The trip from Albury to Canberra is about 4 hours and with a 2.9 year old in the back we knew we would need entertainment plus a decent stop to keep things civil for the entire trip. Armed with an iPad full of movies and games, books, coloring pencils and paper, lots of healthy snacks and her favorite pink hippo we were all set.
Our stop over was at beautiful Gundagai. We're not big on the traditional truck stops in our house and so we ventured off the freeway and found the most wonderful nostalgic little cafe, Niagara, that opened in 1902 and is still going strong today. All the decor is original and you feel as though you've been transported back in time upon entering this establishment. The menu features your good old fashioned hamburgers, fish and chips, steak sandwiches and the like. We loved it!
I'm sure we had kitchen benches that color in the 1970's.
I had been looking forward to this trip for a while. My sisters and I don't get to see each other enough and the cousins just love getting together. Mostly I was just looking forward to an opportunity to leave the kids with the hubby's and do a little shopping with the girls.
Have you ever been to Shop Handmade in Canberra? If you haven't I can highly recommend it. I love markets but it's not always convenient to go to them and sometimes I just really want something original and unique and can't wait for the next market to come up. At Shop Handmade you can find something gorgeous, something unique, something inspiring in every nook and on every shelf!
I currently have an obsession with Yellow. I'm loving my new wallet. So much easier to find in a black handbag too!
How to put a potted plant in a boys bedroom.....Dinosaur cactus's!
Stunning!
Hello Scoops Design! So many beautiful things.
The Canberra Center was the next stop. It has everything, and I mean everything! I drooled over technology in the Apple store, lusted after clothes in Zara, tried yummy lotions in L'Occitane and then I found these.....
Hello new boots!
We stopped in Lonsdale Street, Braddon for lunch and on a Sunday that place is packed! Organic bakery's, all-day breakfasts and boutique beers are just some of the things you'll enjoy in Canberra's newest hip shopping district. We ate lunch at Debacle, a very cool bar and restaurant and they have a great tapas menu. I can highly recommend their calamari and selection of NZ wines!
On our way back to the car we stumbled across Hipsley Lane, a vintage clothing outlet owned by Lifeline. Well worth a visit, these guys have outdone themselves in merchandising and styling. My younger sister scored herself some very cool skinny black Zara jeans for next to nothing and my older sister found a gorgeous shirt for a pittance. I found Mrs Woog a possible birthday outfit! Not sure it's really what she had in mind but I couldn't resist taking a snap and instagramming it to her.
V-neck, pink and blue floral, flowing arms....who could resist!
Then it was back to pick up the hubby, miss 2.9 and off we set for the drive home. Thank God for the invention of the iPad is all I can say!
Not sure what was so funny....
Next time your in Canberra, have a look around. It's not just Parliament House and the war memorial. There are a plethora of unique shops, trendy eateries and upmarket bars to choose from.
Have you found a trendy shopping district that people would love to know about lately? When was the last time you visited our nations capital?
How wonderful is Gundagai? Thanks for the tips x
ReplyDeleteI thought of you when I was there. You would have loved the Niagara cafe. It was like stepping back into the 1950's. Have fun this weekend :-)
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