Kathleen Heap

It is important for me to live simply & within our means - enjoying the gifts nature has bestowed upon us – to enjoy and cherish family & dear friends AND to share the love of mind, body & soul ‘nourishment’ with the community through music, recreation & clean, green food.

Since living on Flinders Island, over the past 12 years, I have happily taken on many roles: music teacher, choir conductor, fitness leader, massage therapist, therapeutic yoga instructor, self sufficiency gardener, bushwalking guide, physiotherapist assistant, health & wellbeing program presenter and essential oil provider. I thoroughly enjoy sharing & caring in all the above. I also have a BIG passion for swimming in the open sea, as well as precious time in our veggie patch & orchard - providing family & friends with luscious organic food grown in our garden.

Flinders Island is one of the most pristine environments I have ever experienced. There is an odd but sure sense of community within the small townships and little ‘hamlets’. The people vary in backgrounds – those who have lived on the Island for several generations & those who have come seeking a ‘sea-change’. Flinders is a community that is supportive and passionate when it comes to protecting the unique untouched environs.

My husband Dave and I decided to create a lifestyle under Mt Strzelecki, in between two beautiful beaches – where the mountain virtually meets the sea – the best of two extremely uplifting surroundings. We LOVE being able to walk out the back door and immediately head to the beach or the mountain.

Maintaining secure & ongoing work is always a challenge – we have 10 ‘jobs’ between us – tax time is a nightmare! We also miss our families on mainland Tasmania - only a short distance & ½ hour flight but a BIG airfare. Still, the trips back to our old ‘home’ are few but cherished.

Over the years I have endeavoured to offer services to the local community; volunteer ambulance officer, a running festival co-ordinator, community choir, A Cappellicans (A Cappella Group), a kayaking group…to mention a few. I have now learned a new ‘balance’ between work, play and community – ‘accepting’ and ‘being’ maintains equilibrium.

In my early 20’s I became obsessed with perfection & seeking approval from my family, friends and community. Anorexia Nervosa is a debilitating mental illness that has detrimental effects on the body. Professional counselling, support from the beautiful community of Tambourine Mountain, a sensible naturopath & the miraculous birth of a baby boy taught me responsibility and acceptance. In due time I healed – mentally, physically and emotionally.

There has always been a need for a quiet place of refuge, re-creation and nourishment – I have a vision to share the sense of joyfully being in the moment. The big goal personally is to get a Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Spa Retreat up and running before 2020. To establish guided walks, providing tasty organic food from our garden & offer therapeutic rehabilitation would be a dream come true. I’m a great believer in the healing benefits of outdoor exercise (e.g. bushwalking, swimming in the sea) nourishing home grown food, soulful singing and yoga… Roll all these into a retreat and I feel one has the means in which to find peace, emotional healing and gratitude.

Photos by Rebecca Thomson

This project was assisted by Bellendena Small Grants