When you live on an island with no bridge access to the mainland, a petrol station is one of the must haves. Russell Island Service Station fills this very important need. Together with petrol and diesel fuel, the service station also refills gas cylinders and has bloke who repairs tyre punctures. Given that most roads on the island are unsealed, this again is pretty essential.

Inside the shop you'll find the usual car essentials such as oil, brake fluid and the like. They also stock an extensive supply of hardware, together with some essential foodstuffs like dog and cat food. They have a freezer full of ice-creams, a fridge full of ice-cold soft drinks, and loads of lollies which are always popular with my children.

On the downside, there is only one unleaded fuel pump operational so at times you need to wait a few minutes to refuel. Petrol prices are also higher than the mainland, which is understandable given that the fuel comes over on the prohibitively expensive vehicular barge. Luckily the island is only around 8 km long and 3 km wide, so there isn't much driving that needs doing! The service station also closes at around 5.00 p.m. on weekdays and midday on weekends, so residents and visitors need to plan their fuel needs ahead of time.

Cash N Save Furniture is a rare gem on Macleay Island. Set in a very large and airy store, this shop has the most superb range of new and second hand furniture, white goods and appliances. The layout and interior decoration of the store is spectacular, thanks to the obvious designer decorator skills of the proprietor, Amy Oner.

Amy has everything in stock from fridges, freezers and microwaves, to designer kitchen appliances. There is an extensive collection of furniture ranging from dining room tables, kitchen buffets, and lounges to beds, wardrobes and bedside cabinets. The quality of the second hand furniture is so good that it is difficult to ascertain what is new and what's second hand! Also available in store are numerous gift ideas and second hand CDs and DVDs.

Delivery can be arranged to both Macleay and all the other SMB islands. I purchased a beautiful set of new pine bedside drawers and had them delivered to Russell Island at an extremely good price. Moreover, when comparing prices on the mainland it soon became apparent that Amy's prices were more than competitive. I couldn't have bought cheaper on the mainland, let alone have it to transported to Russell Island at anywhere near the same price.

Shop local and support this wonderful business!

Approximate cost: $100.00

The residents of Russell Island are exceptionally lucky to have the professional services of Tracy and Helen of Bay Snippers Hair and Beauty. Conveniently located in the Russell Island Shopping Centre, between the Pharmacy and the Butchers, Bay Snippers cater for the hairdressing needs of women, children and men. Primary school aged boys' haircuts are a bargain price of $15.00 each, whilst women's haircuts are from as low as $23.00 if you are the holder of a Pensioner Concession Card.

The salon is bright and airy and the staff cheery. In addition to hair cutting Bay Snippers also provide for other beauty needs and have a small gift range. Why would you want to go to the mainland to have your hair done when you can get a great cut so close to home?

Approximate cost: $15.00

I was blessed to discover BOX EM UP when undertaking a major move from the Brisbane suburbs to Russell Island last year. The proprietor, Roxann Coffey, is an absolute professional and provided wonderful advice in respect of my needs. Once the number and size of packing boxes had been ascertained, Roxann even delivered them direct to my door, together with other packing essentials such as a tape dispenser and tape. You can't ask for better service than that!

BOX EM UP provides all of your packing essentials such as tea chest, book, wine and standard packing boxes. They also supply those easily forgotten items like bubble wrap, knives, butcher's paper and fragile labels. Moreover, once you've completed your move they'll even buy back your boxes from you. Given my propensity to move I didn't take up this offer as I'm sure I'll need them again soon :)

What a pearler of a little business this one is. Normally demolition yards are a sanctuary for blokes, however this lass adores the place! Originally enticed there looking for replacement window opening things for Queenslander windows (see, I don't even know what they're called), I quickly took to the place and have bought from them on a number of occasions. One trip called for four replacement louvre windows broken at a rental property by my kids. For a mere $5.00 each second hand pieces of glass were found and cut to the exact size required. Absolutely brilliant!

Together with hundreds of doors, windows, washing basins, toilets, timber and any number of fiddly odds and ends, the yard also stocks a number of second hand trinkets and memorabilia. For $5.00 I purchased an old Murray's Erinmore Flake tobacco tin to remember my late father by. It had long lost it's tobacco fragrance, although I must get around to putting some tobacco back into one day to add to the ambience :)

Approximate cost: $20.00

I lived in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland for a number of years and one of the things I miss most about it is Maleny Dairies. I was fortunate enough to be able to take my children there on several occasions for guided tours and they enjoyed themselves thoroughly. There's nothing better than seeing the delight in their eyes as they gaze at the young calves and cows. For the very reasonable entrance fee you also receive free samples of their truly delicious flavoured milk, which is always a favourite with the children.

With the monopolization of milk distribution and supermarket prices wars it's wonderful that there's still an independent dairy producing high quality natural products. If you have children, take them to the dairy for a visit. If you can find Maleny Dairy products on your supermarket shelves, by some and support an important local business.

Approximate cost: $10.00

Stradbroke Ferries are the operators of not only the vehicular barges and passenger ferries to North Stradbroke Island, but also the vehicular barges to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI), Russell, Lamb, Macleay and Karragarra. The company has recently been acquired by Bay Island Transit Systems (BITS), the operators of the SMBI passenger ferries.

