Small but generally good selection of wine and beer. We found some local and nostalgic wines that…read morewe debated getting. We settled on a bit of both. They were super cool about us taking our time. Very cool having the Big W right next door. We were able to get most of our party shopping done in one stop. Woot!

We came for fairy lights and the Big W did not disappoint…read more They have pretty much everything you can think of needing: cat toys, slippers, paper, shirts, snacks, and a lovely person to welcome you to this humble palace of shopping. Since it was so close to Christmas, the lights were on sale. Woo! I was able to catch up on celebrity gossip by scanning the magazine covers by the checkout lane. So many magazines to choose from!

The variety is rather wide but there is one thing in particular that brings all these pieces…read moretogether. Class and sophistication. There is an essence of quality that oozes out of every piece found in Frances Pilley, whose wares are both imported and supplied locally by reputable artisans. The brands include Reiss enamelware, Johnstons lambs wool throws, Tade Syrian soap, Libeco Lagae linen, La Cie des Provence body products and Place des Lices perfumes. The prices are little extravagant, but if you're finding the 'roughing it' of the caravan park and the hot sun of the country a little much this is a pleasant escape for twenty minutes or so.

Shop looks lovely, well set out and clean. But that is where it ends, the owners are so rude I seen…read morehow they spoke to and about the service people they employed I ended up walking out. I do not do business with people like that.

Great, free, art gallery in Benalla. It's small - just three viewing galleries, each with maybe 100…read morepieces - but the quality is excellent. They have some remarkable works by some of the early Australian Heidelberg School artists that are just beautiful. Definitely worth a look. They also make great food and it's a nice spot to have lunch right overlooking the river. Highly recommended if you're around Benalla.

The funny thing was that this place had an exhibition on, and the exhibition basically consisted of…read morea single painting. Then again, it is a regional art gallery, so they generally don't tend to be all that large, or at least this one wasn't particularly large. Mind you, the painting did happen to be a rather famous Australian painting, and there were an awful lot of information, and sketches, associated with it as well. It was a shame that they didn't have other rooms where they had local art, or at least a collection, though because I didn't have to pay to go inside, that certainly was a bonus.

Every once in a while, my dearest and I need to print something on A4 paper, which, surprisingly…read moreenough, isn't as easy to find in San Francisco as it would be in practically any other place that isn't in America. Our usual options are: 1. modify the print size to fit American-sized paper. Bleh. 2. get our prints at the local copy shop (after checking that they have A4 paper in stock) and pay a premium for prints and quite possibly the use of some antiquated computer 3. pay $20 for a ream of A4 paper from some shop online to be delivered so that we don't have to do #1 and #2 all the time Luckily, we were in town for a completely different matter when we mentioned our predicament. While I was perfectly fine picking out whatever ream they would have available at Woolworths, I was told there was an office supply store that I had to check out. It was heaven. (I love stationery, btw) A4 paper in cases or reams, in colors, or white. If you like office supplies like I do, you'd understand why my this made my heart sing. Our time here was cut short due to the proximity of the cash register. The paper was immediately on the left and the register was right there, in front of the door. Since I was there with my non-dawdling other half, I was denied the opportunity to wander and marvel at all the other office supplies in the rest of the store. I could have come home with an array of pens, sticky notes, notebooks, or other office thingies. Perhaps taken a turn on a swivel chair. But no. I'll only have this ream of slightly thick A4 paper with which to remember our time together, Office Choice. It was short, but very good time. If you like getting your office supplies and just going about your business, Office Choice is a great place to do that. If, however, you prefer to wander around and look at stationery and office supplies, then do it and let me live vicariously through you. Plenty of parking out front.

The sign out the front is a little deceiving. I'm expecting something kind of tacky and eclectic in…read morea circus/50s kind of way. Instead my eyes are met by the most amazing array of jewellery and fashion wares. Rebus is another of the high end fashion and accessories surprising you in Beechworth. Stocking the likes of Leoni and Vonk, Earthtribe, and Riley Burnett, you can lose yourself in here looking at the fascinating pieces. And not to worry, the shop assistant is nowhere to be found. If I'd actually wanted to or could afford to buy something I may have been a little disappointed, but this just let me spend even longer in here. Out of the sun, into the blinding glitter and shine of the wonderful wares within.