I have always found Vinnies to be full of helpful volunteers and kind words for everyone.

I picked up a chair on this day that is a match for the dining suite that I have at home, it was only $8. There was three, but they were happy to seperate them for me.

I have also found Vinnies to be the best place to buy second hand Tupperware and found so many inexpensive containers to add to my Tupperware collection.

Im giveing PC Case Gear 5 out of 5. I couldn't have asked for better service.

We ordered, my Lian Li computer case in and they got the one I wanted for me as they didn't stock it normally.

We found them without a problem and traveled from Bendigo, on ringing them to ask the time they closed we would have been a little late, they stayed open just for us, well not open to the public, we just had to knock and the guy let us in, he even kept the computers on so I could pay with my card, How cool was that?

There was parking inside the gate, they will take cards and we picked up from the showroom.

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Take plenty of money tho, because there was HEAPS of other showrooms around there for clothing, computers, handbags and shoes, all brand names that had Sale's signs out on the day.

There is an interactive self tour you can go on, great for all the kids and kids at heart, you get to design your own chocy bar, I didn't as we had done so much in Phillip island during our stay and thought we'd save it for next time.

The shop has a huge amount to choose from including local honey gift packs and bicky's, but they came from QLD.
There is some wonderfully made chocolate sculptures to look at, but there wasn't any for sale apart from a really cute stiletto shoe that was decorated with chocolate lace work.

The cafe there served lunch, coffee and cake also snacks, I did see someone with an ice-cream split that looked amazing.

I was disappointed when I got my fruit and nut bar home and it had no nut's in it however.

At the time of this post the price for an adult tour is $15 ph. A 100grm block of chocolate $5.50 and the small 35grm flavoured bars $3.50.

There is heaps of parking, bus trip's use this a lot, so watch out for one of those and there is a couple of disable spot's. They do take all credit card's.

You can buy pass's there for the Phillip Island site's to be seen called PIE pass's = Phillip Island Experiance, the three parks pass is the one we had that get's you into the Penguins, Koalas and Churchill Island

I found the Palais had a wonderful atmosphere built in the 1920's and still oozed charm from that bygone Era. Walk in through the beautiful door's and stylish floor.
From its red velvet stage curtains and dance floor to its seating booths, it has all of the romance that you feel should be there.
The only thing I felt it lacked was, due to the building I really wanted the staff to be dressed in period clothing, but that's such a little thing and probably just me!

I bought my tickets to a 2 course dinner and show on a Group-Buying site, it also came with a bottle of local wine. So it is always worth checking this out before you go as they are often there in the off season OR for a Valentine's day special.

On the night we were served Turkish bread with a dipping dish of olive oil and Balsamic, that came to every table a nice touch I thought.
We had a choice of meals on that nights menu. I felt there was something for everyone with fish, chicken and a lamb mains were on offer. The dessert was a lovely tart Lemon tart that I had and Loved it and pav for my partner seriosely how far wrong could you go with either of those.

The night was capped off with a delightful guy on stage who's name alludes me, but he was most enjoyable.

There's a wood fired pizza at the front and a bar, as we were a little early we had a drink outside on the table's provided.
We had the best night there and will love to return.

It was the firs time for me at the Chicken Inn.

I really felt they have great Family pack's and lots of other options to choose from.
The Chook we had on the day was very tasty with a nice stuffing that was lightly seasoned, I was Very happy with it.

The Salads are homemade as is the gravy that came with the family meal we had along with really generous amount of peas and yummy roast spud's 8 of them. The other option for the family meals was with salads and chips with a full chook.

They do chicken rolls and wraps as well and I'm sure I saw kebabs on offer as well?

They have a VIP card and write up each week how many free chooks they have given away. Well worth going if you have a family dinner on, or don't want to cook that night. I didn't find the family meals to be to expensive at around the $26.

Heaps of parking, you can phone in your order, and they take cards.

I have driven past the Loaded Plate So many times on my way out of town and decided to call in on my way again, I was alone this time.

