When Dallas and Nikki Coull packed up their lives in Nottingham, England, and headed for Adelaide, they didn’t have a detailed business plan in their back pocket, but they did have a dream: a love for South Australia, and Dallas’s unshakable passion for tourism.

Fifteen years on from that leap of faith, the couple are the proud founders of not one but two Adelaide tourism icons, Taste the Barossa and See Adelaide and Beyond. These days, the whole Coull clan is part of the popular small tour group company, and See Adelaide and Beyond is a  finalist in Australia’s Favourite Family Business

Recalling the early days of the now-popular tourism business, Dallas tells Business Builders it had a very unlikely beginning.

“The first brand we started as a family was Taste the Barossa, and it was actually started in Nottingham, England!” he says.

Dallas said he’d been itching to move back home to Australia for years, while Nikki, a Brit, wanted to train as a midwife. Nikki’s study plans seemed the perfect time to contemplate a move.

“So I brought Nikki and the two kids to my hometown of Adelaide and started Taste the Barossa,” he says.

That move would set the stage for one of the state’s most enduring family tourism success stories, though, as Dallas admits, the early years were no picnic.

Blood, sweat and Barossa wine

Looking back on the early years of the business, Dallas still shakes his head in disbelief.

“I genuinely can’t believe what we achieved in those first few years,” he says. “We moved from the UK, both my parents passed away within three months of each other while I was driving tours almost seven days a week. Nikki gave birth to our third child, Tamsin. Nikki started full-time study for her midwifery degree, and Taste the Barossa became so successful that we looked at expanding into other areas.”

It was a brutal schedule. With Nikki’s parents still in the UK and no family support network nearby, the Coulls had to rely entirely on each other.

“Failure wasn’t an option,” Dallas says. “Nikki had promised me three years in Australia, and at the end of those three years, she was going to decide where we were going to live,  and there was no way I wanted to move my family back to the UK!”

A family passion

Dallas admits he was the one who pushed the family business dream hardest. “It was definitely driven by me,” he says. “Having been involved in the tourism industry in Adelaide previously when I started Groovy Grape Getaways back in 1997, it was an industry I was very passionate about.”

Before long, the business became a true family affair. Nikki juggled a newborn, full-time study, and admin for the business, keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes. “None of it would’ve been possible without her,” Dallas says.

A little help from TripAdvisor

There was no one “big break,” but plenty of small wins that added up. One stands out in Dallas’s mind.

“A passenger said to me that they saw Taste the Barossa on TripAdvisor, and at the time I’d never even heard of it,” he laughs. “Fast forward and we’ve spent 10 years as the number one tour operator in South Australia on TripAdvisor.”

That milestone brought more visibility and more bookings and also the kind of reputation that can’t be faked. Word-of-mouth became their biggest marketing tool.

Meet the Coull crew

Always family-run operations, with the growth of Taste the Barossa and See Adelaide and Beyond  the entire family is involved.

“We’ve got me and Nikki, our son James (27), who’s taken on a large portion of my role now and regularly drives tours, and receives outstanding feedback. Our daughter Georgia (24) does our social media and trade marketing, and our other daughter Tamsin (15) is involved in our social media and YouTube & TikTok videos.”

They’ve also got a tight-knit team beyond the immediate family. “Christine looks after a lot of the admin and we’ve got incredible tour guides, some of whom have been with us for over 12 years,” Dallas adds.

Lessons in family and forgiveness

Running a family business can test anyone’s patience, and Dallas admits he’s learnt a few home truths along the way.

“I’ve learnt that Nikki is very forgiving!” he jokes. “I’ve also learnt that when they need to, the kids can really step up and put in the hard yards. And I’ve learnt that I’m not very good at a lot of things. So I’ve got to make this tourism thing work because I think it’s the only thing I’m any good at.”

When things get tense, the Coulls try to remember that love comes before business. “Tricky moments are hard when you can’t leave the workplace and switch off,” Dallas says. “Communication is everything and we constantly strive to listen and understand each other, even if we don’t agree.”

Showing off South Australia

So what exactly do the Coulls do?

“Simply put, we’re a tourism company specialising in small group touring that showcases the very best of Southern Australia,” Dallas says. “We tour the Great Ocean Road, Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and all around the City of Adelaide itself.”

