What are we about?
Ambience on Tour is a small group tour operator specialising in Wine and Art tours on the Gold Coast Hinterland area focusing on the beautiful Tamborine Mountain. Day tours include Winery tours, Art tours, Brewery and Distillery tours, Scenic tours and Tailored tours to fit your needs.
We are in a UNIQUE position to take you to meet a range of talented and individual artists in their studios where they reside and work against the rainforest backdrop.
Our objective is to ensure you come away from the tour happy, fulfilled and enriched whether it be from being enchanted and enlightened by our artists, or having appreciated award winning Queensland wines, or having visited the intriguing internationally accoladed Distillery or having soaked up the ambience of the rainforest and scenery, or a combination of all of these factors!
Ambience on Tour is a strong advocate for supporting local artists as well as local produce.
Our Story
Ambience on Tour was founded in late 2016 by Helen Claase who is both owner and operator.
The art tour concept is inspired by Helen's late mother and the many wonderful and talented people from all walks of life that Helen has had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know on Tamborine Mountain.
Helen has always had a keen interest in wine, art and natural beauty and found an ideal opportunity to showcase some of the finest that Queensland has to offer.
Having travelled extensively, Helen has plenty of hands on experience of wine tasting both globally and across the different corners of Australia. She has followed the changing wine trends throughout the years with fascination - from wine making and bottling to consumer trends. When last did you use a cork screw to open a bottle of wine?!
Coming from an IT Consultancy and Project Manager background Helen is now following a different path veering back to where she was many years ago in the Travel Industry but with a very different focus.
Helen Claase
Owner and Operator
Helen Claase
Owner and Operator
'Our customers appreciate the personal touch and flexibility that Ambience on Tour provides. Ambience on Tour further offers a UNIQUE opportunity to meet with local Tamborine Mountain artists in residence and view their works of art.'
The beautiful Cedar Creek Estate Winery houses an art gallery dedicated to Arthur Hamblin.
Hilltop on Tamborine comprises of an art gallery, a licensed cafe/restaurant, a wedding venue and guesthouse accommodation.
Full of character and atmosphere this old home has been transformed into The Artist Tree, the studio, workshop and gallery of Michelle Payne and Madeleine Pinkerton. It’s also a venue for artists to exhibit, or practice or teach their craft in classes and workshops
Capanart Gallery is the working studio, residence and gallery of Tamborine Mountain artist, Susan Capan, who works onsite, to welcome and show visitors around and is available to source or create vibrant artworks either for for fun or investment for all budgets.
Mountain Dreams began operation on Gallery Walk, Tamborine Mountain in 2007 and operated there for 4 years. After Maki and Hillel’s son, Luca, was born the Gallery moved to a dedicated space under their home on Macdonnell Road.
I have been a practising ceramic artist for the past 34 years. I commenced my initial training as a studio potter with Brother William at the Franciscan Friary Pottery in Brookfield. After ten years of creative wheel thrown table ceramics I travelled overseas and received personal tuition from Fine Ceramic Artists in Taos, New Mexico and Florence, Italy. When I returned to Australia I went on to work in Architectural ceramics producing handmade furniture, tiles, murals and public art installations.
“Brigitte Doering has been experimenting for more than 20 years with a wide range of different materials and medias like varnishes, wood stains, pigments and printing.
“Tony White is an Artist with a background in animation and marine biology. His work is rich in form and texture, creating a space of contemplation for the viewer. His artwork incites the imagination with promises of the movement in nature and the world around us.
Tony has exhibited his work since the late 90s and has had his work held in collections in Europe, Canada and Australia.”[1]. 
“Debaran Wright describes her art as the diary of her life. Her work has been exhibited throughout the region and is held in private collections locally and abroad. Experimenting with a range of material to create her layered and textured works Debaran uses ink, aluminium and bitumen in her artwork.
“Maki Horanai’s art is evocative and serene, conjuring images of the small villages by the seaside where Make was raised. Her breathtaking work draws upon the beauty of nature and gives the viewer a sense of magical realism. Maki’s paintings have gained a following since she moved to Queensland from Japan in 2005. Her work has now been exhibited all over the world and she regularly exhibits in her own gallery and studio space, Mountain Dreams.”[1]
Susan Capan, owner and resident artist of Capanart Gallery, has been painting and drawing all her life. She is mostly self taught, an award winner, private art teacher and guest show judge. Her subject range is varied, although portraiture predominates and customers are amazed at the range of subjects she does paint.
Her studio is at the rear of her gallery on beautiful Mt. Tamborine in Queensland’s, Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia, where she finds plenty of inspiration to paint. Susan is frequently commissioned to paint portraits and is also creating more abstract works in unique styles full of energy and colour. 
