Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this episode contains the name of a person who has recently died.
“I don’t need to dress up because I’m part mermaid.” — Shannon Townsend
Harley Breen welcomes Shannon Townsend, the Lady of the Lake. Shannon has been teaching swimming since she was 13, has trained pool lifeguards in Australia and around the world, and now looks after safety at Lake Gkula, Woodfordia’s 12 million litre plus eco lake.
Shannon went to the very last Maleny Folk Festival and the very first Festival at the Woodford site as a teenager from Toowoomba, mesmerised by the fire twirlers and soothed by the chai tent. Years later she returned with her own children, when her father-in-law Kev Carmody was playing and she ended up on stage singing the chorus of From Little Things Big Things Grow. When a lake was built, she sent in her resume, and a few beers with Bill later, the title stuck.
This conversation covers what an eco pool is, how the lake lifesavers are trained, the mermaid who met Shannon at a Woodford dance workshop, the three minutes of silence, lake yoga with crystal bowls, and a bonus original water safety song.
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Key topics: Shannon Townsend, Lady of the Lake, Lake Gkula, eco lake, eco pool, water safety, lifeguard training, Lake Gkula Camping, lake yoga, Sionna Yoga, crystal bowls, Kev Carmody, Toowoomba, Maleny Festival, chai tent, three minutes of silence, Woodfordia, Woodford Folk Festival, Jinibara Country
To come to the Woodford Folk Festival this year visit: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/
Lake Gkula Camping Easter 2027: https://lakegkulacamping.com/
FOR MORE:
Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au
Shannon Townsend, Sionna Yoga: https://www.sionna.com.au/
Lake Gkula Camping: https://lakegkulacamping.com/
Woodfordia: https://woodfordia.org/
CREDITS: Host: Harley Breen | Guest: Shannon Townsend | Executive Producer: Benney Wallington | Producers: Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Cameron Scurrah | Audio Engineer: Stevie-leigh Batiste | Video Editor: Nick Haddow | Music by: The East Pointers | Recorded on Jinibara Country | Recorded September 2025
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