There is nothing like a global pandemic to make ourselves question our life, the way we live it and to appreciate the simplest of things that we once perhaps took for granted.

Zinnia Golding, her fiancé, Cameron Scott, and their two small children were holidaying in Marlo at Cameron’s family’s holiday shack earlier this year before the hard lockdown occurred in Melbourne. This is when they realised the pandemic was about to make a turn for the worse and potentially could close schools, childcare centres, businesses and alter their way of life substantially. The pair made the decision it was better to stay in Marlo rather than to head home to Melbourne. The family are no strangers to Marlo and spend as much time as possible throughout the year and the first time Cameron brought Zinnia to the town she fell in love, so much so the pair were meant to get married at the Marlo Hotel earlier this year, however, bushfires and COVID-19 have derailed those plans temporarily.

Throughout their time relocated in Marlo in isolation, the pair began to realise they could make their lives work here.

“Originally Cam was more keen thanIwasbutonedayIwasona stand up paddle board down the Snowy River and I looked to one side and could see the beach and the scenery and it was the most peaceful and amazing moment and I turned to Cam and said, we are getting a stand up paddle board and moving here,” Zinnia said.

“We then went back to Melbourne to pack up our life, got a rental house in Marlo and relocated here for our sea change.”

Zinnia and Cam are fortunate that their business, Isle of Wild, a predominately online clothing and accessories store, is flexible and could be easily relocated to the town and continued without too much hassle.

Zinnia created the business roughly two and a half years ago while pregnant after an extensive career in retail management where she helped Tigerlily, one    of Australia’ s    leading premium swimwear brands, to develop their business and to help set up their stores. Zinnia was in charge of everything from recruitment to visual merchandising.

Isle of Wild is Zinnia’s way of expressing her lifelong love affair with vibrant colour, dreamy florals and bohemian treasures that are sourced from across the seas which were inspired by much of her travel in earlier days to destinations such as India, Thailand and Indonesia. Inspiration will now be taken from the natural wonder of mother nature in Marlo.

“We are settling in well and have made so many beautiful connections with people in our street and other young families,” Zinnia said.

“I have even been attending some Surfing Mums of Marlo sessions where some of the mums will head out on the water and the rest will stay back with the kids. It is such a beautiful community.”

IMAGE: New Marlo local, Zinnia Golding, created her own fashion brand, Isle of Wild, prior to relocating from Melbourne earlier this year. (PS)