Queen Vic Market is a great spot for a city shop. Lots of bargains and lots to see. Fresh fruit and veg is also excellent and great value for money. Parking at the actual market carpark if you're going to make a day of it is excessively priced so best to avoid. I tend to visit the market on a Sunday and in most cases get lucky with free parking a few streets away. The market is also easily accessible by public transport. I find some of the sales people a bit pushy and in-your-face, but there really is lots to see and something for everyone - great for Christmas shopping this time of year!!

This is a great little cafe on Rathdowne Street. Excellent selection of sweet treats, the cupcakes are fantastic! Good looking selection of salads and other lunch dishes, they also do breakfast. Service was friendly and efficient. Some nice food gift ideas in the form of cookies, jams and museli too. Will definately be back for more tea and cupcakes in the future. A really pretty, well presented, cosy cafe - if only it were local!

Peter Alexander sell the nicest PJ's and sleepwear! It's not cheap, but you are paying for quality and of course the name. I think Peter Alexander started out online but now has stores all over the place which is great. Great for gifts and they sell gift vouchers also. I love my PJ's from here and my 'Home Boots' are on as often as I can get away with - even the occasional trip to the supermarket!!

March 2008

I just wanted to add to this review that I have recently purchased from PA online. The ordering process was seamless. My purchase was received in good time however the 'day pants' I ordered were not quite the ideal fit (which can be hard to determine when shopping online!). I returned these pants with a covering letter for exchange the very next day and have since received my larger size. This exchange process was quick, easy and free (except the postage to send the goods back) within Australia and I would reccommend Peter Alexander online to anybody.

Threadless is an American online t-shirt company where designs can be submitted by anyone for printing. Awesome range of tee's, clever and different - something for everyone. At times they have amazing sales where stock is priced at only $10 (US). Easy to order online and delivery was about 3 weeks. Big fan!

Approximate cost: $10-$20 (US)

We ordered a huge amount of take-away from Zaragosa one night. Food was tasty but being take-away (and not entirely close to home) the quality was somewhat lesser than if we'd eaten in. But it was filling and packed well and the staff were nice. Will definately go back in the future for a sit down meal.

***

Well we went back to dine in and we were most impressed! The food here is fantastic. Excellent menu, heaps of vegetarian options. Meal portions are giant and hard to get through. Margarita's were tasty, chocolate mousse excellent also. Service was great, seating inside might have been a little squished and close to other tables but they were pretty busy which only says great things about their popularity. Good idea to book ahead, we have tried to go a few times at short notice but they have been booked out. Love this place it's the best!

Approximate cost: $20.00

I think IGA is great. It's a smaller supermarket and so there is not quite the same shelf stock as a Coles supermarket but the service in IGA is outstanding. I have never had to wait extended periods of time for service. The deli staff are geat and when you ask for a "scoop" of semi-dried tomatoes they give you a scoop (unlike Coles where they fill the whole container time after time). The community benefits card is great too and allows customers to help local organisations.

Attended a group birthday dinner at Coconut Palms and my first Vietnamese experience did not disappoint. The staff were friendly and attentive and on request organised for the restaurant lights to go out so the restaurant would be quiet enough for us to sing happy birthday. The food was excellent, group favorites included the shrimp and the beef in plum sauce. Great value for money too. BYO wine and they also offer take-away too.

Had lunch here today and have had previously. Great Spaghetti (vegetarian) and the vegie burger and pancakes with ice cream are excellent too. Great prices and friendly staff. Cool venue in general but with concrete floors and children in prams screaming today it was a tad loud for conversation. Aside from that, this is a great casual comfy place for lunch and coffee.

Approximate cost: $9-$12

Excellent vegetarian hot dogs and milkshakes made to go (yes they sell meat hot dogs too). Service can be a bit slow depending on staff numbers (making milkshakes and hot dogs can be time consuming and if there's a line, expect to wait). Great food though. I can't think of anywhere else you can buy vegetarian hot dogs take-away. Yay for me!

I used Australia On Line dial-up internet for about 4+ years. No fuss direct debit from my credit card. Unlimited hours. Rarely had a problem with my connection and the few times I did they were really helpful over the phone and my internet was always back on track in no time. We recently upgraded to wireless ADSL2 with another company - I had no problems at all cancelling my membership with Australia On Line. An overall excellent experience and really affordable competitive prices and deals.