Debbie and Josie speak with Ben Backhaus about his family business, Bush Pharmacy, where Ben distills essential oils grown and harvested on Flinders Island.  You can almost smell the aromas as Ben describes the range of oils. Ben attributes the unique properties of the oils to the geographic isolation of the Island created by the separation of the land bridge to the Australian mainland. Ben sees the support of the Island community as instrumental in allowing his business to develop and bloom.

Tourism has a future on the Island according to Ben, but he also recognises the strong ownership Islanders feel towards their home and their desire to share it with people who come to visit, who appreciate and respect the Island as much as locals do.

You can go to the beach, and there's no one going to be there for a few kilometres. You know, you have that isolation, you have that pureness and I think that, plays in a way, of the place thriving as well as people were considerate of this.

Ben's love for the Island is evident when he speaks of his return from an overseas trip and his exhillaration upon returning to the wild terrain, the isolation, the beaches and the smell of the ocean breeze. 

Show notes and links
Bush Pharmacy | http://www.bushpharmacy.com | @bush.pharmacy 
Kunzea ambigua | https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp8/kunz-amb.html
Melaleuca ericafolia | https://austplants.com.au/Melaleuca-ericifolia/
 Leptospermum scoparium| https://www.anbg.gov.au/leptospermum/leptospermum-scoparium.html
Smokey Tea Tree |  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospermum_glaucescens
Flinders Islannd Blue Gum | https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/179365
Separation of land bridge from mainland | https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/separation-of-tasmania
Furneaux Distillery | https://www.furneauxdistillery.com.au/flinders-island-single-malt-peated

This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast
Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer  from Making Wings  © 2002 with kind permission of the artist.
Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story.
Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp.
The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc.

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at [email protected]