The range of cold drinks in the fridge is great even a few different sorts of natural fruit juices.
The warmer on this day was a tad empty; BUT it was a Saturday and they were happy to make anything from the menu fresh for you, I found it enough to choose from. They have KILLER sausage rolls that came to the table with an amazing tomato relish and I ordered a salad roll from the chicken I saw in the warmer and was not in the least bit dry, It had to be the Best salad roll I have ever had it had every conceivable salad on the huge fresh poppy seed bun. Needless to say I could not eat both of the things I had ordered but there was No problem to take the sausage roll home.
The breakfast menu on their facebook page's sounds amazing so I will have to go back and try one of these there was also a Salmon dish I saw.
It sounded to be a family run business. I want say so much about this business as I was so happy with them.

There is a lovely warm light room to eat with magazine's and the days' paper if your alone to flip through as I was. Eat alfresco also with the great tables outside in a sort of courtyard.

They take credit cards and also have eftpos facility and parking out front.

I went into the hat shop for fingerless gloves. It is so much more that just a hat shop. They have a great selection of scarves and Gloves Leather, knitted and fabric, also umbrella's.

The service was wonderful, talk about making you feel special just for a pair of gloves. The lady on that day was not the owner but she was just lovely and so chatty, and we all know I do love a chat.

I told her of my up and coming wedding and said I don't look good in hat's, with that; she said, that because you've never had one fitted, and to come in when I need one for the wedding and that they wouldn't let me walk out looking nasty, and I believe that to. I might just do that as they had so many to choose from.

I called in for a quick bite to eat as I had hear her sausage rolls are to die for unfortunately none left!! so I selected from what little there was left in the pie heat. o I felt that was a good sign.

Did I mention it was a LATE lunch?

They might of been run off their feet that day as there wasn't a smile to be had even when I tried to have a joke with the young girl.
I found a receipt under the register, I thought might have been a menu with the phone number on it and joked, oops!! :) not my bill!! must be yours!! :)
Again No smile..... So All I have to report is.

That the pies we had were nice, nothing to rave about, the pastry was a good shortcrust that I liked very much. I found the service not to bad, I would have liked a smile maybe and the price was pretty average, same as pie's all over, but there was a note that sad that their pies have won awards.
Maybe there was a smile that day??

I've been to the Golden Vine Hotel before many year's ago, but it has since changed hand's I found out when we went for sunday lunch on a whim.

The drinks were cold, the food was good at an affordable price that won't break the bank and there is plenty of it and the service was great. We chose from a Lunch menu that started at around the $8ish.

Liz who is very chatty also the chef and described her food as good pub grub, and she didn't want people leaving their to go fill up on a drive through and I would have to agree with her totally, it was great pub grub. We had a 9" pizza to share and the a Crispy chicken wrap that was Lovely. I ordered the pizza as I didn't think a wrap would be much, but we both took 1/2 of our wrap home and didn't eat the chip's that came with it.
Liz came and checked on everything a few time's and got for us anything we needed.

Mostly a night pub Liz told me, There is live music on friday night's. There is a great sheltered beer garden out back and all is very rustic. Join their Facebook page for updates on what's going on there, they recently had a trivia night I would have loved.

Parking to the side of the pub.

I took my Daughter for lunch at The Goldmines Hotel on a Saturday. A Beautiful place steeped in history.

The guy as your walking to the Bar Fatty one of the proprietor's! YAY!! amazing guy, loved him, so friendly and chatty, he created a genuinely warm friendly atmosphere all on his own as soon as you walk into the beautiful old building.

I don't know why he was called fatty! he didn't look fat at all lol.

The food was lovely, plentiful and the menu had something on it for everyone. From salad's, pasta's to steak's at around the $30 ish mark, I've seen a decent cut for more so I find that to be reasonable. Entree's are a reasonable price and are a meal in themselves. My daughter had an entree of chip's with aioli they were SO good, and Crisp, yummo, I didn't know what to eat as she couldn't eat all of them and I had pasta that I took home 1/2 a container I couldn't eat. Everything on the menu looked to be really tasty and it was hard to choose.

There is a beer Garden out the back and then out the back again pathways that lead to secluded little nooks all under the shade of the gum tree's and I'm told there is a lake if you go further. It all looked so beautiful and I loved everything about it.

My Daughter will be getting married soon and hasn't booked a place yet, I wanted her to eat the food at a place before she book's one. I'm hoping for this place, that's my bid anyway!!! a tad personal, but that's me lol.

Parking across the road and off to the side, call in to see Fatty for a beer on the weekend as they have Live music every Saturday night.