Stories from the Blog
Collection by Surya Australia | Ethical Clothing from Nepal
Learn more about our travels to Nepal through the stories we create on our blog. Read about behind the scenes on our photo shoots, the festivals we attend and lots more.
Secrets of Tibetan Prayer Flags
Have you ever wondered what the text and images mean on your prayer flags? Do you know the best time to put your flags up? What about when they're 'finished' - what's the correct way to dispose of them? We have you covered in our new blog post, so dig in!
Why Woodford Folk Festival is our favourite festival
Let us tell you a bit of the magic that Woodford Folk Festival is ... and why we spend Christmas and New Years there each year.
The Luckiest Street Dogs in Kathmandu, Nepal
Read all about 'Doggie Paradise' for the gorgeous street dog pooches in Nepal.
Trekking in Nepal in the Wet Season
Trekking in Nepal (The Appapurnas) in the wet seaon wasn't all bad. There's those awesome leech stories I have now, and suspension rope 'bridges' with raging rafting rivers below. Read on!
The Yak Wool (Rug) Deception
How the yak wool industry traders deceive their customers. How to avoid getting 'stung' when you want to purchase something labelled yak wool.
Secrets of Tibetan Prayer Flags
Have you ever wondered what the text and images mean on your prayer flags? Do you know the best time to put your flags up? What about when they're 'finished' - what's the correct way to dispose of them? We have you covered in our new blog post, so dig in!
Rescued Brick Industry Donkeys Living the Good Life in Nepal
It was a day of polarizing emotions the day we went to The Donkey Sanctuary just outside of Kathmandu this June. Animal Nepal have rented some land, and are rescuing (and retiring) some of the hardest hit animals working in the brick industries in Nepal. Being made up primarily of equines, the donkeys, mules and horses that carry the bricks from place to place in Kathmandu are often poorly treated. Chafing wounds are left untreated, they're not fed correctly and of course they are forced to…
The 'Yak Wool' Deception
Since Winter is almost upon us once again, I thought I would scribble down a few thoughts about fabric and fibers in the 'yak wool' trade that we have been (thrown) into for many years now. Being one of the many traders who bring these wonderful products into Australia for you all to enjoy, we are suitably qualified to offer a unique opinion that I'm sure will interest many of you. The Yak Wool Untruth Yaks are one of the larger members of the bovine family. They live in the high altitudes…
Wet season Wanderings Trekking in Nepal
Oblivious to the most important factor in trekking, as far as which particular experience you will have - aka the weather! - we set out for Annapurna Base Camp in North Western Nepal smack bang in the middle of the wet season. While we definatley knew all this rain we were witnessing in Kathmandu and Pokhara was considered a good thing by locals, and often came under the heading of 'Official Wet Season', we hadn't yet joined the dots as to precisely what this meant for our planned 10 day…
The Real Cost of the Border Blockade in Nepal
5 months after the devastating earthquake hit Nepal in April 2015 killing some 8000 people, the crippling blockade which would cause fuel, gas and medical supply shortages began. There are many conflicting opinions as to who is causing it and why, but one fact remains solid enough - the Nepali people cannot go on like this for much longer. Being a landlocked country, Nepal relies on it's two neighbors - China and India - for pretty much everything. During the earthquake, the road (yes, the…
Our Latest (Film) Adventure in Nepal
Finding myself in Kathmandu with too much time on my hands this trip, I decided to give a project that I'd wanted to try for ages a little go. The aim was to produce a short video showcasing each step in the creation of our clothing. While it's lovely to promote photographs of our makers, it doesn't always show how things are done. I wasn't supposed to have too much time this trip - it came about by an inopportune incident involving a shovel, a ditch and a water drain that flooded every time…
SURYA - 10 Years Young This Month!
10 years ago this month we were setting up our market stall for the very first time! Fresh from the experience of just having spent 4 months in Nepal, we were super excited to showcase all the amazing products we had brought back, and to tell everyone we met how fantastic Nepal herself was. We designed a little board that we set up in front of our tables at the markets. It was such a conversation starter, and so many people opened up to us about their own travels to Nepal. We arrived home…
Our Favourite Festival - Woodford Folk Festival
For the past 9 years we've made the trip up the coast and set up our stall at Woodford Folk festival over Christmas and New Years. We more or less spend a month getting ready for it, and use it as an opportunity to assess and overhaul the stall set up and appearance each year. We set the stall up in the backyard for a week or two, and contemplate how we can maximize space, change our displays, the signage and generally just to improve any way we can. Sitting on our muddha's in the backyard…
The Luckiest Street Dogs in Kathmandu
The Saturday Camp I met up with Andrea (the founder of Street Dog Care Kathmandu) at the weekly Saturday camp for local street dogs in and around Boudhanath Stupa. Lots of people were there working (and volunteering) to wash the dogs, comb them (as their Winter fur is coming off in bucket loads!) and treating them for mange and other more serious ailments. (Below: the Street Dog Care Saturday camp underneath the colourful umbrella at Boudha Stupa) And then this one little street dog pup…