But more than that, he says, it’s about connection. “We’re passionately family owned and operated. We care so much, and this comes through to every passenger we take.”

Tough times and turning points

The journey hasn’t been without heartbreak. Losing both his parents in the first year of business was incredibly tough. “I remember driving tours in between my mum passing away and her funeral,” Dallas says quietly. “That was a tough time for myself and Nikki. I knew I couldn’t give up. I wanted to build the life I saw in my vision for my family. So I just kept going.”

Then the COVID pandemic arrived in Australia. For a business dependent on interstate and international travellers, the border closures hit hard. “South Australia wasn’t locked down like the Eastern states, but the borders were closed and 99 per cent of our business is interstate and overseas,” Dallas says. “We slipped through the cracks when it came to getting financial assistance, and it’s fair to say that even now, we’re still challenged by that.”

Still, the Coulls refused to give up. “We didn’t stop working and when borders did open, we worked ten times harder to get business rolling again.”

Family pride

When asked about his proudest moments, Dallas answers without hesitation. “From a personal perspective, when I see the photos and read the reviews of the tours that James is doing, it really fills both Nikki and myself with a huge amount of pride,” he says.

He’s equally chuffed with Georgia’s achievements. “She attended a USA Roadshow in partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission as a 20-year-old. During that trip, she managed to win over a couple of USA travel agents I’d been trying to nail for years, which she often reminds me of! They’re now some of our biggest sellers!”

What makes them stand out

Ask Dallas what makes Taste the Barossa and See Adelaide and Beyond so special, and he’ll tell you it’s the genuine love and passion the whole family has for where they go and what they do.

“We don’t want to be just another tour company. We want the wineries we visit daily to see us as a sales and marketing partner,  that includes the regions we travel through. It’s all about building relationships.”

Over the years, the business has evolved, but the Coulls’ values have stayed firm. “We’ve always had a growth mindset. If you’re not growing, you’re going backwards,” Dallas says.

Giving back has also been a big part of their journey. “Most local community raffles and charities would have a Taste the Barossa or a See Adelaide product as part of their raffle prizes,” he says.

But their biggest contribution is the See South Australia Collective. It’s a network of passionate, family-owned tourism operators. “We started it 100 per cent out of our own pocket because we genuinely believe in growing the entire pie,” Dallas explains. “And it’s a lot more fun doing something with a bunch of cool, passionate people.”

Leaving a legacy

Recognition as a finalist in Australia’s Favourite Family Business 2025 has been a real buzz for the Coulls. “It was a huge surprise and very humbling,” Dallas says. “It feels like some recognition for the huge amount of time, effort and sacrifice the entire family has put in for the past 15-plus years.”

More than anything, he says, it’s validation for the kids. “It goes a long way to making them feel like we’re on the right track. That even though family business can be hard, it’s worth all the struggle.”

So, what advice does Dallas have for anyone thinking about starting a business with their family? He grins. “Make sure you’re passionate about what you’re going to do, because for the next few years, you’re not going to be doing much else!”

Back to the future

After years of success with Taste the Barossa and See Adelaide and Beyond, Dallas and his family have come full circle, reacquiring Groovy Grape, the adventure brand he founded in 1997.

“I was forced to sell after the terror attacks of September 11,” he explains. “Getting that brand back under family ownership is incredibly exciting. With Tamsin finding the latest trends for the younger generation, James driving the tours with energy and passion, and Georgia selling it with fun captions and excitement.  I’ve got some unfinished business with that brand.”

Building a next-gen business

For Dallas and Nikki, the dream now is to pass the torch. “We want to give the kids an option to take this business on and potentially take it to the next level,” Dallas says. “Ultimately, it’ll be up to them but it’s looking pretty good at the moment.”

From their early Nottingham brainstorm to becoming one of South Australia’s most beloved tour operators, the Coulls have turned their family story into a South Aussie success.

And for Dallas? “I reckon I’ve finally found what I’m good at,” he laughs. “Driving buses and showing off South Australia.  You can’t beat that.”

See Adelaide and Beyond is a finalist in Australia’s Favourite Family Business Competition. You can vote for them and find out more about the rest of our finalists here.

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