A local puzzle maker has experienced an unprecedented increase in demand from both interstate and overseas customers keeping occupied during the coronavirus.
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John Temple, of Westbury, said his online business Jigsaw Passion had been inundated with orders for puzzles these past few weeks.
"I haven't worked it out mathematically but my it's [customers] at least 10 or 20 times of what was going through before, maybe 50 times," he said.
"In the last week they've even gone to New York, which has amazed me because of the lock down there.
"They've gone to Illinois and they've gone to Birmingham in the United Kingdom...those are just three international locations I've had to send puzzles to."
Mr Temple makes 1000, 500 and 192-piece puzzles in both rectangular and panoramic shapes - he said it takes a few days to make each puzzle. "Each one's handmade so it does take time, things are very busy at the moment," Mr Temple said.
Given the current climate of staying at home, Mr Temple said settling down with a puzzle was the perfect diversion to the worries of COVID-19.
"When you're doing a jigsaw puzzle you forget your worries because you're concentrating on the puzzle ... it's a wonderful distraction," he said.
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Mr Temple also said puzzles were a good alternative to engaging in too much screen time on devices.
"In the past couple of years I know grandparents have bought them to do with their grandchildren because they want to sit and talk to them rather than just watch them play on their tablets," he said.
"It's a thing that people can do together but in this time of social distancing I suppose a lot of people are quietly sitting at home doing their puzzles."
In the past couple of years I know grandparents have bought them [puzzles] to do with their grandchildren because they want to sit and talk to them rather than just watch them play on their tablets. It's a thing that people can do together but in this time of social distancing I suppose a lot of people are quietly sitting at home doing their puzzles.
- John Temple
Mr Temple is a landscape photographer by trade, he got into puzzle making when he saw other photographers transform their pictures into pieces.
"Instead of selling a big picture that one hangs on the wall, which comes out of your home furnishing budget ... a puzzle comes out of your home entertainment budget - it's a completely different purchase," he said.
Cradle Mountain, Bridport and Cataract Gorge are some of a plethora of iconic Tasmanian locations immortalised in puzzle form. "Craig's Hut is a particular popular puzzle, Uluru, Cradle Mountain and the Walls of Jerusalem are favourites," Mr Temple said.
Harry Murtough
Born and raised in Launceston. BA of journalism from Monash University. Sports reporter covering basketball, netball and cricket.
Born and raised in Launceston. BA of journalism from Monash University. Sports reporter covering basketball, netball and cricket.
