Don't buy your dog or cat flea treatment here. They charge $153 for the 6 pack of Advocate for dogs 10-25k. The RRP is $116. And at Wallington Rural (just a ouple of k's up the road) you can join their pet club and buy it for $111.10. That's over $40 less for exactly the same product! Bellarine Vet will chatge you $12.50 to join their "Tails and Whiskers" club which will save you $16 off their inflated price - but the whole deal is just too outrageous for words. That said, the vets there are very nice :)

We bought our bed from here about 3 months ago. We walked all around the store for about half an hour and couldn't see what we were looking for - not exactly. As we were about to leave a sales person asked us what we were looking for. We explained the style of bed we liked - but we wanted a foot rail and we didn't like the bedside tables. He told us they were made in Aust. and we could have one altered to our specifications and the same with the bedside tables. We were delighted with the service and the bedroom furniture that was delivered about 5 weeks later - earlier than the estimate. I found both the quality and service very good and the price not unreasonable for such a good product.

Approximate cost: $3500

It was almost a year ago when I decided our old Labrador was too hard to wash tied up to the shed - she really needed a hot bath from someone who had all the equipment to do it. I phoned and left a message - Barb got straight back to me. I think she services all the Bellarine Peninsula - not sure - but definately my area. Anyway, Barb is so lovely and kind to our dog you can tell she is a real animal lover. She even sends emails with doggy news relevant to her customers. The nicest thing is she gives the dog a treat afterwards and a big pat. Even our little terrier cross gets a treat too! Barb is a gem - well worth it if you want a fresher smelling dog..

Approximate cost: $40

I went in for a straight pair of reading glasses and was talked into having bifocals - which I did need and I do like. However the extra price wasn't really explained to me and I didn't really like their choice of frames. I ended up with 2 pairs of glasses with very plain frames for more than double what I expected to pay (according to their ad). Since then, one of the pairs has become so scratched they are unusable. This is probably due to my rough treatment of the glasses - but I still feel like I was dudded! They also asked permission to do a test on my eyes that involved blasting a short burst of air into them. I didn't know this was coming and got a real shock! I felt the optometrist was laughing at me and when I didn't want to proceed with the test (which was optional) he was quite grumpy.

Geoff Stanley has been cleaning my carpets for about 10 years. He always does a great job. Last time I phoned him on Saturday morning to book him, he was on his way to Melbourne. He said I could phone him at home on Sunday where his appointment book was and he'd fix a time then. Not many tradespeople say to ring them at home on a Sunday! He is a also very pleasant to deal with and never makes disparaging remarks about the condition of the carpet (unlike another company I once used). He has his own family and pets and "understands" those "teenage stains" we can't idnetify!

Approximate cost: $Average

Great place for a light lunch - nice little courtyard at the back so you can sit in the sun. Friendly staff and nice ambiance. They also have a good range of ice cream in cones for those hot days - something I haven't found anywhere else along Pako.

Approximate cost: $Under $10

I always go to Bear's End when I need presents for my nieces and nephews because they have the most AMAZING range of kids toys/clothes/hats/cute shoes and stuff you'll find anywhere. Just going into the shop itself is a real experience. It's so full of stuff you can barely move. The woman who owns it is very funny though she does need to tidy up the shop a bit.

Approximate cost: $Not cheap but great quality stuff

I bought some stuff from their deli for Christmas and it was all delicious. The little black olives were far nicer than the supermarket variety and the marinated fetta (i bought the one with preserved lemon) is absolutely brilliant. Irresistable. They also have great chocolates, biscuits and other produce. Haven't tried the cafe yet.

Approximate cost: $Pricey but worth it

This is a community radio station with heaps of different shows for different tastes. I like listening to the drive shows because you get to hear real people - not commercial DJ's. They also promote stacks of community events and local appeals so they help out schools, the hospital, fire brigade boys etc. Good to listen to if you want something REAL.

Approximate cost: $n/a

This is a great little shop with the BEST range of fresh fruit and vegies. Even better - they have all sorts of yummy deli items and really interesting packaged goods - like a gourmet Cranberry Sauce I wish I'd seen before Christmas! I think the owner might be from Spain (or somewhere similar) because they also have a lovely range of imported delacicies including a great canned tuna - jst heavenly.

Approximate cost: $Cheaper than supermarket