The Australian Connection
We’re acutely aware that perceptions of Australia are often mostly formed by obsessive viewing of Neighbours or Home and Away in misspent youth. We Brits imagine it to be the land of permanent sunshine, where everybody surfs and barbecues shrimp at the beach, a world far, far away from British drizzle and Sunday roasts. However, when Steve visited the East Coast of Australia back in 1997 he saw that this country is so much more than that.
Whilst spending a few months travelling up and down the east coast, Steve discovered the raw beauty and sheer vastness of Australia’s open spaces. Nature was in its element and travelling to some parts of the country really felt like discovering a brand new wilderness. He therefore jumped at the opportunity to undertake his PADI Open Water diving qualification on the Great Barrier Reef.
Anyone who has been fortunate to see the Great Barrier Reef up close will have felt the same sense of wonder as Steve did on that occasion. The colours, the beauty, the sense that there really is a whole life there beneath the water: the spectacular photographs of the Reef really do not do it justice. Even more special, Steve was able to do all of this based out of the Daintree Rainforest, one of the most biologically diverse rainforests in the world, which is also believed to be one of the oldest.
One trip was enough to get Steve hooked - and he knew that he would come back to Australia again and again to explore its incredible scenery and learn more about its ecosystem.
And return he did, but this time he brought someone special along! Just after tying the knot in 2009, Steve and Laura moved over to Sydney for two years for work. Some might say that two years is a long time for a honeymoon... but Steve and Laura truly felt as though they were living in a dream. Australia was the perfect place to start their married life together.
Living in an apartment which overlooked Sydney Harbour, Steve and Laura made the most of city life during the week, but at the weekends, they made it their mission to discover the outdoors, exploring the beach, camping out, and making their way to some of Australia’s incredible national parks.
Nothing can quite prepare travellers for the expanse of this enormous country. It is not unusual to feel genuinely awestruck by the sights which nature has to offer, which are relatively unspoilt. It was in Australia, in fact, surrounded by nature in all its glory, that the idea for Eco Wood Rings was born!
Steve and Laura were completely inspired by all that they discovered in Australia and Eco Wood Rings came along soon after that. By the time they returned to the UK in 2011, they were ready to launch the enterprise and share their unique and beautiful rings with the world.
It wasn’t as though they needed an excuse but, as luck would have it, both Steve’s brother, Paul, and his sister, Ali, have ended up as honorary Australians, settling there, in Queensland, with their families and gaining Australian citizenship. For Steve and Laura, this means that Australia is a place which they frequent (when the world isn’t going through pandemic madness) - and they can even share their love of the country with their Australian nieces and nephews!
One of the best discoveries in many trips to Australia has been how committed many Australian travel companies are to ecotourism and sustainable travel. Many tourist experiences now pride themselves in being carbon neutral. The beautiful weather means that the emphasis is often on being outside, enjoying nature through activities such as hiking and swimming, and leaving only footprints behind. Of course, we love this approach here at Eco Wood Rings as it aligns with our philosophy perfectly!
We are so enamoured with Australia and its many ethical, environmentally friendly practices. In 2017, Steve and Laura were fortunate enough to visit a timber specialist in Australia. Obviously as designers and makers of wooden jewellery, this was something of a dream come true!
Steve and Laura were blown away by the variety of incredible woods which were available - from all across Australia. Steve says, “We just couldn't help ourselves and ended up bringing a large selection of woods back with us. Some were iconic, some were less well-known, but every single one was simply stunning in tone or grain - and all from across the length and breadth of the country”.
Those woods are really special and it has been our absolute pleasure to share some of them with our treasured Australian customers. Now, we are hoping to share these unique and stunning woods with all of our customers across the globe.
For us, it is wonderful to think that those who buy our products are not only investing in a special, one-of-a-kind product, but also wearing a piece of our love for Australia on their finger! See our Australian wood rings collection.
Are you interested in our wood from Australia? Please be aware that our rings typically take 6-8 weeks to make, so contact us now to put in your order.
Have you been to Australia? What were your favourite eco friendly activities? Tag us on Instagram and Facebook and don’t forget to tell us the story behind your holiday!
One of the best discoveries during our many trips to Australia has been how committed many Australian travel companies are to ecotourism and sustainable travel. Many tourist experiences now pride themselves in being carbon neutral. The beautiful weather means that the emphasis is often on being outside, enjoying nature through activities such as hiking and swimming, and leaving only footprints behind. Of course, we love this approach here at Eco Wood Rings as it aligns with our philosophy perfectly!