Farmacy Outdoors

06/09/2026

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend I got thoroughly spoilt and a big shout out to all the fathers out there, be the light in your own family.. shine bright and spread the love . ❤️ 🚵⛰ #

06/09/2026

What a wonderful weekend, so blessed with my family and even enjoyed the hurt locker on the bike today

03/09/2026

Hot and windy today on the trails, lots of goanna’s about and slithery noises in the long grass however it was magic amongst the swaying giants and colourful fields of plants ( the yellow, white and purple), the dried mud and the red soil. I contemplated life, my myopic view of the past week suddenly inconsequential and I reflected on my sorrow of the Nepalese tragedy which still grips my soul. I gazed at my favourite hiking spot in the distant Coorabakh National Park, Big Nellie and the sheer cliffs and vistas abounding to remind me of being present, feel the blood pumping through my body , my dry mouth as I climb the steep hills and appreciate this gift of breath and life🚵⛰🌲🌲🙏

31/08/2026

Living what we prescribe.. getting outdoors in nature, alone or with friends.. soaking up the air, sun, mud and cold, the changing environment challenging my body and mind and brightening my soul from the sadness of Nepal. Spring comes around tomorrow, what a mild winter has rushed by.. with a little trepidation of what summer is going to bring weather wise.

21/08/2026

Totally agree with this post. This is why we teach navigation and outdoors confidence to reduce risk, you can never eliminate it, when you step outdoors you accept and understand this. RIP Lily❤️🙏⛰

Dear Lily ❤️

We’ve spent these days thinking about you, Lily. Hoping. Watching. Waiting for news you were safe.

Now our hearts are with your family, friends and everyone who loved you as they face unimaginable grief. You were 18. You already you had the confidence, courage and zest for life to head into the bush, to walk, explore, enjoy your own company and the wildness and beauty around you. Do we realise how rare and precious that is?

An 18-year-old woman comfortable with solitude. Adventurous. Capable. Curious. Doing something you genuinely loved. What a treasure you must have been.

Because humans are humans, there’s been commentary about whether you should’ve gone alone. Whether it was safe. What you should’ve done differently.

I understand some comes from fear. That deeply human “there but for the grace of the goddess…” feeling. If we identify the decision that caused tragedy, perhaps we convince ourselves we can prevent it finding us or those we love. But we can’t.

People die or are terribly injured in cars. At work. Playing sport. At skate parks. From alcohol poisoning, accidents at home, mental health and social isolation. Doing extraordinarily adventurous things and completely ordinary ones. Life contains risk.

So, with all the kindness I can muster, judgement about the “silliness” of you walking alone can be gently shoved up one’s arse.

You died tragically, doing something you loved. Out in the world with purpose, independence and joy. Rather than making you smaller or more cautious to soothe our anxiety, let’s honour who you actually were.

Go for a bushwalk for Lily. Try that sport. Go somewhere beautiful. Learn something. Have an adventure. Sit quietly alone and discover your own company can be wonderful. Do something that sparks joy.

Then send your love to a family whose beautiful girl should’ve had decades more adventures. Our community was deeply invested in bringing you home. The hope was enormous because the care was enormous. To search crews, emergency services, SES, volunteers and everyone who gave their time, skills and heart: thank you.

Now let’s surround those who loved you with care and comfort.

09/08/2026

How lucky are we to live in this beautiful area, so very grateful.

02/08/2026

14/07/2026

We think we are different today however in the same stretch of human history, very different worlds were unfolding at once.

In Europe, Louis Pasteur a pharmacist was helping change the future of medicine. His work with fermentation, pasteurisation, microbes, and vaccination helped open the door to germ theory and modern preventative healthcare. From w**e spoiling in barrels to vaccines for anthrax and rabies, his work showed that invisible organisms could shape life, illness, and survival.

At roughly the same time, in southern Africa, the Anglo-Zulu War was being fought. At Isandlwana in 1879, thousands of men died in a matter of hours. Zulu warriors and British soldiers, were caught in the brutal machinery of empire, resistance, courage, fear, and death. It remains a haunting reminder of both human valour and the terrible futility of war.
Across the ocean, Henry David Thoreau had already written about civil disobedience, conscience, simplicity, and deliberate living. His ideas would later influence Gandhi, including during Gandhi's time in South Africa, and then ripple into movements for justice around the world. Thoreau also gave us Walden, a work that still speaks to nature connection, simplicity, and the rejection of endless consumption.

And here on the Mid North Coast, places like Nabiac and the Wallamba River were also changing . River crossings were built, post offices and schools appeared, timber moved along waterways, and European settlement expanded. But that too came with displacement, disruption, and the reshaping of culture & life.
All of this was happening in the same broad period of history.
That thought stops me.
In one part of the world, people were discovering microbes and creating the foundations of modern medicine.
In another, warriors and soldiers were dying under shields, spears, ri**es, and imperial ambition.In another, a philosopher was asking whether a person should obey unjust laws.
And here, small settlements were forming on land already rich with story, culture, and life.
Human civilisation has never moved in one straight line.
At any one time, humanity is capable of discovery, destruction, courage, oppression, love & hope.❤️⛰🌎

01/07/2026

Even pharmacists get sick.
I do not find resting easy. Like a lot of people, I am better at pushing on than slowing down.
So being unwell this week has felt like both frustration and invitation. An invitation to stop, receive care, and remember that healing is not only something we do - it is also something we allow.
A good book in bed. Soup and love from my fiance. Fresh lemon from our trees. Symptom support where needed. Quiet time in the forest. Animals nearby. And a moving documentary on dementia care in Denmark that reflected so many of the values we hold close: respect, dignity, patient-led care, nature, and community.
One moment - an elderly woman touching and feeling the tree in front of her - brought instant tears.
It said so much without words. That care is more than medicine. That health is more than metrics. That people need relationship, meaning, touch, beauty, and belonging.
Hopefully I will be back in the pharmacy tomorrow, supporting my community again. But today I am being reminded that even carers need care.

22/05/2026

A message from Dave at Farmacy Outdoors, reflecting on this weeks weather and moving forwards with the business for 2026.