STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL, PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

Connie Conlon’s bubbly personality flutters through the phone when she calls. “My Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog just ran out of the shop, straight across the road, which was a bit scary!” Her shop, Portal108 is nestled on the winding main road of the lush Spa Country; Hepburn Springs.

“We all dream of a tree change whilst at our office desks or stuck in traffic on our way to work. I lived in Sydney and had these big long commutes, sitting on my bum on the way to work, then all day behind a desk and again on the way home,” she explains, dragging her voice. “And I was just like, Oh! I don't want to do this grind anymore. Surely life is just meant to be better than this.”

After a visit to Hepburn Springs, Connie fell under the spell of the Spa Country. “I just fell in love with the place; the nature, the beautiful walking trails, the local produce, the open-minded people...it's just such a magical place.”

In 2004, Connie and her then partner planted their seed when they ventured to the central highlands searching for fertile soil to sow their dreams, “with the hope to turn that seed into a giant beautiful Pine Oak tree that would be alive for decades to come.”

While adventuring through the Sunday market, Connie decided to set up a stall, “just for something to do.” She began selling odd bits of jewellery as a weekend hobby. “When you go to a new place you just go; let's try this, let's try that. We were setting up trestle tables in our front yard selling jewellery and people walking by were really into the market feel of it,” says Connie. “We did that for a month or so. Then the winter kicked in, and we just ran inside one day and went, ‘Oh! We better make it look like a shop!” Connie quickly decided to set up camp by the lounge room fireplace.

Once their old home in the Blue Mountains was sold, Portal 108 was officially open for business; offering jewellery, clothing, homeware and giftware. “I only like to stock things that I love,” asserts Connie. “If I really love something and I'm passionate about it, it just gives me so much joy to put it out and meet people who feel the same way.”

The first time it happened was when two guys from San Francisco, driving through the scenic greenery, were drawn into the shop. Connie remembers it like it was yesterday, “They came running in and saying, ‘what a funny little shop!’ They were just blown away by all the quirky stuff. It was amazing to think that people had stumbled upon it from the other side of the world. And that's why it’s called Portal108 because it's 108 Main Road - but it's like a portal. A portal is a gateway to another realm. It looks like a house but when you walk in the doors, it's something different. It wasn't what they expected.” The shop has recently moved directly next door into the old Hepburn Springs Post Office building. It has had a complete refurb and is full of warm natural textures and tones.

In Connie’s world, there are no fashion police. “I'm not interested in shops that take themselves too seriously. I like to choose stock that’s beautiful, quirky and fun,” she pauses to reflect on the offerings. “I stock designer pet gear as well. That's made in Australia by a woman from Mount Dandenong. It's a dog friendly shop where people can come in off the street with their dog and find a cool collar and lead or a dog bed and, you know, take photos and put their dogs on Instagram if they like.”

Dancing around her shop, listening to Aretha Franklin while drinking a beer with her customers, Connie wants the shop to feel like an invitation into her fun lifestyle. I love it today as much as I did when I first opened the shop, so that's why when COVID hit and we all had to shut our doors, I was like, ‘Oh my God! Who am I without this?”

Portal108 5348 4353 portal108.com.au 108 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs