FRIDAY 11 APRIL CANBERRA
After breakfast, decided we would drive out to Bungendore, a township some 40kms east of Canberra, to visit the well regarded woodwork gallery there. Somehow, we hadn’t managed to see this at all, on previous visits, despite recommendations from John’s wood working friends. It had won many tourism awards over the years.
We took the Federal Highway, towards Goulburn, then turned south just beyond Sutton and had a pretty drive down to Bungendore. This was a quaint little village, very geared to tourism. It reminded me of some places in Tasmania.
The gallery kept us engrossed for more than three hours. It contained high quality work which John found very inspirational. Items ranged from smaller – and more affordable – things that might, in particular attract overseas tourists, like wooden rulers, small boxes, to very large furniture pieces. There were the things one would expect in a gallery featuring woodwork – bowls, platters, lamp bases – and creations more from left field. So much of the furniture was exquisite and intricate. Very humbling in some ways. The gallery was large, with multiple rooms, so there was scope to display items to their full advantage.
After that we moved on, briefly, to a nearby specialist leather works shop, which was a contrast to the wood gallery. It was crammed full, with a mix of quality and kitch, but with the wonderful, pervading smell of leather.
Then it was back to Woden shopping complex, for a late lunch, which was far too costly for what we got: $17 for two toasted filled rolls and two coffees.
Whilst there, I had a watch place check out my malfunctioning watch. He found the battery was alright, but said it probably needed a good clean. I didn’t think that had been done since it was new, some fifteen years before. I did not have enough time in Canberra for that to be done, so bought a new, cheap watch, for $30 – really needed to have one for where I was going. Hoped the new one would last the season!
I also bought a book on share trading. Just a little light reading!
Time then to head back to the van, after a really pleasant day.
Given the “modern” layout of Canberra suburbs, John did not want to try to go out and find a fish and chip shop, so we had a light soup tea.
