This adorable little gift shop is located towards the Bay Street end of Botany Shops. The lady who…read moreruns it sneaks off to exotic places all over the world and brings back a variety of unique home wares, gifts, trinkets, ornaments, candles, jewelery, frames, sculptures, sea shells, salt lamps, paintings, blankets, antique-looking and vintage-vibed with an "I can't put my finger on it" peregrine flavour, you can get lost in this tiny shop for ages! I often buy really beautiful scented incense from here, and I've bought many gifts for Christmas and birthdays from this place too. From things like sequin birds that you can pin onto your pot plants, to tiny little bird cages, beautifully crafted and designed plates, glassware and gift ware and necklaces, earrings, key rings, and then random things like a brass anchor shaped jacket hanger, a huge silver soccer ball, wooden giraffes, clocks and boxes and almost everything you'd never imagine too. If there's anything they don't have, and you can think of it, they will find it somewhere in the world and order it for you! Another lovely, local, family run business. The lady who owns this shop works there herself, everyday behind the counter, and you can tell she knows almost everyone in the area, because every time someone walks into her shop she speaks to them like she's known them for years. She speaks to me like that too now, as she has a great loyalty card system, where the more you spend, the more gift vouchers you receive that you can redeem next time you come in! As if you needed ANOTHER reason to go back ;)

If I had the money - I would be buying the entire shop - that's what my sister said to me after we…read moreleft from Medusa Charm. We went their last evening after enjoying a beautiful dessert at The chocolate Bar. We have walked past this shop many times but never checked it out. Its a beautiful boutique shop for women's handbags , accessories, Jewellery , footwear. The collection that they have is excellent - everything in the shop was nice quality and real hand picked . There was nothing in the shop that you didn't like . To top it all the service is excellent. The lady is so friendly - even if you dint want anything you would still buy it for her . Its a family owned business run by Mary and her two daughters - Sarah and Lana. The prices are not too bad. And they have extended shopping hours so its easy to shop in the evenings. Its great for window shopping just browsing through different things .

From the owner: Medusa Charm Boutique is a family run business nestled in the heart of beautiful Brighton-Le-Sands…read more Medusa Charm offers an eclectic range of men and women's accessories, gifts and clothing and has become a local favourite, known to offer stunning and unique pieces perfect for a little (or a lot) of retail therapy. Medusa Charm offers extended trading hours to accommodate the bustling nightlife of the local restaurants, allowing for impromptu self-pampering after hours.

This shop has to be one of the funnest I've been to. Ever…read more Popshop's entire purpose is to sell fun things. Things that are fun and funny and make us laugh. Whilst some of them may hint at practical purposes (like spaceship shaped ice trays), mainly they're just there to be fun. And fun they are. There is moustache themed paraphernalia aplenty at Popshop, with fingerstache tattoos, moustache chocolate lollypops, moustache straws and fuzzy stick on 'staches. A few of the other items that stood out on my last trip to Popshop included bobbly-head flamingoes, witty flipbooks, bacon flavoured toothpaste and many other things designed to lift the corners of your mouth, such as an audible fart book. I made the mistake of testing one of the buttons of said book, which was followed by an extremely awkward 10 seconds in which the book blurted out an extended and, might I say, varied fart. I then attempted to put as much distance as possible between me and the farting book (not an easy task in this tiny shop) whilst fellow shoppers avoided my eye contact. As I left the store, the man working in the shop picked up a handful of stock, setting off a chorus of squeaking rubber chickens and decapitated limbs. The man smiled to himself and I smiled too, knowing for certain that he had the best job in the world. Ever.

Popshop: my go-to store for quirky, fun gifts both for myself and others…read more They've got an array of knick knacks from heart shaped individual sized pans to make pretty pancakes and eggs, to moustache everything to dinosaur bubble guns, books that will make your eye pop out of your head from the high level of amusement, cards for every occasion and much more. My inner kid always comes out a bit more after a visit to this shop!

