Blinman couple creates Wadna wonder

That realisation was all the enticement the Coulthards needed to build and launch their own shop, Wadna, in September last year.

"I've always carved, and while I stepped away from it to chase various careers, I had this urge and this need to get back into it, because there was no local art here," Kristian said.

"I've sold a few commission pieces over time, and sold a bit on Facebook, but actually opening a shop like this has been a pipeline dream for quite some time.

"My grandfather and his father did a lot of carving - to follow in their footsteps has given me the drive to do it."

Uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions made the Coulthards delay their launch date from April to September, but the later date worked in their favour.

"Instead of doing pop-up market stalls and selling to other businesses, the delay gave us the opportunity to put up the shed and do a shop of our own, and have a permanent home for our art and craft," Kristian said.

The Coulthards live on-site at Blinman, selling hand-carved artefacts, such as walking sticks, dishes and boomerangs, as well as paintings, bags and jewellery.

"It's not production line stuff, it's me with the carving, it's Gaby with the Indigenous print sewing and the jewellery - people like that we aren't commercialised," Kristian said.

"We've also tried to be a bit of an outlet for other artists in the region, so they have somewhere for their art. It's an Aboriginal-run business, and our people really enjoy that."

Gaby first took up sewing a few years ago as a hobby, and thoroughly enjoys making Wadna products.

"I did sewing at school, but started doing it a bit more a few years ago, making handbags and scrunchies," she said.

"I really felt like I needed to contribute something even though I'm not Aboriginal.

"For me, sewing is like yoga in terms of helping me relax and switch off, and I love supporting Kristian."

The couple have four grown-up children - Delson, Joeulla, Jenna and Channel - scattered across the state, who are all involved in Wadna as well.

"About once a month, they come back, put their feet in the dirt, and help out. It's so special that they still want to come here and be together," Kristian said.

Wadna is a far cry from their former lives, with Gaby having quit her job as a palliative care nurse in Whyalla, and Kristian having left behind careers as a ranger and in the mining industry.

Kristian, a proud Adnyamathanha man, grew up in the Flinders Ranges.

While the pair had bought the Blinman block three years ago, and divided their time between there and Whyalla, they decided last year it was time for him to "come home" permanently.

"I was on leave when we opened the shop. But because we did so well it gave me the courage to say, right, let's do this, so I rang work and told them I wouldn't be returning," Kristian said.

RELATED READING: Fresh approach paying off in Kapunda

"After we bought the block, we walked into the Blinman pub and a few of the locals said 'about time you came back' - the community has been super supportive.

"All the stations send their guests to us, and we're super grateful for that."

Gaby said she had been "blown away" with the number of visitors to Wadna.

"On our opening day, we thought we'd get 20 people, but we got 100 people, from Port Augusta, Whyalla, Leigh Creek, Adelaide and everywhere in between," she said.

"When it's busy, we would get a couple of hundred through a day. It's flat out. We love people, and some of the people we have met have just been incredible."

The pair acknowledged it was a big leap to make such a lifestyle change, but they are content to "run their own race".

"You have to believe in yourself and what you do, and I knew Kristian was very talented, so thought we'd be OK," Gaby said.

"I thought if we made $100 a day, we'd be OK. But we've just been blown away."

Wadna is the Aboriginal word for boomerang, and, like a boomerang, the Coulthards have already had some customers returning.

"They are really interested in how the process happens, how the products are made and the story behind them," Kristian said.

"Our passion is there, and our customer service is there. We want people to not only come to the shop, but enjoy the authentic atmosphere and the story behind things.

"Often customers will watch me making something, and it won't even make it to the shelf, they take it right then and there."

Kristian said while Blinman was remote, it meant the people visiting were usually genuine.

"If people aren't interested, they won't make the effort to drive this far, and that helps, because you only get people who are really keen," he said.

"By the same token, sometimes you get people who get dragged in because they're travelling with another group, but they leave here with a positive attitude, having learnt something, and that's really rewarding for us."

Looking to the future, the Coulthards are in the process of building an additional display area next to the shop, while Kristian is looking to take groups on tours of local art sites.

"A lot of people don't respect something because they don't understand it," he said.

"If they get told the right story, they'll respect it more - we're really keen to continue expanding the cultural side of things here.

"We want to keep doing what we're doing, educating people, being that friendly face, and encourage people to stay longer in the district.

"Hopefully, we'll become a really valuable asset to Blinman."

Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Sign up here to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.