I've always liked Health Food stores, particularly their peculiar smell, however I can't deny usually being quite intimidated by them. I have little or no idea of the nature and use of most of the products, and usually have never heard of them. It's for that reason that my experience with Health Food stores has generally been restricted to buying vitamins after having conducted internet research on them.

Having bought vitamins at Cannon Hill Natural Health in the past, I recently sought advice from the sales assistant on Rescue Remedy. I have a friend who swears by its therapeutic benefits in respect of stress and anxiety reduction. I couldn't have been happier with the advice that I was given in store. The sales assistant was friendly and highly knowledgeable, and explained the product in layperson's terms. I highly recommend Cannon Hill Natural Health.

Not to be confused with the nearby Carina Fresh, which has no relationship with this business, Cannon Hill Fresh is small fruit and veggie shop next door to Coles Supermarket. Economics 101 tells us that the best place to establish a similar business is next door to your competitor. In this regard Cannon Hill Fresh are in an excellent location. As soon as you enter Coles next door you come upon their fruit and veg section.

Although their variety is not huge, the produce at Cannon Hill Fresh is always fresh and enticing. Prices are extremely competitive and almost invariably cheaper than Coles. When I lived a stone's throw away from this store it was one of my youngest son's favourite shops. I could rarely pass it without picking up a mango or two. Whenever I return to Cannon Hill, which is at least fortnightly, I always call into Cannon Hill Fresh to check out their bargains.

Located in the Capalaba Central Shopping Centre, Mango Micks is an excellently priced fruit and vegetable shop with a good variety of fresh goods. Yesterday 1kg of tomatoes were selling for $1.99, 1kg of carrots for $1.49, 2kg of potatoes for $3.99, Cavendish bananas for $1.99 per kg, peaches and nectarines for $6.99 per kg, and pink lady, granny smith and royal gala apples all selling for $2.99 per kg. Naval oragnes were similarly priced. Lovely looking mangoes were selling for 99c each, and mangoes were 2 for $3.00. Watermellon was also sold already sliced, which is pretty handy for someone like myself who tends to easily have accidents with knives :)

I was particularly impressed by Mango Micks' extensive range of JC Quality Foods. JC's sell nuts, dried fruit, seeds, health mixes and the like. It's worth while checking out JC's website just to get an idea of the range of products they sell. Once you see the quality of their products you're sure to head off to Mango Micks to pick some up for yourself. JC Quality Foods website can be found at http://www.jcsqualityfoods.com.au/

Approximate cost: $From 30c

Costcutters is a discount variety store in Capalaba Central Shopping Centre. With a reasonably large store area, and generous use of space in the mall outside, Costcutters has an extensive range of discounted items, the majority of which cost around $2.00 each.

In the lead up to Christmas they have a large range of Christmas decorations, lights and novelties. Some of these items I have not previously seen such as decorated tin Christmas buckets and lunch tins. Costcutters has an extensive hardware range, pet supplies such as leads, bowls and beds, cards, candles, incense and a large range of art supplies such as canvases and paints. They have a nice range of traditional large umbrellas.

Approximate cost: $From 90c

I've been driving past this shop for years and have always been intrigued because of its very self evident name. Yes, surprise, surprise, the exterior of the shop, well at least the hoardings, are painted red. Being on the corner of a busy intersection, with no on street parking, meant that I had never ventured into it until yesterday. It was then that I discovered that The Red Shop has parking behind the store off Vienna Road.

The Red Shop is a fairly standard convenience store with a reasonable selection of grocery lines and a goodly supply of dog and cat food. They have a small selection of hardware, sell Golden Casket scratchies, and have an ATM inside the store. I was particularly drawn to the large refrigerated cabinet of chocolates. There's nothing worse than buying chocolate from the supermarket and having to wait until it's got cold in the fridge to eat it :) For that hot summer day, or for the nagging kids, they have an extensive selection of ice ice creams and a whole wall of fridges full of drinks. Also available is fast food, although I did not sample any of it.

I was stoked to stumble upon this hidden gem located in a small shopping complex on Vienna Road. Without exaggeration, Alexandra Hills Bakery has the cheapest pies and cakes of any bakery that I've encountered since my days living in Central West NSW. In Main Street Lithgow there was a really old fashioned cake shop that sold sausage rolls for 50c each. A quick Google search has revealed that it still appears to be there. As to whether they've still got 50c sausage rolls remains to be seen.

Alexandra Hills Bakery sells a large selection of pies starting with a plain pie for $3.20 and all other varieties costing $3.50. These include curried meat; mushroom & meat; meat, onion & tomato; meat pie & peas; bacon & cheese pie; chicken pie; and steak & kidney pies. Sausage rolls, although reasonably small, come at the bargain price of $1.80 and are most appetising.