After a kangaroo balls bottle opener? Nope, didn't think so... Maybe a kangaroo paw back scratcher?…read moreOkay, still weird... But if you are after some less-creepy Australian souvenirs and knick-knacks, you should check out Downtown Souvenirs & Gifts. The George Street store is packed full of amusing goods your visitors, homesick ex-pat pals or overseas rellies will get a kick out of. Embarrassing T-shirts, Akubras, fridge magnets, shot glasses, stuffed toys, pencils, postcards and glasses - pretty much anything that can feature an Australian flag, slang word or stereotype will be here. Perfect for any Aussie Day dress-ups...

Tony and Cherie have stuffed this place with so much stuff that you are left to root around on your…read moreown. It's fantastic, a shopaholics delight! From lace tablecloths to picture frames, little nic nacs to cushion covers, you have to spend time looking around, it can't be done if five minutes. They sell a range of good brands: Disney Traditions, Coots, Biddys etc etc. Have a look at their Leaning Tower of Pisa pot and cups or their Eiffel Tower. They have both large and small items, just getting to them is the problem. Lots of fun.

ONE WORD: SKULLS. I…read morefelt like I had stepped into heaven when I entered Holy Kitsch! (Mainly because I'm obsessed with skulls!) Skull heads, skull glasses, skull bags, sugar skulls, skull art, skull figurines...... plus Frida Kahlo everything! This shop is amazing! Okay, yes, it is very expensive, but where else would you find quality Mexican skulls and Day of the Dead gifts??? (Definitely nothing like this in Auckland). Only bought two skull shot glasses, but next time I'm in Sydney, I will definitely spend a bit extra and get a massive skull! Not sure how it's going to fit in my suitcase though :S

Holy Kitsch! Great name, Great Store…read more Brimming with quirky, kitschy, one-off pieces that are bound to delight lovers of fun, funky homewares. I'm a HUGE fan of this store. Their window displays are colourful and fun and all the pieces are just damn cool. Here's a summary of what you can expect to find at Holy Kitsch: "Sugar Skulls and candelabras inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead "Dia de los Muertos", hand painted mirrors evoking the life of Frida Kahlo, Sailor Jerry bamboo curtains, really cool antique and vintage wares, ephemera, curios and a whole lot more." Beneath the fun Holy Kitsch is a serious store with a conscience and a mission. All of the products are Fair Trade and ethically sourced, where possible, as part of the owners mission to present an alternative to mass production. Given all things Latin American and Mexican are completely in fashion I imagine this store is going gangbusters. See for yourself.

Wonderful little store .. gentleman who owns it was very nice -enjoyed a conversation with him…read more Found some great souvenirs to take back home. They have a nice variety of things there and the prices were better there than other places that carried similar items

My overseas visitors wanted to buy souvenirs for their 11 grandchildren and their neighbours who…read morewere minding their property in their absence and they wanted something Australian made. We popped into "Bits of Australia" at Balmain and we were very warmly greeted by the store owner. We were all gob-smacked at the high quality of all the items for sale. The variety of items available for purchase was impressive and at very reasonable costs. There was something for every age group. I would highly recommend a visit to this beautiful store.

I have visited Sydney multiple times over the last 16 years, but this was my first visit to Bits of…read moreAustralia. It will not be my last! In a search for gifts to take home, I didn't want to hit the tacky tourist shops. This shop works directly with the artists and I appreciate the artists are compensated fairly. There is a marvelous selection of gifts, aboriginal art, scarves, household items.

If you're visiting Chatswood Chase, you simply must swing by Aero Plus. It's a beautifully curated…read morestore, filled to the brim with fun designer inventions. It's as if The New Inventors set up shop. Aero Plus is a brilliant place to peruse for gift ideas. You can buy funky enviro bags, cute watches and even cuter kids ware. The lady who runs the store is both delightful and helpful - just like her products.