For over three decades, the mother-daughter team of Lolita and Jess Laurent  have called the Whitsundays home. After years working in local tourism, they noticed the deep connection visitors felt with the Great Barrier Reef. This inspired them to create Heart Reef Australia, a brand that offers more than just a souvenir—it offers a tangible piece of the Whitsundays to take home.

Heart Reef Australia began as a small idea. The first products were simple T-shirt designs inspired by the vibrant colours of Heart Reef. Encouraged by customer interest, the business quickly expanded into a vast range including jewellery, natural stone pieces, freshwater pearls, sarongs, tumblers, magnets, candles, puzzles, and kids’ gifts.

Running this business is a hands-on journey. The team does everything themselves—from sourcing and design to production—often working outdoors in all conditions. Their passion is what drives them and has them pouring genuine Whitsunday heart into every piece.

Visibility and Connection at the Markets

Since starting at the cruise ship markets in January 2020 , becoming stallholders has transformed the business. The markets allow Lolita and Jess to meet visitors face-to-face and share the personal story behind their creations.

The markets have opened many doors, providing:

• New connections and collaborations.
• Returning customers and wholesale enquiries.
• The ability to grow their product range and refine what people love most.
• Invaluable visibility that they couldn’t achieve online alone.

Being part of a supportive stallholder community has helped them learn, evolve, and dream bigger. Thanks to these opportunities, visitors can continue shopping with them online long after their holiday ends.

Inspired by the Ocean

The team at Heart Reef Australia are creators at heart, making many of their products, including a large range of jewellery crafted with natural stones and freshwater pearls.

They design every item themselves, starting with the colours and textures taken directly from the Whitsunday landscape:

Turquoise waters.

White sandy beaches.

Coral formations and Heart Reef itself.

They use quality stones, ocean-inspired materials, and a mixture of handcrafted and custom-designed items to ensure everything they sell has meaning. Their creativity comes from real inspiration and from the place they call home, with their stall reflecting the tropical beauty that surrounds them every day. Each piece they make or design celebrates the natural magic of the Whitsundays.

For many customers, visiting the Heart Reef Australia stall has become their own small tradition, with families returning year after year to buy gifts or simply stop by to say hello. Their jewellery and keepsakes honour the natural beauty and culture of the region, from the colours of Heart Reef to the calm, coastal way of life.

Through their stall, they keep the spirit of the Whitsundays alive by sharing local creativity, warm hospitality, and a genuine love for the place they call home.