Our Tour Hosts

Ben Oliver

Owner & Tour Host

Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Ben is a former journalist, banker and European tour guide. His resume also includes five years running walking tours of the Melbourne CBD, before he got his sh$t together and started Drinking History Tours.

Ben has lived in Melbourne since moving from Perth in 2005, and has also lived in London (a glorious stint from 2008 to 2009) and Spain (1o increible semanas in 2012).

A keen traveller, Ben has visited, to date, 192 cities in 43 countries. It’s never enough. Never, ever.

What does Ben love most about Melbourne? In lieu of breaking into song, the laneway bars, sport, cafe scene and days trips are but a few of his favourite things.

When he’s not running tours, Ben also works in digital marketing. Which was super helpful in building this website.

Mer Fernandez

Tour Host

Mer was born and raised in Spain but has called Melbourne home for the past two years.

Before Melbourne, she lived in Finnish Lapland chasing the Northern Lights and instructing (cold) tourists in ice swimming in the Baltic Sea.

After Finland, she took 643 travelers around Spain, France, Italy and Portugal (not at the same time), before deciding to make Melbourne home.

With an unbiased love for the City, she has declared multiple times that Melbourne is the best city to live in (just right after her beautiful hometown in Southern Andalusia). She particularly loves the gardens and parks and the often-free exhibitions at museums.

When she's not guiding in the city, she's guiding in nature around Victoria. When she's not guiding at all, she'll be looking for all the arts & crafts corners in the city and all things handmade. She's a fan of bad jokes and anywhere serving dumplings.

For Mer, there is nothing better than a no-sugar long black, Parks & Rec is better than The Office and paella never, EVER should have chorizo.

Daniel Bornstein

Tour Host

Daniel cut his teeth on Melbourne's mean streets during a simpler time, when downloading a movie required a dedicated phone line and there was nothing for a flash young fella' to do but play marbles or loiter 'round the billiards' hall learning history from the ol' timers.

Years on, and many grand tours later, the prodigal son has returned to the world's most beguiling city to pass on valuable lessons learned and share the tales of generations gone. Armed with a fine stout and a skip in his step, Daniel draws from his vast experiences as a gentleman photographer, consummate banjoist and budding museum conservator to weave masterful stories together into unforgettable tours.

Tom Malone

Tour Host

Tom was born in Melbourne and has lived in Melbourne his entire life, other than a year which was spent studying in Malaysia and working in Alice Springs.

Tom is the classic stereotype tall guy who always dreamed of being a basketballer before reality (and all the other kids) caught up with him. As well as being a walking stereotype, Tom is a walking tour guide of the central parts of the city and its laneways.

When he’s not boring tourists with his favourite craft beer recommendations, you might find him brewing incredibly average beers in his parents basement, or using the law degree he deeply regrets studying to start social enterprises with his equally boring law school friends.

Tom has an interest in creating social enterprises. He once came 4th in the 2018 Royal Adelaide Show Strawberry Jam Competition. There were four entrants.

Karina Aston

Tour Host

Born and bred in Melbourne, Karina has lived most of her life in the North East of the city. Following the Aussie tradition of living in the U.K., she spent two years living and working in London, having high tea with the Queen in the process, before travelling to just about every country in Europe.

An avid traveller, Karina has started exploring what Asia and Australia have to offer, while she finishes her studies at Monash. With her background in tourism, theatre and music, Karina utilises none of those skills in her 9-to-5 job at a local primary school.

On any given weekend, Karina can often be found in Melbourne’s thriving theatre scene, drinking copious amounts of coffee, hitting up some new bar, or eating. She really likes eating. And coffee. And theatre. And drinking.

But mostly eating.