Three vehicular barges operate on a continuous daily run between Banana Street, Redland Bay and the SMBI. All barges travel in a clockwise direction from Redland Bay to Karragarra, Macleay, Lamb and finally Russell Island. They return in the anti-clockwise direction via Macleay Island. Whilst this is good for the few residents of Karragarra Island, who are always first off and last on the barge, it's less advantageous for residents of Russell Island who must always travel via all the SMBI.

The vehicular barge is slow compared to the passenger ferry, taking around an hour to Russell Island, compared to 20-30 minutes by passenger ferry. The journey, however, is quite a delight, allowing passengers to alight from their car and stand on deck viewing the wonders of Moreton Bay. Without a doubt the best vehicular barge to travel on is the Moreton Escape. It has a very spacious enclosed passenger lounge around three levels up and provides breathtaking views and perfect photographic opportunities.

Vehicular costs are very high, however, with the price for taking a car from the mainland to a SMBI in excess of $50.00 each way for island residents. For walk on passengers without a car, however, the vehicular barge is the cheapest way to travel to the SMBI and is considerably less than the cost of the passenger ferry.

Approximate cost: $50.00

Bay Islands Transit services the four Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI), Russell, Lamb, Macleay and Karragarra. The SMBI don't have bridges to the mainland, with the only access being by ferry, privately operated by BITS, or vehicular barge, privately operated by Stradbroke Ferries, which was recently acquired by BITS.

Ferries to the SMBI depart from Banana Street, Redland Bay, usually on a half hourly basis during weekdays, and on an hourly basis from around 7.00 p.m. in the evening. Weekend timetables are a little less frequent, but nonetheless entirely adequate.

The ferries travel in a circular loop, some anti-clockwise from Redland Bay direct to Russell Island, and thence Lamb, Macleay and Karragarra before returning to Redland Bay. Other ferries operate in a roughly clockwise direction from Redland Bay direct to Karragarra Island, and thence Macleay, Lamb, and Russell before returning to Redland Bay.

BITS operates a modern fleet of three large eco friendly jet cruisers, together with several smaller ferries which are used primarily as back-up. The large ferries are air-conditioned and well appointed, and all have an outdoor seating area at the rear of the vessel. From the ferry one can often see the delights of dancing dolphins, with the Ferry Master always slowing down to provide for the safety of the dolphins and the viewing pleasure of passengers. With a travel time of approximately 20 minutes to Russell and Macleay Islands, a journey on BITS is a rare pleasure and opportunity to wind down from the stresses of society.

Unfortunately the State Government has in its greater wisdom not included BITS within the Translink system. Therefore you cannot use go cards on the ferries and as a consequence the fares are higher than one would anticipate. A return adult journey from the mainland to the islands costs $16.80, whilst a concession costs $8.80. Discounts can be obtained by pre-purchasing 10 or 40 trip tickets. Inter-island travel, for example, between Russell and Macleay Islands, is very reasonably priced. A single ticket for adults is $3.00 and for concession card holders $1.50. Again, discounts can be obtained by purchasing 10 ticket trips, at $10.00 for concessions and $20.00 for adults.

Approximate cost: $16.80

Located right next door to the brilliant Patton's Big Gun Butchery is this gem of a fruit and veg shop. Prices are very reasonable compared to nearby supermarkets and quite often much cheaper. There are always specials outside of the store, such as apples for as low as 99c per kg or potatoes for 50c per kg. Inside the store are loose and pre-packaged fruit and vegetables, together with a selection of cheeses and other deli items. A great bargain are their Sebago potatoes which are almost always for sale at $4.99 for a 5 kg bag. Items such as capsicum are often packaged in lots of 2 or 3 for $2.00 each. Similar bargains can often be found for mushrooms. They also sell the cheapest cans of cold drink in Victoria Point - $1.49 for an ice cold can of Coke! If you shop for your meat at Patton's and your veggies here you'll reduce your weekly shopping bill and keep your money local, rather than with the large supermarket chains!

Approximate cost: $20.00

Wholly Cow Butchers, Cannon Hill is a superb local butcher and one of a dying breed of non-supermarket independent butcheries. Meat prices are very reasonable and there are always great deals such as 3 small uncooked chickens for $10.00. The variety of meat far exceeds that in supermarkets and of course has the added advantage of you being able to choose your own cuts.

What really sets Wholly Cow apart from others is their weekly Sunday afternoon meat auction. At 3.00 p.m. locals crowd around the counter with $20.00 in hand, ready to be one of the first to "slap it down" onto a large plastic meat tray. The butcher then fills the tray with selections of all the meat which would otherwise have been packed away, or disposed of, at the end of the week. You'll undoubtedly receive mince, sausages, steak (sometimes rump), lamb chops, chicken pieces, schnitzel, and marinated steak in the mix. From my experience the quantity of meat bought for this $20.00 bargain is always enough for at least 7 evening meals for my family of three. If you're not fussy about your meat choices, and are prepared to work with what you receive, there is no reason why you would need to buy any other meat at all during the week. Although it is called a meat auction, there is almost invariably enough meat for everyone, even if it means having to wait around for 10 or 15 minutes. The Sunday Meat Auctions provide a phenomenal service to the community, particularly to those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. I once had a fellow customer remark to me that the owner should be made a saint!

I now live at Russell Island and therefore, unfortunately, am not frequently at Cannon Hill on a Sunday for the auctions. During weekday visits, however, I always make sure I pop by Wholly Cow and pick up a bargain. This local business, which also home delivers, really deserves to be supported.

Approximate cost: $20.00