Keeping COVID Safe in Wingello

We're still ready

The latest rules from NSW Health have been posted on their web site which means we need to add a little bit to our already COVID-19 Safe procedures. We understand that the best ways to slow or stop the spread of the virus (and even the common flu) is to maintain distance, wash hands and clean surfaces regularly. We have been doing these common sense processes since March.

Here are all the steps we are doing at the Wingello Store in line with NSW Health rules:

• The floor stickers are back. These let you know how far 1.5m (5 feet) is. There is plenty of room in the store to keep a safe distance, but still catch up with local news.
• All customers dining in need to fill in the COVID-19 contact sheet. This is maintained for each day and will only be used IF there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the store. At present there are NO known COVID-19 cases in our postcode 2579 (Bundanoon through to Marulan). Each person needs to write their name and contact number. Take-away or general customers do not need to sign in.

Contact list right next to the hand sanitiser

• Hand Sanitiser is available for all customers and visitors on the main counter and the Post Office bench. Most of this has been provided by Australia Post as part of their ongoing efforts to keep staff and customers safe.
• There is much greater than 1.5m (5 feet) distance between tables inside and outside the store. The central bench has no chairs, but it does serve as a good physical distancing device.
• Groups dining in can be no larger than 10 people.
• NSW Health asks for one dedicated COVID-19 Safety Marshall. ALL our staff are trained in what is required and we all will be ensuring that safe procedures are being followed, tables and menus are cleaned and sanitised and so on.
• Under the 4m2 rule, we can have 20 people inside and 20 or more outside. Also, most of our eating areas are separated making our store even better.
• We registered as a COVID Safe business 2 weeks ago.
• Menus are provided by us at the main counter. When returned they are cleaned and sanitized.
• Salt, pepper, sugar, sauces and other condiments are provided as required and once returned are cleaned. The tables are pretty boring now.

We continue to take our responsibility as the Post Office and Village Store seriously and always work to ensure the safety of all our staff and customers, not only in regards to the current virus, but also food and work safety.

Thank you to everyone for your great support!

The Stonemason's Trail

Since 2004 Ken McDonald has been creating artistic features throughout the Southern villages of the Southern Highlands in NSW. From solid pieces of local Sandstone Ken has shown his ability to draw out incredible images of local flora and fauna.

In July 2020 we have created The Stonemason's Trail for visitors to the Southern Highlands to experience these sandstone pieces of art up close.

Take your time and enjoy the lovely scenery as you explore the local animals and plants immortalised in sandstone starting in Wingello, through Penrose and ending in Bundanoon (in reverse works too).

Kenneth the Cockatoo

1. Kenneth the Cockatoo

Wingello Village Store

WingelloVillage Store hosts the largest carving of the collection - a 2 metre tall carving of the local Wingello yellow-tailed black cockatoo hungrily attacking a banksia nut. Detailed front and back, starting as two dimensional at the bottom and ending three dimensional right around the top you can almost hear the cocky gnawing away at the banksia tree nut. It is in the perfect position to see all the fine detail in the stone.

Christmas Beetle

2. Christmas Beetle

Penrose Public School

While sitting at his table one Summer, the inspiration for this bug crawled into Ken’s kitchen. It started as a scrap piece of stone from the quarry and was donated to the school by Ken for the children’s education and enjoyment.

It is in the gardens of the primary school.

Elizabeth the Lizard

3. Elizabeth Lizard 

Penrose Road/Willis St, Bundanoon 

Sponsored by Bundanoon Sandstone, this took over a fortnight to create in 2005. It started as huge 9 ft tall block until Ken discovered a crack after 2 hours work! “Lizzy" was a Bundanoon Community Association (BCA) idea.

Banksia

4. Banksia Serata

Nancy Kingsbury Memorial Park

A native carving was desired and this lovely carving of the Banksia Serata fit the bill.

Gangang Cockatoo

5. Gangang Cockatoo

Bundanoon Train Station

The BCA wanted a Cockatoo carved out of stone. Once more Bundanoon Sandstone sponsored this work of art.

Wallace the Wombat

6. Wallace the Wombat

Railway Ave/Brigadoon Drive

Wallace is very popular and is often decorated at various times during the year.

A lot of persuasion was put on Ken to make another wombat. The base was an interesting piece of stone lost at the back of the quarry.

Lyre Bird

7. Lyre Bird

Railway Ave/Erith Road

The Lyre Bird was the first crafted in this series, created in 2004. Ken went through over 10,500 images of Lyre birds on the internet, followed by 362 drawings to get the right inspiration. It takes a lot of work to get something this effective.

Echidna

8. Edna the Echidna

Welcome to Bundanoon

In 2008 Ken had a severe attack of shingles and lost over 30% of his body weight. But he was still able to complete this Echidna which is very popular with the children.

This was the idea of the Bundanoon Green Team.

About the Stonemason's Trail

The Stonemason's Trail is sponsored and created by the Bruggeman family of the Wingello Village Store. We have enjoyed the many sculptures created by Ken and wanted others to share that enjoyment.

You can start the trail from the North or South and travel along a straight route. The map shows which side of the road the statue is placed.

Ken posing with Wallace the Wombat at Christmas

Ken McDonald has been local in the Southern Highlands all his life. If you get the chance and meet him in the area, shout him a coffee or drink and let him regale you with his fascinating stories about his life in the Highlands.

We're COVID Safe at Wingello

Since the start of the Coronavirus Challenge we have been following recommended safety processes.

Now we are registered with the NSW Government as a "COVID Safe" business. Here are the steps we are taking for all our safety:

• "Social" distancing - there is plenty of room to maintain 1.5m (5 ft) distance within and without the store. We don't need stickers on our lovely new polished floor as we can see that our customers are maintaining their distances anyway.
• Tables are all over 1.5m apart, so groups can dine with appropriate distancing from each other. Based on the 4m2 rule, we can have 20 people inside and 20 people outside the store. The park is close by on nicer days.
• We have a new Contact Tracing Sheet. There is a separate sheet per day on which we just ask for a name and phone number. This is kept onsite and will ONLY be used in case of a known COVID case linked to the store for contact tracing purposes. We only require one name per group as you should all know everyone within your own group.
• Hand Sanitiser is available to all customers
• Menus are handed out to each group and sanitised upon their return when ordering.
• Salt, pepper and sugar are all now in sachets.
• Tables, doors and surfaces are regularly wiped down.

Together we can get through the latest stage of this challenge.

Wingello Village News July 2020

The Wingello Village News is here for July 2020.

See this month's  Wingello Village News.
This is the 137th monthly newsletter.

Highlights:

What's happening this month:

• Lots of improvements around the village
• Store Open until 7:00pm on Fridays
• Wingello Public School are back
• Wingello Village Association AGM 25 July.

Coronavirus is still with us and we are taking appropriate precautions:

We're back and ready for Breakfast

Lastly, don't forget our new weekday store opening times:
We open at 7:30am and close at 4:00pm.

Fridays we go to 7:00pm so you can have end the week with some food from the store.

Enjoy!