The Story…

These shirts came about because I had to move away from Crescent Head, a place that still feels like home, even though I only get to visit now.

My wife grew up on Crescent Head Road. We had our wedding photos taken on the footbridge nearly 25 years ago. I did my final teaching prac at the school around the same time, and years later, my kids started attending too. That bridge has quietly collected a lot of my best memories. I genuinely cannot count how many photos I have on, under, and around it.

I wanted a way to take a piece of it with me wherever I went. The only shirts I could find featured the kind of generic surfboards-and-palm-trees imagery you'd find in any tourist trap from Bondi to Byron. So, I decided to make my own.

I knew it had to feature the iconic footbridge over Killick Creek, and I added the Pandanus tree near the boat ramp. If you know Creso, you know the one. I wanted it to feel like a proper surf shirt, not a souvenir, but something you'd actually wear. After a few attempts at a front pocket logo, I landed on the name Tastes Like Dopamine (TLD). I have ADHD, and honestly, the whole process was such a dopamine hit that the name chose itself.

The result was better than I expected. Not only did it look like a real surf shirt; it is a real surf shirt. And just like that, creating t-shirts became my hyperfocus. The second design came quickly: the view from just north of The Loo with a View, looking towards Point Cartwright. If you know Mooloolaba, you know the view.

That's really what TLD is about: real images from real places, captured and created with care. Each piece celebrates the beauty of the Australian East Coast, a love of music, and the beautiful chaos that comes with a neurodivergent mind. Authenticity comes first. Quality, ethical manufacturing, and sustainability matter too, and I do my best to make sure every shirt reflects those values without the price tag that usually comes with them.

As I continue to develop the TLD brand, authenticity comes first — real images from real places, captured and created with care. I value quality, ethical manufacturing, and sustainability, and I do my best to ensure every shirt reflects these principles without being overpriced.

After a detour through the world of print-on-demand and online stores, which turned out to be more time-consuming and expensive than they had any right to be, I've brought things closer to home. Shirts are now available from Creso Caravan Park Kiosk, Equity Makers Maroochydore Plaza, and directly from me. No algorithms, no markups, no drama.