Michael O'Brien - Bookbinder

Walking along Oamaru's Tyne Street in the Victorian Precinct, there's the anachronistic confusion that lends a new element to your travels. Retro shops with Tripadvisor logos line the Victorian blocks and cafes serve turmeric lattes. On Tyne Street in Oamaru we wandered in and out of many wonderful shops, but one stood out from the rest: the Michael O'Brien Bookbinder, with the actual mother of Michael O'Brien attending. This is not so much a shop, in the sense that there are massive amounts of products to buy, but instead this is an actual bookbindery that you can watch the craft up close and personal. Our family of five spent over an hour watching and learning. All the while, Mrs O'Brien walked us through her craft both in the practical step-by-steps and the philosophical reasons to follow a craft. My children, true book lovers themselves, were truly enchanted by her and the deep conversations about living a creative life. It was one of those magical moments when travel slows you down enough to ponder the larger issues in life.

One of the missions of the bookbindery is to show others that it is possible to make a living whilst following a craft. We wished that we could have stayed in Oamaru for months to take one of the summer courses offered here and around the town to learn such a craft. The shop offers accommodation and courses throughout the year. We did buy a journal as a gift to bring home. Just remember your cash - just like Victorian times, they don't take credit cards.

Currently the shop is open just in the afternoons from 2-5pm.

Image and text: Annika Paradise