews from guests. She’s proud of her many 5-star ratings, and it’s clear that her passion for adventure shines through every tour.
