After a tumultuous decade of droughts, fires, floods and COVID, East Gippsland is experiencing a boom in wellness tourism.
Many new and established micro wellness businesses –from massage and myotherapists to reiki and sound healers – are finding a new synergy in the area, as visitors are lured by the region's natural beauty of East Gippsland in search of rejuvenation.
"We are going through the branding exercise at the moment, working out a town logo and a town website which lists all the opportunities for wellness, accommodation and tourist activities," Lakes Entrance Action and Development Association president Bruce Hurley said.
Mr Hurley said Lakes Entrances had become popular for its many great walking tracks.
He estimated about 20,000 trips were made out to the Entrance and back each year.
He has also praised the local arts community for putting on events and boutique activities that have brought creativity to the tourist experience.
New residents bring fresh energy
Poeta Hope from House of Yoga in Metung is typical of a new movement of pandemic-motivated tree- and sea-changers that moved to East Gippsland for a more holistic life.
Ms Hope lived in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn when COVID hit and escaped the city with her partner and two young children to her mum's holiday house on Raymond Island.
The couple were able to slow down, bond with each other and connect with neighbours and community.
With her partner able to work from home, and the imminent opening of the Metung Hot Springs, the timing seemed right for a spontaneous sea change.
The family purchased a leafy property in Metung, where Ms Hope, a former primary school teacher, was able to convert a rear shed into a light-filled yoga studio surrounded by bushland.
"I'm wanting it to be an experience, I want to immerse you in nature before after and during the session," she said.
"I put the tea on to continue that connection with each other sitting outside the fire by, sitting, talking," she said.
As part of this year's East Gippsland Winter Festival, Ms Hope has diversified her yoga repertoire with candlelight yoga sessions, Luxe yoga with sound healing, slow and soulful yoga, hip hop yoga with heat, yoga with tea and even Yin yoga with gin events.
Wellness walks
Likewise accredited Forest Therapy tour guide Jo Buyers, from Sol Synergy has been running nature based therapy walks as part of the festival.
She believes that the surge in the wellness tourism and the wellness visitor economy in East Gippsland, is part of a global wellness movement.
"Connection to nature and self is becoming more of a priority for people," she said. "To be in nature not as a luxury activity but as a necessity for our wellbeing and health."
Ms Byers said she encouraged clients on her mindfulness nature walks to look at the clouds, smell the eucalypts, connect with other people in the group and listen to their own bodies and inner wisdom.
"So we pick up and notice a lot of things that you might miss if you were doing a bushwalk; we look at all the little fungi and feel the sand between our fingers and on the skin – it's really quite lovely."
She encouraged people to incorporate a connection to nature into their daily routine by spending time in the garden or bringing plants inside.
"It's something that's innate within us. When we don't feel well, we go to nature for a walk in the bush, we go to the beach.
She said forest therapy was proven to decrease stress, decrease blood pressure and improve sleep and wellbeing.
She has been conducting walking programs in Cape Conran, Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance and said she planned to expand her business to meet growing demand.
