The glorious Lovely Lady shop on the hill. I can't afford anything in here but if I could, I'd buy…read morehalf the store. I just want to curl up in one corner with those glorious throw rugs and divine armchairs and have those grassy deer heads stare down at me as I surround myself in one of each type of scented candle. Ah, dreams.

I loved working with this guy, with dry humor and with a refreshing curmudgeonly attitude that…read morehappily rolled off me. I think he's got some Afrikaans in him as he's a bit Dutch and is from South Africa. That came up when I came in wearing my Springboks (Rugby) hat, explaining that my Nephew lives there and it was great way of not being taken as an American at first. What followed was a nice American politics back-and-forth, with one other customer joining in. Talking with the locals is almost always a fun learning experience for me. I settled on a nice Tasmania map, and received a nice Tasmanian Tiger print as a bonus. Both were wrapped up nicely for the eventual long journey home. There were more expensive choices and additional selections, and I was happy to get out of there without picking out more.

When my husband and I first came upon this place there was no one there even though the opening…read morehours stated that it should have been open. Next thing, a gentleman appeared in the side alley and invited us into his shop. We were both amazed and fascinated by the antique maps and photographs on display and mused over them asking questions. After half an hour or so we got to know the owner, Gerald, whose personality, humour and knowledge will stay with us forever. Just listening to him was mesmorising as he informed us of the history of the maps he has on display. Of course we found the 'one' that we had to purchase. Gerald is also a professional framer. He went above and beyond (we had to fly back to Sydney the next morning) by not only framing and packaging our purchase, but ended up driving us to Hobart Airport so that we didn't miss our flight. This was truly an experience that my husband will talk about in years to come when visitors to our home reflect on the beautiful artwork we purchased from this historical store. Thank you so much Gerald. We will definitely meet up with you again when we next visit Hobart.

Of all the US chains that show up in Australia, Target was a surprise. I showed up here one day to…read morefind something that the US version would have but found it at Woolworths instead. This store has 2 levels and has street-side and mall-side entrances. It's a bit on the smaller side compared to my local Target.

Today after my work shift I came into the shop to buy my little sister a birthday present for her…read more18th birthday. I was in the beauty section looking at a range of different things when all of a sudden this women (an employee) comes up to me standing less than a metre away "organising" things on the shelf, mind you I am pregnant and have just finished work, so I say to her "if you think I'm stealing I'm just trying to buy my sister her birthday present," she then continues to start accusing me of putting things in my bag so I show her my back which clearly has nothing accept my wallet inside. The whole time I'm browsing in the store she is following me, she stood in my way so I couldn't go into isles aswell as continuing to call me names. I get to the cash register to check out and the whole time she continues to accuse me of stealing, telling me I'm poor and I'm going to have no future, she says that I am nothing. Another women working near the checkouts politely asks if I've stolen anything and I say no, the other women keeps yelling calling me all sorts of names, I start to tear up and I continue paying and show her my receipt. Her name is Nicole. I am never coming back to this store again!!

Get lost. No, really, it's quite possible to actually get lost inside Willow Court Antique Centre…read more Big rooms, tiny rooms, hallways, all full of antiquities big and tiny (and hallway-sized?) just waiting for you to love them. This is THE Antique place to stop off in New Norfolk (there are others, but this is THE one). Leave your wallet in the car if you're easily parted with your hard-earned dollars, because there are bargains to be had in here--as well as more pricey treasures to add to your collection. It certainly helps that it's part of the old mental hospital grounds, which are creepy as all heck, particularly on strange autumn days. Wander around and latch onto the eeriness. Don't be afraid of the cat, she's real and her name is Lily.

One of the best Antique shops I have ever been in, its quite amazing. The Willow Court Antique…read moreCenter certainly has one of the largest collections in Tasmania ranging from antique motorcycles/cars to old bottles and coasters and everything in between. definitely well worth a visit, you won't be disappointed! The shop used to be part of the Willow Court (Asylum). The Ward itself was known as O Ward or Olga and was built in 1866. For more information please visit: www.willowcourtproject.com

Miss Bond is a retail space and artisan studio specializing in handmade jewelry, slow fashion, and…read moreunique artistic treasures. Located within the historic Salamanca Arts Centre ( the shop is run by silversmith and artist Kerrie Bond. With all that going for this shop, I only ended up with a couple Tasmanian-made greeting cards. The jewelry looked tempting for Gayle, but she's been clear that she doesn't need more. Too bad I didn't have more time to make a run at that.

I love Salamanca - all the nooks and crannies, the little laneways and hidden stores. Spacebar is…read moreone of them, tucked away from the main strip of shops and an absolute delight to explore. There's hand crafted jewelry, clothing, weird trinkets and homewares. Everything appears to be locally designed and made. I left with a delicious necklace - beads that look like boiled raspberry sweets on a long silver chain - and the desire to return again when I'm in the market for a great gift.

Spacebar is the coolest little store in Salamanca, and I'm not afraid to shout it from the top of…read moreMt Wellington (though I haven't actually done it yet, but I guess I would if they asked me). I'm talking about a curated gallery you can buy things from, featuring primarily Tassie designers making some killer amazing jewellery, clothing, and beautiful things for your home. I try not to walk in here if I don't have a bit of spare cash for pretty things, because it's very hard to resist the temptation, especially when some of the items are so well-priced. When I first moved to Hobart, Spacebar for me was an excellent introduction to a number of different designers that I now follow individually on blogs and facebook pages. I just realised that as I'm typing this review, I'm wearing a necklace by Jana & Bodie, locals I first lost my mind over at Spacebar! Fancy that. There are so many wonderful things in the store, and I implore you to check it out if you're ever in town. I've sent many people Spacebar's way and they're always delighted with what they find. I like that it's part of Salamanca's beautiful old sandstone buildings, too, because that's part of why that corner of Hobart is so wonderful.

Range and variety of items High quality of customer service. Value for money. Ease of movement…read morearound the shop

Everything is very cheap (as you would expect), and a very piquant odour. Right next to the tip!read more

Absolutely beautiful shop with quality toys! Super lovely…read moreowner that helped us find just the right gifts for my girls

A great little shop with a broad range of handmade dolls wooden toys creative puzzles and beautiful…read morecards it also has many unique gift ideas and practical craft materials in stock. Great service and definitely worth a visit.