Still a Work in Progress

There’s something strange about building a small business. You spend so much time looking at what still needs doing that it can be hard to see what you’ve already done. There’s always another job. Another idea. Something to fix, plant, learn, improve—or somehow find the money for.

Wild Lot opened its doors on 27th December 2024 with a small distillery on our property in Karridale, one bottle of gin, a garden that was going to need some patience, and a pretty clear idea of the kind of business we wanted to build.

Almost two years later, we’re still very much a work in progress.

But lately, we’ve had a couple of reasons to stop and look back.

A couple of rather lovely emails

Recently, Wild Lot was selected to join The Dream Collective, recognising quality tourism experiences across Western Australia. For us, the exciting part isn’t another badge for the website. It’s the opportunity to introduce our little patch of Karridale to more visitors, learn from others in the tourism industry and keep improving what we offer.

Then came another surprise: a nomination for Business Excellence in the 2026 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards.

That one felt a little surreal.

Because most days, progress around here doesn’t look much like an award nomination. It looks like someone moving between the still, cellar door, computer and garden wondering which job they were supposed to be doing.

The quieter wins

Some of the things we’re most proud of probably won’t ever come with a trophy. We’ve introduced bottle refills, found new uses for spent botanicals, improved how we manage water and waste, grown more ingredients on the property and continued experimenting with ways to make a small distillery a little lighter on the environment. We’ve also learnt that being a thoughtful business means more than sustainability.

Accessibility has become an important part of how we’re growing Wild Lot. We’ve received accessibility accreditation, developed a visitor accessibility guide, formed relationships within accessible tourism and been featured nationally in Travel Without Limits.

We’re not claiming we’ve nailed it. Far from it. But we’re asking better questions than we were two years ago—and that’s progress too.

A lot happens where nobody sees it

We’ve been a little quiet publicly lately. Family has needed us, while behind the scenes we’ve been reviewing systems, studying, completing courses and looking closely at the experience we offer visitors. Not particularly Instagram-worthy. But important.

There are also new products being developed, more garden being planted, summer plans taking shape and ideas scribbled down that might take years to become reality. Some will work. Some won’t. That’s part of it.

Maybe this is the good bit

It’s easy to imagine there’s a point somewhere ahead where we’ll finally feel like Wild Lot is finished. The garden will be done. The systems will work perfectly. We’ll have the equipment we want. Every idea will have become reality. I’m beginning to suspect that point doesn’t exist. And perhaps I don’t want it to. Less than two years ago, we opened our doors and hoped people would come.

They did.

Then some came back. Some brought friends. Some told visitors to take the detour down our road. Others stocked our spirits, collaborated with us, shared our story or simply sat in the garden with a G&T. And somewhere amongst all the jobs, mistakes, experiments and plans, we’ve built something we’re incredibly proud of. There’s still an enormous amount we want to do. But every now and then, it’s worth turning around and looking at the distance already travelled. Then we can get back to work.

Grateful, always,

Bec & the team