Here you can get a 20 minute massage for $20 on the area of the body which you specify. The drawback is there are no private cubicles so they massage you through your clothes and a thin piece of fabric they put over you. If you're looking for a very hard massage, Vincent will put a lot of strength into it. You can generally get an appointment just by dropping in and they will be able to see you shortly afterwards. They also have a loyalty card with your 11th visit free.

Approximate cost: $20 20 minutes

Michel's in Corrimal has a convenient location, right outside Woolworths and Dan Murphys. The ownership changed a few months ago and it has taken the new people a while to get on top of running the place but they are getting there. A couple of the younger members of staff have a habit of yelling out from behind the counter that someone's order is ready. I for one am not prepared to shout back from several metres away that that is my order when it is supposed to be table service and they have a numbering system. This also seems to be happening less lately. The coffee and hot chocolate is quite good (could be a touch hotter) and recently they have introduced sandwiches - a welcome addition to an otherwise junk food based food range (nice as some of it is). Another good feature is that they always have several current newspapers available for customers to read. Worth perservering with and quite good value.

We had lunch at Galileo as part of the Crave food festival. We each had baked trout on a shellfish risotto and loved it. Very tasty and filling. The deal came with a Brown Brothers shiraz or chardonnay and tea or coffee for $38 a head. However we spent considerably more than this as we had extra wines, and the cheese platter ($25 was a bit steep but it was a good platter with honeycomb and quince paste and 2 cheeses) and the vanilla creme brulee with berries ($17 and a very large serving). 2 of our group had the oysters naturale which were very fresh and locally sourced. The only sour note was the complimentary bread rolls which tasted rubbery as though they had been heated up in the microwave. The Brazilian waiter we had was very attentive and eager to make sure our experience was a pleasant one. Thoroughly enjoyable! Also of interest were all the original Sidney Nolan paintings on display in the adjoining foyer of the hotel.

This boutique butcher's shop sells fresh, quality meats as well as its own stir-fry mixes, meatloaf and family meat pies. I would thoroughly recommend the family pies which are full of big chunks of fresh meat and good quality. However, the meatloaf is very disappointing and one of the stir-fry mixes I bought was also a let-down as it only had minute pieces of vegetables in with it and I didn't like their stir-fry sauce. The shop is good if you want to buy fresh, raw meat or if you don't feel like cooking, the family pie is a good option.

McVitty's is a winery with a restaurant in it. The restaurant has a deck with fantastic views over the vines and is a great spot to sit in if the sun is out (no shade though). The meals are reasonable quality and you can taste the wines before you order them with your meal. One of the staff there is reminiscent of Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers - quite hilarious. His reaction to our query about the dubious quality of the cheese platter was met with a fierce defence of its local origins after which he strode around giving us a look which indicated he'd heard enough from us. We weren't offended - just amused. We would go back but would not order the cheese platter again despite Basil's insistence as to its quality.

This is one of my favourite weekend lunch spots. It is about 40 minutes drive south of Wollongong and is just across the road from the ocean and lagoon at Gerroa. There are both indoor and outdoor seating areas, and the blackboard menu changes regularly. There are fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. The mains are around $19-30 and of superior restaurant quality. I particularly like their smoked trout, and also their basic fish and chips. They have great desserts and a good wine list including a number of wines by the glass and sparkling wine in piccolos. It is a great relaxing spot and the staff don't rush you through your meal. I think the name of it is Blue Swimmer At Seahaven. It is not hard to find being the only one opposite the beach, and so far we haven't had to book.

When I attended Phytness Physio and saw Nicole I wasn't expecting much as I have been to many physio's in the past and not really had any benefit. However, Nicole was a lot more thorough and knowledgeable, and seemed to really care about helping me. My first appointment lasted almost an hour and she didn't come in and out seeing other clients at the same time. If you want your injury to be taken seriously, Nicole is the one to see.

Approximate cost: $80 first appt

We stopped here for something sweet to takeaway. It is only a small shop but has a good choice of baked goods. I had a chocolate croissant which I would strongly recommend and my partner had a vanilla slice which he gave the thumbs up. We were originally intending to have a coffee there but it was more like a takeaway shop and not really somewhere to sit over a coffee.

I used to enjoy coming here for a hot chocolate but then they started watering down the chocolate. You get it lukewarm in a separate jug and now you have to add so much to the milk that you end up with a watery, lukewarm hot chocolate. I couldn't even drink it. The other issue with the cafe is that there seems to be a chronic staff shortage with no one available to wipe down tables or to provide any service. The last 2 times I went there I heard one of the staff explaining that they had people off sick that day and that was why they were understaffed. I wouldn't go there again. There is a much better chocolate cafe on the ground floor in the Westfield.

This is by far my favourite place for a hot chocolate in Miranda or anywhere in the Illawarra. Unlike other boutique chocolate cafes, they combine the chocolate and the milk and then heat them both together so you get a drink that is nice and hot. At the other chocolate cafe in the Westfield the chocolate is not heated so when you add it to the milk you do not end up with a very hot drink. Also, the value here is superior. I wish they'd open up more stores as they don't have one anywhere in the Illawarra.