So it’s Sunday, and like any other weekend, I find myself at my local Bunnings, with a snag in hand and the little ones in tow. I love Bunnings, not just because you can find literally anything you could need to sort out any niggling problem around the house or yard, but for what it can inspire. A simple stroll through the isles can inspire a new lick of paint in the spare room, or an entire house renovation, simply because you saw a product that caught your eye causing a chain reaction of handyman-esk inspiration.

This particular weekend has inspired a new project to start, and probably ‘get around to finishing’ never, but it always sounds like a good idea at the time. As I walked around, hoping the boys only sprinted around THIS particular corner, I was reminded that the life span of my Bunnings was coming to an end, as a new 48 million dollar Bunnings is currently in development just across from my home in Sunshine Cove, on Dalton Drive. Big scale constructions like that always excites me, the pace of development, watching these massive structures take shape, the busy buzz of tradies going about their work – between smoko’s and coffee breaks. It fills me with hope that simply because one Australian business has decided to expand their operations, work for more than 380 people has been created when it is needed probably more than ever. Even more are created, and more still are solidified into the future.

There’s something about this business that has interwoven itself into Australian culture, from the $1 sausage sizzles, to the outdoor plant and garden section. You walk down the chainsaw isle, see another aussie battler pondering the selections, you glace up at each other and give a nod, maybe offer a recommendation if you know your gear. You see each other lining up with your individual families for a sausage and drink, maybe invite each other ’round for a beer some time. Or alternatively, you walk down an isle, you’re looking for that one product you need, the reason you came to Bunnings in the first place, the one last thing you need to finally finish off your latest project. You see it, and it’s on sale. Could it get better? Well it sure could be worse, and it is. Some pleb grabs it right as the tips of your fingers glance off it’s shiny surface. You look up, the smug fiend smirks down at you – ‘snooze ya looze’. A new arch nemesis. Every thought of and motivation for finishing the deck is gone, it’s off to the pub to ear bash your mates about it. You form a bond, unique to the Bunnings experience, with new mates or old.

So if you end up with a new mate, a new deck, or a brand new nemesis, a beer is probably in your future if Bunnings is involved in your weekend.