The South Coast is home to plenty of businesses offering rustic, vintage or preloved items you can bring home with you as souvenirs of a summer well-spent.
Here are some wonderful window-shopping, spending and browsing opportunities at local favourites that have earned a stop on the coastal strip.
Slow, Ulladulla
Run by Julia Collinson, Kim Goodworth and Naomi Dutson, Slow is an eco-friendly and ethical boutique that aims to reuse materials and reduce waste.
Their little shop has a calming ambience and all their products, from clothes and jewellery to kitchen essentials and home decor, are set up in pleasing displays.
As clothes designers, Julia and Kim know exactly where their second-, third- or fourth-hand materials come from. They use their years of experience to transform these fabrics into unique, rustic designs.
"Over time, it's morphed into somewhere where we can sell our own products but also be a community space. Where anyone who's an artist or maker who has good-quality products and are thinking about materials used at the end life of their product, can sell theirs," Ms Goodworth said.
"The shop has a respect for people and planet. It's important that our products are part of a circular economy."
Slow also holds workshops where people can learn how to recycle or patch a piece of clothing to increase the longevity of their favourite items.
The Wondering Mind, Milton
Nestled in a quiet corner of The Settlement in Milton you will discover a special bookstore with a selection of quality preloved books, greeting cards, gifts and art.
It all began in 2019, like all good ideas, with imagination and passion.
"I have tried my hand at many things. An educator, a team leader, an author of children's books, a collage and digital artist, whilst always embracing an underlying concern for our natural world and our place in it," owner and curator Julie Ramsden said.
Reflecting her broad interests, the shop is filled with books of fiction, science, history and everything in between. All books, including children's, modern and classic literature and also a diverse range of non-fiction are sourced through charity shops.
The walls of the shop are always covered in stunning, accessibly priced artworks that are professionally framed. There is also a range of unframed prints available for sale.
Ms Ramsden was very proud of her huge range of quirky, humorous and local artist cards as well as fun lapel pins from Jubly-Umph and a range of stationery from Braw Paper Co.
"The Wondering Mind is a unique space celebrating the indulgent delight that is browsing and discovering," she said.
The Time Machine Bookshop, Merimbula
The family-run bookshop has been in the Merimbula Plaza for more than 20 years. It's part of the town's fabric and history. It's known for holding the interest of holiday-makers escaping to the coast on weekend trips and helping the locals get through winter with a good book.
"We love having young parents visit us with their families telling us how they came into the shop as children, a rare experience these days. It was always a highlight of the holiday," said Wendy Pierre-Humbert, who runs the shop with her partner Jamie Hipperson.
The couple took over the bookshop in 2021. They insist they are new to the industry and are still learning their way, but have managed to become popular enough to be on this list.
"We are grateful for the very strong foundations and reputation already established by the previous owner," Ms Pierre-Humbert said.
The primarily sell second-hand books, but do try and get a few copies of current popular titles. They also order books both new and used.
Lions Preloved Bookshop, Ulladulla
A decade ago, members of the Ulladulla Milton Lions Club were considering projects which could withstand the impact of bad weather. It led to the Lions Preloved Bookshop opening in Bellbrook Arcade with the idea all profits would be used for local worthwhile causes.
Members from the club now work in the shop to sell generously donated books and enjoy friendly chats with visitors.
"Bellbrook Arcade is now bustling each day with people coming to the shop as part of their regular route in town - to bring books in for sale or to check out the books on the tables outside and search through the shelves for their favourite authors or discover new ones," Gill Rolfe said.
"The Bookshop has proved tremendously successful, causing over $500,000 to be injected into the respite house Jindelara Cottage."
Along the way, customers have become regulars and even out-of-towners make it a habit to visit them when on holiday.
Also on our list of bests are:
-
Bega Marketplace
- Strangers in Paradise, Bermagui
- Imlay House Auxiliary, Pambula
- Well Thumbed Books, Cobargo
- Sapphire Surprise Anglican op shop in Eden
