Rural-News-story

 

A little-known Territory success story has been quietly brewing in the Top End for the past five years.

Started in a shed on a Howard Springs property, Natural Wonders Botanical Skincare products began with just two products for sale at the markets around Darwin.

The range of products available has now grown to more than 50, an the company is investigating the possibility of creating an entire range around the vitamin C-rich Kakadu Plum to be sourced from Wadeye.

Built on the philosophy of being green and organic, the brand was the brainchild of Jeannie Lynch and Julie Ellis. Julie moved from the Territory and Jeannie continue the business on her own.

Jeannie's love of natural products turned into an obsession, and she undertook a Diploma in Personal Care Formulation, which she graduated from in 2013.

The business then expanded to the point where Jeannie and her husband Sean made the move to Victoria earlier this year to set up a manufacturing site after outgrowing the shed at Howard Springs.

That decision has led to Anita Synnott and her husband Sean and their daughter Courtney, 16, becoming the faces of Natural Wonders in the Northern Territory.

The move is appropriate because it was Anita's parent's property at Howard Springs where Jeannie and Julie originally started the business. "Just before a cyclone came through a few years ago, Mum and Dad saw a notice about a family looking for some temporary accommodation because they had to move  from a caravan in town". Anita said.

"That was Jeannie's family, and Mum and Dad said to them "look, you can come and shelter here", and they bought some friends with them as well and basically they all got along very well and essentially they stayed on at Mum and Dad's for five years."

Anita and her family were living in Alice Springs at the time, but came to know Jeannie through her parents.

And now Anita has taken on the role of national sales manager for the business.

"Jeannie is the science brain behind the products," Anita said.

"Jeannie and Julie basically started by formulating products based on customer demand."

One of those products is their most popular, Good Riddance Mozzie & Midgie Mousse. Anita said when she started selling it in markets in Alice Springs it proved extremely popular, and that was the beginning of growth of the business.

Since then, Anita and her family have moved to the Top End, and the products are now sold in Broome, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast, and they have made their way into retail outlets across the Territory, Queensland and Victoria.

Anita said continuing to sell at markets would remain a key factor for the company as it continued to grow.

That is something Courtney agrees with wholeheartedly. The 16 year old has been selling the brand at one market or another since she was 11.

"I do about two or three markets a week, and I have been doing that for a few years," Courtney said.

"The markets are a really great way to get suggestions from our customers. I often get requests for products like 'where can I get organic toothpaste?' and I can pass that on to Jeannie and she can look into that and make it."

While the brand continues to grow, Anita said the company was keen to continue its strong association with the Territory.

"We are obviously very passionate Territorians and very proud of the fact that our products are formulated in the NT, and we never want to lose that," Anita said.

"We are also very much about supporting local business and microbusiness.

"The development of the Kakadu Plum range is in its early stages, but it will be harvested for us at Wadeye and made into a pulp form, and Jeannie will then do what she does to make it into products."