Meet the team!
Tom Curtain
Director, Ower & Operator
Tom Curtain is an award-winning country music artist, master horseman, and founder of Katherine Outback Experience.
A celebrated Australian entertainer, Tom is a multiple Golden Guitar winner and an accomplished horse trainer. Through Katherine Outback Experience, he brings together his passions for music, storytelling, and horsemanship in an authentic showcase of outback life.
Tom’s journey into professional horse training began in 2001 at Mt Sanford Station in the Northern Territory. Prior to this, he honed his craft under renowned Queensland horseman Hurley Toomey. Since then, he has trained thousands of horses across a wide range of breeds and disciplines through his business, Riverboyne Horsebreaking & Training.
While working on Mt Sanford, Tom discovered a love for music, inspired by head stockman and recording artist Martin Oakes. Around the campfire and in the corrugated iron shower block, songs began to take shape. In 2004, Tom released his debut album Smack Bang, with the title track reaching No. 1 on the Australian Country Music charts.
He followed with Heatwave (2007), Territory Time (2017), We’re Still Here (2019), and Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us (2022)—all of which earned critical acclaim.
In 2018, Tom’s duet with Luke O’Shea, Never Never Land, earned two Golden Guitars at the Tamworth Country Music Awards: CMC Video Clip of the Year and Toyota Heritage Song of the Year. That same year, Tom was honoured with four major accolades at the Southern Stars Australian Independent Country Music Awards: Independent Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (Territory Time), and Single of the Year (Never Never Land).
Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us, released in October 2022, debuted at No. 1 on the Australian iTunes Country Chart. The lead single Why We Live Out Here—a co-write with Matt Scullion and Garth Porter—held the No. 1 spot on the Country Tracks Top 40 Airplay Chart for several weeks.
Beyond music and horse training, Tom is a proud ambassador for Dolly’s Dream, helping spread awareness about bullying in rural communities. He is also an accomplished campdrafter, having won the ‘Young Guns’ division of the Ultimate Colt Starting Championship in 2013.
In recognition of his contribution to country music and the bush, Tom was inducted into the Tamworth Country Music Festival Hands of Fame in 2023.
Annabel Curtain
Director, Ower & Operator
Annabel Curtain is the strategic powerhouse behind Katherine Outback Experience — a champion of the outback, passionate campdrafter, and advocate for rural tourism.
Annabel came into the business after a fateful roadside meeting in southern Western Australia in 2015, when her father picked up a stranded Tom Curtain. At the time, she was forging a successful career as an urban planner — but a love for the land (and the man) saw her take a leap of faith and swap city life for the red dirt of Katherine.
Born into a sixth-generation farming family, Annabel grew up on the historic beef property ‘Blythewood’ just south of Pinjarra, WA. With deep pastoral roots in both the Kimberley and South West, her childhood was spent helping on the farm during weekends and school holidays — instilling in her a strong work ethic and connection to the bush.
Since joining Katherine Outback Experience in 2016, Annabel has played a pivotal role in growing the business into a nationally recognised tourism attraction. She now manages everything behind the scenes — from business development and marketing, to operations and touring logistics — ensuring the wheels keep turning (often literally, on the road).
A fierce advocate for regional tourism, Annabel also serves on the Board of Tourism NT, where she helps shape the future of travel experiences across the Territory. Her insights into both tourism and agriculture bring a valuable voice to the table.
Annabel is also a skilled competitor in the sport of campdrafting, where she has claimed several state titles and is a respected judge in the field. Her commitment to horses, the land, and rural communities shines through in every aspect of her work.
With a rare mix of brains, boots and heart, Annabel brings both grit and grace to everything she does — and is a driving force behind the continued success of Katherine Outback Experience.
