WORDS by Lisa Keller

From the northern end of Macrossan Street, a soft chime floats through the air - a hypnotic melody that subtly sings to your heart. For passersby, it may appear simply as a melodic soundtrack to your day in the tropics, but for those in the know, these wind chimes represent the legacy of a couple and the profound impact they had on this small town when they opened their jewellery shop 25 years ago.

Today, Wicked Willie's stands as an iconic fixture in the retail landscape of Port Douglas. Its walls, covered from top to bottom in beautiful jewellery, rare gemstones and eye-catching crystals have become a favourite amongst both visitors and locals.

But this story didn't follow a traditional path; instead, it was a serendipitous series of events that led owner Tracey Flanagan and her late husband, Willie Harland, down this jewel-lined path.

A tropical twist of fate

The story of Wicked Willies began, fittingly, as a chance encounter. After meeting overseas some years earlier, Tracey and Willie, wound up in Cairns with little more than a shared sense of adventure. "We were completely penniless with no plan," Tracey recalls.

While money was scarce, the one thing Willie did have was a big, infectious personality. As a talkative Scotsman, Tracey tells of Willie'sinnate ability to make friends wherever he went. It was this charming trait that led them to befriend a jewellery maker from Melbourne for whom they soon started working.

After six months of making and selling jewellery at the Cairns Night Markets, fate would have it that their boss was forced to leave the country and offered to sell the business to his two trusted travellers. Borrowing the money from Willie's mother in Scotland, the pair suddenly found themselves as business owners, and successful ones at that.

Over the next three years, Tracey and Willie fell more and more in love with their customers and their craft and were able to weave in their travelling spirit with regular buying trips to Mexico and Thailand.

In 1999, after a recommendation from a friend, they uprooted their store and took a leap of faith moving to Port Douglas where a vibrant community promised bigger and better opportunities. "The timing was perfect," Tracey remembers. "Port Douglas was booming, and the town welcomed us with open arms."

Building a legacy one gem at a time

As they settled into their new home, Wicked Willies became a local favourite, known for its unique pieces and unbeatable service. With his outgoing nature, Willie quickly became a well known and much loved figure in town, making friends with nearly everyone who walked through the door.

"People would come just to chat with Willie," Tracey says, smiling at the memory of her late husband, who tragically passed away in 2013. "He had such a presence; everyone loved him."

The shop's success came down to its business model which ensured a constant flow of fresh new stock that couldn't be found elsewhere. "We've always had a big emphasis on gemstones but we only ever opt for the highest quality." Tracey explains.

"I choose every single piece based on the quality of the stone. It needs to have the right colours, it needs to have movement and it needs to have the right setting to make the stone pop."

One such stone, and a Wicked Willie's best seller, is one of the rarest in the world - the larimar. Found only in the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, the mining of this stone has been stoppe, making its supply uber limited.

"I believe we're the largest stockist in Australia," Tracey tells with pride. "Its beautiful colour and unique settings, like the seahorse and turtle, are reflective of the Great Barrier Reef making it the perfect memento for tourists to take home"

Connected in community

For Tracey, staying connected to her customers is just as important as sourcing the perfect stone. "Still to this day, people come into the shop year after year saying, "This is my favourite shop in Port Douglas. It's the first place I come to when I get here."

With staff members who have been with Tracey for more than 20 years, it's no surprise that the Wicked Willie's team know many customers by name and, just like a good barista remembers your coffee order, these ladies will remember your preferred style of jewellery and make suggestions accordingly. "Each staff member basically has their own fan club," she laughs.

As technology advances, so too does Tracey's approach. Her brick- and-mortar store has evolved to include an online shop and she is now able to make purchases easily online but reiterates the importance of remaining hands-on. She still travels to Bangkok and Hong Kong each year to attend trade shows and handpick new stock. "It's about finding that special piece you won't see anywhere else," she says.

As she reflects on her 25 years, Tracey acknowledges that she never anticipated a career in jewellery. Her passion for turquoise and silver, combined with her love for travel, brought her close to gemstones and she would often have bespoke pieces created from wherever she was in the world.

However she insists it was fate that led her to the life she lives now. "Willie and I both loved adventure," she recalls. "We didn't have a set path we felt we were destined to follow, we just wanted to see the world and ultimately it led us here," she said.

Today, Wicked Willies Jewellery is a testament to that shared journey. Tracey has retained a deep passion for her shop and the community it's created, with her instinct for what her customers will love honed by years of experience.

As for the name? When asked where 'Wicked Willie's' originated from, Tracey laughs saying "it just seemed like a good idea at the time! "I've always thought it was a daft name for a jewellery store but it certainly sticks in people's memories so I guess it was a good choice by us after all."