The Internet Really Works!
by Russell Duff

Last spring my wife and I planned an extended vacation in Australia. Obviously, we thought our pleasure would be increased if we could make personal contact with folks who live there. So I logged onto the internet and called up the home page of the San Diego Woodturners. In addition to information about our club and a gallery of work by our members, the site contains links to other woodturners around the world. I found the Peninsula Woodturners Guild in Australia and was pleased to learn that they are located south of Melbourne near where we planned to spend a week. I sent an e-mail message to their computer guru, Brian Anderson, outlining our plans and asking if it would be possible for us to visit with them.

A reply came back promptly from Brian inviting us to spend a day as their guests. We agreed on a day and drove to Queenscliff, took the ferry across Port Phillip Heads to Sorrento where we were met by Brian and his wife, Lorraine. They showed us the countryside of the Morningside Peninsula as we drove back to their home for an excellent lunch with other club members.

Then we went to their regular Wednesday afternoon meeting which is held in Studio Park on the grounds of the McClelland Gallery in Langwarrin which is about 40 km south of Melbourne. Their facility is one of several craft-oriented buildings in a park something like our Spanish Village here in San Diego. The space is about as large as the upstairs of Cut and Dried, and it contains four lathes and other power tools which are used by members. A picture of their setup appears in their website. Something happens there almost every day.

The turnout was very good, about 75 attended. The meeting format was much like ours. One of their members described his techniques for making curved, built-up pieces to be used, say, for chair backs or rockers. Then I was asked to say a few words about San Diego and our club. Finally, I presided over a show and tell session in which many fine pieces of their work were displayed. Included were various large and small turned articles as well as many examples of fine woodworking. I didn't win anything in their lottery, but we were given a number of nice gifts by the club. The Andersons then drove us back to Sorrento, and we made our way back to Lorne.

As we flew home across the Pacific after 7 weeks in Australia, both Eloise and I agreed that the day we spent with Lorraine and Brian Anderson and the Peninsula Woodturners was the high point of our vacation. Our sincere thanks go to Rick Harrell and Brian Anderson who made it possible.

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