Page 85 - Port Douglas Magazine 35

Kirsty McAvoy
“When you live on the other
side of the world from where you
grew up you crave connection,
the community here in Port
Douglas is so special it fills that
part of my cup.”
If personality were personified it would look a lot like Kirsty McAvoy,
entrepreneur and owner of the popular caffeine hotspot Captain & Co
Espresso. From the sharpness of her banter and the sing-songy tones of
her Scottish voice I knew to buckle up, as this was going to be a lively
conversation.
It has been nearly a year now since Kirsty and her husband Paul took their
house deposit and put it all in on buying Captain & Co Espresso, but with
stacked odds leaning towards the latter they happily haven’t looked back. For
this brave, stubborn, courageous, and self-proclaimed crazy Scott she could
never let the risk keep her from doing what her heart was meant for.
“Nine out of 10 people who know me would say I am completely mad, but
it has been such a blessing seeing the support from the community, as the
locals have got us through some tough times,” said Kirsty.
Proving anything is possible when you have the right people backing you, it
was with this strong sense of community that attracted Kirsty to make Port
Douglas home five years ago.
“When you live on the other side of the world from where you grew up you
crave connection, the community here in Port Douglas is so special it fills
that part of my cup.”
Her story of how now she calls Australia home is as old as the Scottish
Highlands themselves. A backpacking adventure that was only supposed to
last a year, until girl meets her charming Irish backpacker boy, then bippity
boppity boo - Australia just became the love capital of the Kirsty and Paul’s
story.
All her life she planned to visit Australia, a dream that was instilled in her
by a fond primary school teacher who suggested a pen pal from the land
Down Under. The long-distance communication through letters shared
stories between the two far-away friends that became a fun exploration of
their unique livelihoods described in notes sent through the post, seems a bit
foreign these days.
Time was ticking, so by the time she turned 27 it was a “now or never”
realisation - she had to follow those letters from her youth that took the
same journey so many years ago.
“I always said I would go … I knew if I waited any longer it would be too
late, so I applied for my working holiday visa and here I am seven years
later,” she evoked with gusto.
Spending their first couple of years in the metropolis of Melbourne she was
happy to leave the hustle and bustle behind when calling the paradise of Port
Douglas home. “The city,” she explained, “has this constant uneasy feeling of
pressured busyness, everyone was in a constant state of ‘GO GO GO GO’.”
For the big city folk who struggle to slow down, Kirsty’s hot tropic tip would
be to just chill out and unwind – embrace the Port Douglas time, things are
slower here, sip it in.
Port Douglas is a special place where you can really find yourself. For
many of us it is vital we must practice self-love so we can push through
our limiting beliefs and live a life that truly shines. Kirsty is an advocate
of self-care and practices it daily. Her admiration for her parents and their
achievements is obvious and they inspire her to focus on spending time
doing the things that make her happy and feel complete. At times she
confesses this can be a struggle, but acknowledges it will always be a work in
progress and that she can live with.
When Kirsty isn’t slinging coffee at Captain & Co, she’ll be valuing time
chasing her rescue kelpie, Andie, who she assures me is just as mad as she is.
Taking in the amazing sunsets in the park with Paul or enjoying a nice meal
out supporting her community.
What really perks her up more than a strong piccolo is a sincere
compliment. “People don’t have to say nice things, so when they go out
of their way to give us a compliment it means a lot, it can perk me up for
days.”
Her biggest achievement is owning Captain & Co, a place where only such
a fun-loving personality like Kirsty’s makes having your regular brew like
going to a friend’s house for a cuppa, a place to have a friendly chat, nice
coffee without the fuss.
PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 87