My Healing Journey with Woodleigh Hills

I live with a rare condition called semi-superior canal dehiscence. Each morning my neck, shoulders and upper back are locked tight and painful. My brain keeps those muscles switched on to prevent sudden movements that trigger dizziness. For years, stretching hurt, movement was limited, and my day began with stiffness and fatigue.

One day in my kitchen, everything changed. I had just made the very first batch of Wilga Pain Rub. Out of curiosity I massaged it into my own neck. Within minutes the pain and stiffness melted away. I was alone at the time and truly thought I must be dreaming. When my husband came home I asked him to try it, and he experienced the same relief. In that moment I knew I had created something extraordinary.

Sharing it with Family and Community

From that day on I gave the rub to anyone willing to try it—my mother, aunties, nieces, nephews, sisters, cousins, friends, neighbours. Everyone reported the same results. Their feedback confirmed what my instincts already told me: these native plants held powerful healing potential that needed to be shared.

I began using Wilga daily. It gave me freedom from over-the-counter pain medication, anti-inflammatories and strong-smelling topical creams. As a natural experimenter, I also began creating new products and trialling them on myself and my family.

Discovering the Power of Each Plant

Wilga (Geijera parviflora): Our family’s everyday essential. For aches, sports injuries, sore throats, congestion, coughs and colds we reach for Wilga first—rubbing it on backs, chests, necks and feet, sipping Wilga tea, dabbing temples and sinuses. Time and again we wake up the next morning symptom-free. My 24-year-old daughter swears by this ritual.

Kangaroo Apple (Solanum laciniatum): My go-to for burns. After a bad kitchen burn I ran the area under cool water then applied a thick layer of the rub. Within minutes the pain was gone and the skin healed without scarring. Through talking with older generations I’ve also learned that Kangaroo Apple is brilliant for arthritic fingers.

Maroon Bush (Scaevola spinescens): My answer to cold sores. Instead of loading up on L-lysine or antivirals, I apply our Maroon Bush lip balm at the first tingle. The sore never develops beyond that initial bump.

Native Apricot (Pittosporum angustifolium): My saviour for peri-menopausal acne—the deep, painful “postcode” pimples that linger for weeks. Within three days of applying Native Apricot the breakout is gone.

Each of these plants started with one intended use, but through observation and evidence I’ve identified a range of new therapeutic applications that had never been documented before. Every product we release is born from that combination of research, tradition, testing and lived experience.

Respecting and Cultivating the Plants

Early on I knew I had to secure a sustainable supply of these plants. I didn’t want to rely on outside sources; I wanted to grow them myself so that I could maintain quality and availability for anyone who needed them. Today, Wilga, Kangaroo Apple, Maroon Bush and Native Apricot are cultivated on our family farm.

We harvest by hand and we say thank you. It might sound simple, but my staff and I express gratitude to the trees every time we gather leaves or bark. We respect these plants as partners in healing, not just raw ingredients.

A Household Way of Life

What began as a remedy for my own rare condition is now woven into our family’s everyday life:

My 11-year-old uses Wilga for growing pains.
My 14-year-old turns to Native Apricot for acne and Wilga for sports injuries.
My 20-year-old son, a shearer, keeps Wilga in his kit for sore muscles.
My 24-year-old daughter reaches for Wilga whenever she feels a cold coming on.
My husband uses Wilga for his aching hips, knees, shoulders .
We no longer think first of over-the-counter medication. We instinctively reach for what we grow and make.

The Vision for Woodleigh Hills

My dream is for Woodleigh Hills Natural Healing Solutions to become a trusted household name—natural remedies that families reach for first, not as an “alternative” but as a return to the original, traditional healing that once anchored everyday life in Australia. I want people to know these products are made by a healer, not by someone chasing a quick profit.

We share knowledge as well as remedies. We cultivate, research and manufacture on-farm to ensure authenticity, sustainability and quality. My hope is that Woodleigh Hills helps change the way people think about natural medicine—showing that it can be effective, evidence-based and versatile enough to handle everything from the common to the “out there” issues.

From My Kitchen to Yours

I’m still the founder and also the first customer. Every batch begins with me, my hands, and my family. I still pinch myself that this journey—from a rare condition and a jar of Wilga rub in my kitchen to thousands of people across Australia—is real.

This is my healing journey. I invite you and your family to be part of it.