We were looking for somewhere that was child friendly and also yummy, we were so fortunate to decide on the Spirit of Punjab. The food was divine, even for the very fussy 8 year old, who isn't keen on anything too hot, or too spicy. We enjoyed the Tandoori platter very much, it had the right variety and spice levels, while the Gosht Saag Wala proved a hit - it was a wonderful mix of spice and flavour.

The interior of the Spirit is heated with a lovely warm and toasty wood fire, with some of the most awesome light fittings I've seen in a long time.

You'll not miss the restaurant either as the statues in the front of it are eye catching.

A lovely warm environment, one that welcomed families and couples alike.

Approximate cost: $80

Tired but clean, we stayed in the two bedroom family units located at the rear of the small complex. The rooms were tired, but clean, and the two bedroom units were large enough for our small family, though the lack of a real bath could be a problem for people with smaller children.

The place was quiet though and there was parking close to the flats which meant the lugging of luggage was minimised.

It's handy to a lot of great places to see and at only 900 metres to the shops is quite convenient to the local shopping precinct too.

Approximate cost: $180

Now to start with my partner prides himself on having eaten ice cream from all around the world, so he knows a great ice cream when he meets it. I love lemon sorbet, so together we ventured into this icecreamery having heard great reviews. We were not disappointed. My sorbet was light and airy, absolutely delicious. The ice cream my partner had were in his words second only to Giolletti in Rome. So if you're into ice cream, do yourself a favour and try it when you're next in Halls Gap!

Approximate cost: $6

Not a great variety of children's toys or clothing, or bed linen, the store does have an extensive range of men and women's clothing at reasonable prices. I did find the lack of children's clothing frustrating, and so that's why I've only given it an average. The lack of clothing in larger sizes also detracted from the shopping experience. Clean store.

Approximate cost: $6.00

Dashing past I almost missed this opportunity shop. But the rack of one dollar clothing near the door attracted my attention. This is a boutique style opportunity shop with all funds supporting an awesome cause. So while the price tags on most of the clothing were expensive, the range is full of quality garments. If there were children's clothes I did not find them, but I did come away having purchased two garments and feeling that I had somehow supported an awesome cause.

Background
Horsham PAWS is a community based association with a strong commitment to promoting responsible pet ownership and improving the welfare of lost, abandoned and relinquished pets in the Horsham Municipality.

Approximate cost: $6.00

We went there for breakfast with our 8 year old, and we were thoroughly impressed. The coffee was good, the chai delicious, the breakfasts amazing. Really nice to be in a place that offered a great vegetarian breakfast that was super tasty and not the usual boring fare usually offered to vegetarians. The juice was freshly squeezed too - all in all a very welcoming place - especially for those of us up early to go hiking!

Approximate cost: $16

Looking for a place that would provide us with pizza we stumbled over the Black Panther Café. The range of pizzas though a little limited, and pricey proved to be tasty and really well made. We were impressed with the flavour and taste, and found the ten minute wait for our pizza amazing. Great staff too - cheerful and warm.

Approximate cost: $22

We found this Noodle Bar by chance and sauntered in to see what they had on the menu. The range impressed us, as did the excellent meals that were served up to us. The price was really reasonable and the place was packed with a constant stream of customers popping in to pick up some of the freshest noodle and rice dishes I've tasted in a long time. Great range of vegetarian options too.

Approximate cost: $11

Quite a small Opportunity shop, and the range of clothing, books and other items was on the small side. But we did find a few bargains, and the lady behind the counter warmed up. The prices were on the steep side, and some of the items for sale were tired.

Approximate cost: $6.00

We ventured into the Rare Opportunity Shop on a bleak winters day only to be greeted by an enthusiastic shop assistant who told us that they were having a sale $5 a plastic bag full of clothes or 2 bags for $8. Well I can say that the $8 we paid netted us 17 pieces of quality second-hand clothes. (From Boys clothing to Men's and a good amount of Women's quality clothing ie Autograph, Table Eight). Really worth a visit if you're in the vicinity of Stawell.

Approximate cost: $8.00