Alex Hills Bakery also sells rolls and sandwiches together with a fair selection of cakes and slices, all at very good prices. Carrot cakes, vanilla slices and custard tarts all cost $2.50. For the kids you can pick up cup cakes for $1.20 and finger buns for the same price. They also sell various danishes and full sized family cakes at very reasonable prices. Bagged cookies and cold drinks, including milk, are also available. They even have a couple of Scanlon's toy and bubble gum machines out the front which are sure to result in the kids harassing you :).

If you're hungry and only have a few shekels in your pocket then Alex Hills Bakery is the place to go. It opens from 6.00 a.m. each day.

Approximate cost: $From $1.20.

Located in a small shopping complex, the principal lessee of which is Qld Transport, Furniture Discounters is a pleasant surprise to stumble upon. This large store sells both new and second hand furniture, the quality of the used goods making it very difficult to tell them apart from the new.

Outside of the store you will usually find some heavily discounted items such as a nest of 3 polished pine tables for $99.00. Inside the variety of furniture is phenomenal. From bed frames and mattresses to kitchen hutches and entertainment units, you'll find almost anything here. They have an extensive selection of lounge suites and chairs, together with office furniture including desks, bookcases and filing cabinets. The staff are friendly and always ready to provide assistance.

Conveniently located opposite the jetty, Coochiemudlo Island Kiosk is this beautiful island's General Store. Together with a limited range of grocery items, this light and airy shop sells a small selection of clothing, including women's summer dresses, and fishing tackle. Enticing traditional Peter's Ice Cream in cones is sold, together with a good variety of pre-packaged ice creams. Children are catered for with a good selection of lollies. The store even sells autographed copies of a local author's book about talking to your dog!

Take away food is available and can be eaten in the large shaded alfresco area outside of the store. The bench tables are brightly decorated with paintings of nautical themes, complete with children's cartoon characters. By ordinary standards the food is rather expensively priced. A small serving of hot chips costs $5.00, whilst a large one retails at $10.00. Burgers start from $6.75 and fish with chips from $10.50. All pizzas cost $15.00 each. The store has a large selection of ice cold soft drinks, but again these are rather expensive, with a can of Coke costing $2.80. For $4.80 you can buy a coffee in one of a number of varieties including cappucino, latte, flat white, long black, and mocha. Also available is hot chocolate and tea.

Unfortunately the Coochie Island Kiosk isn't particularly accessible for the disabled and those in wheelchairs. There are 4 wooden steps up to the shop entrance.

Approximate cost: $5.00

Amity Trader is the operator of the vehicular barge from Victoria Point to beautiful Coochiemudlo Island. As Coochie Island doesn't have a bridge to the mainland this is the only way that residents and tourists can take their car to and from the island. Operating on a continuous circuit from Victoria Point to the island and return, the barge is only a small vessel and does not carry many vehicles at a time. Bookings are therefore essential.

Akin to the other vehicular barges to nearby North Stradbroke Island and the four Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI), the fares on the Coochie barge are very high. Return for a car costs $50.00 and for a motorcycle $25.00. Prices increase the larger the vehicle is. Walk on passengers are also catered for at a cost of $2.50 each way. If you are a child or concession card holder then it is cheaper, and faster, to travel on the Coochiemudlo Island Ferry Service, although if you are an adult it is marginally cheaper to travel on the barge. I also suspect that the barge would be utilized by persons with disabilities as the passenger ferry is unable to cater for persons in wheelchairs because of the absence of (Council funded) disabled friendly infrastructure at the jetties.

Approximate cost: $50.00 return

Fancy a day trip to delightful Coochiemudlo Island, then the best way of getting there is on the quaint Coochiemudlo Island Ferry Service. Departing from the Victoria Point Jetty, the trip to Coochie Island is less than a kilometre and takes a mere 10 minutes. Ferries operate on a continuous loop to and from the island and depart from the mainland on the hour and half hour. The ferry service is not part of Translink and the fares are $6.80 return for an adult and $3.40 return for children and concession card holders. Pets are permitted on the ferry provided they are restrained, and in the case of dogs, muzzled as well.

The seating on the ferry is very basic, consisting only of bench seats. Passengers can also sit outside at the rear of the ferry. The staff are friendly and obliging and tickets are purchased on the boat.

My major concern about the ferry is not an issue with the ferry operator but rather the lack of infrastructure provided by the Local Council and State Government. Whilst a great deal of money has recently been spent on the car parking area at Victoria Point and the very long jetty, the area where one embarks and disembarks from the ferry, at both the mainland and the island, is both potentially dangerous and unsuitable for the disabled or elderly. There are no railings at Victoria Point as you descend several steps to board the ferry. At Coochie Island, there are again no railings and passengers must navigate up 10 steep steps to the jetty. Whilst I witnessed the deckhand being very helpful in assisting elderly passengers to carry their luggage up the stairs, the journey would be clearly impossible for a person reliant on a wheelchair. Any people in those circumstances would need to use the the vehicular barge which is operated by Amity Trader.

Approximate cost: $From $3.40