Who is Brisbane Unexpected?
Brisbane Unexpected started in late 2023 and launched in April 2025 from a desire to share Brisbane’s extraordinary stories to the world and welcome domestic and international visitors to this most Australian city in the friendly and authentic way we are famous for.
Why choose Brisbane Unexpected Tours
Our tours have been carefully curated by Annie and local subject matter experts to ensure you have a wonderful experience hearing Brisbane’s unique story and learning about this beautiful city. Our expert guides will always overlay their personal story telling skills so you, our guests, can enjoy discovering the city with a local.
We have a wide network of contacts and local leaders in their cultural field so you get an authentic Queensland experience.
The Brisbane Unexpected Team
True collaboration is one of Brisbane’s superpowers, so the number of people involved in creating Brisbane Unexpected is a very long list, but here’s the core team:
Annie Macnaughton
Annie moved to Brisbane for love in 1995.
Having been raised in a small town in country Victoria, going to school and University in Melbourne, then living in Sydney to work, she can put her hand on her heart and say she loves living in Brisbane with her family.
She is passionate about Brisbane’s potential and has been lucky enough to work with many extraordinary locals across many industries to help develop Brisbane. Sharing Brisbane’s stories with the world is core to that passion.
With a career in business and marketing and a love of travel, starting up Brisbane Unexpected seemed a no-brainer.
This is the third successful business Annie has started in Brisbane, so she loves the fact that it’s a great place to do business and thrive.
Sarah Zini
Sarah manages Brisbane Unexpected’s tour operations and Guides with a passion for history, storytelling and culture-based business.
Combining her background in Anthropology and History, with a career in hospitality and wine retail management, Sarah loves sharing Brisbane’s stories as a Guide as much as keeping all the business wheels turning.
Sarah believes in the power of storytelling as a means of understanding ourselves, our collective experiences, and our shared identity, and has incorporated that perspective in researching and writing walks for Brisbane Unexpected.
Emily Parker
Emily was born, lives, and works in Brisbane, and has watched the city grow and change over time.
Combining a background in Music, Fine Art, and Business, she brings over 15 years of experience in arts administration to her role as Administration Coordinator with Brisbane Unexpected. Emily has worked across a range of major cultural and event venues, including Brisbane City Hall, QPAC, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Suncorp Stadium, developing a strong understanding of large-scale cultural operations and public engagement.
She is passionate about connecting with people and sharing local insights, and alongside her work as gallerist, Emily is especially passionate about the history, culture, and art that can be discovered within our tours of this friendly, vibrant city.
