Salty souls and Seaforth

Cayla and Heidi Fin moved to the Bellarine Peninsula in 2018 and have never looked back.

They joined the Portarlington CFA, got to know their neighbours and found themselves rooted in a community bound by a shared sense of purpose.

“It’s far beyond just the beautiful beaches and the gorgeous cafes. I think there’s something incredibly special about this particular patch of Australian coast,” Cayla said.

“People genuinely care about the community and each other and the land.”

The extent of this care became apparent to the couple when Cayla was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022.

“I was so sick, and I was bald, and I was crouched over and Heid would help me walk around the block,” Cayla said.

“I’d wake up in the morning and shuffle around the block and then I’d go back to sleep, and in the middle of the afternoon, I’d wake up and shuffle around the block. We’d do it three or four times a day.

“Our neighbours started doing things like mowing our lawns.

“People were so incredibly generous to us and thoughtful.”

Cayla is now on the other side of chemotherapy and radiation and after taking time off work to focus on treatment, she said this is the first time she hasn’t been working full-time at a “ridiculously high paced” job.

So, with Heidi keen to put some creative ideas into action, the duo launched Seaforth, an online surf shop selling apparel, photographic prints and accessories.

“We’ve just thrown ourselves at this project,” Cayla said.

“Heid had been taking photos for a really long time and she’d been tinkering with some t-shirts, and we just said, ‘Right, let’s just put this out there and see what other people think’.”

Seaforth’s range includes a selection of totes and unisex tees designed by Heidi, as well as prints and greeting cards of Heidi’s photography.

“[Heidi is] really passionate about capturing coastal life in Australia and what it means to live at the coast and the life that people live by our beaches and in our small towns,” Cayla said.

“We really want to celebrate and reflect back at people what’s special about our communities.

“It’s about capturing what people see in themselves in the community and just loving it as much as they do.”

The brand has already found a number of loyal supporters, including Bellarine MP Alison Marchant.

“It’s such an exhilarating thing when you put yourself out there creatively and as a small business – and as a brand new small business – and people say ‘Wow, that’s a beautiful photo’ or ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got to have that tee’,” Cayla said.

“We still do a little dance every time someone comes and buys something.

“We’re complete nerds.”

She said that it was important to them that Seaforth played a role in championing other businesses on the Bellarine Peninsula.

“We’re really passionate about this idea of ‘Buy Bellarine’.”

“Locals want to buy Bellarine and tourists and visitors want to come and buy Bellarine but sometimes we have trouble getting the word out about what’s here, or people don’t know where to go to find things.”

It’s a passion that informs their choice of suppliers with the brand’s prints both being printed and framed by local businesses in Portarlington.

“If there is a local supplier that can produce the quality and the type of product that we want, then we would absolutely never consider not using them,” Cayla said.

“Our experience working with local vendors has been so rewarding and I think that’s how small communities flourish, by businesses and residents supporting each other in everything from the CFA and SES to small business.”

Supporting ethical and sustainable business practices is also core to their values.

“First and foremost, it’s the right thing to do,” Cayla said.

“We’re so lucky here in the Bellarine, we would like to think that we’re contributing to quality of life everywhere that our business touches.”

She pointed to the efforts of Portarlington’s Artisan Framing with whom they have a close working relationship.

“It’s such a special business and they’re such wonderful people,” Cayla said.

“They only use sustainability sourced woods…and they use all of their offcuts.

“They’re used to make ready-made, smaller frames. They don’t let anything go to waste, which I think is absolutely incredible.”

And with market season in full swing, there’s no slowing down for Seaforth.

“Heid’s started working on the next line and we’re looking forward to sharing that with people.

“Our plan is to keep growing, keep working with the community and hope that that people continue to love it.”

To find out more, head to seaforthaus.com.au