Art & Craft shopping in Pacific
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Craft Market
This fascinating area of ancient buildings and narrow streets is now home to bookshops, antique stores, galleries, herbalists and more. The Woolstore has a café, tat and souvenirs, and the Auto Museum for car buffs (the racing cars from the '30s through '80s are particularly cool). Upstairs, there's a craft market and giant novelty chess set. Around the corner at the Photo Shoppe , you can get an olde-style photo of yeeself in period dress-ups for $30.
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Shweshwe
Named for the ubiquitous waxed cloth of Africa, this enticing shop evokes the rhythm and pace of its owner’s birthplace. Look for contemporary fashion from Cape Town, as well as exclusive ranges from Brazilian and Swedish designers. Homewares are handcrafted and ethically sourced and include luxurious wool blankets, eye-catching toys, felt cushions that resemble smooth pebbles and Madagascan recycled-plastic screens.
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Ak Traditions
ak’s stock of exquisitely soulful dolls, toys and quilts are made in Kyrgyz using handmade wool felt and yarn-dyed cotton. It also stocks a range of luxurious organic knits for babies, and for the crafty there’s inspiring DIY kits and materials. Dinara, its signature doll, can be dressed off the peg, or you can buy knitting patterns to make her clothes yourself.
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Buttonmania
OK, a cache of buttons isn’t on every traveller’s must-have list. Still, Cathy Boulton’s fastener-filled drawers are famous among Melbourne’s creative types. She stocks rare and antique buttons that you won’t find elsewhere; they are a delight to behold. This small shop is not easy to find, but that’s part of the appeal.
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Eva Breuer Art Dealer
This is a well-regarded, friendly gallery stocking a bright selection of modern Australian art. Look for museum-quality works by Grace Cossington Smith, Sidney Nolan, James Coburn, Arthur Boyd and every other big name in the genre. There are works on canvas and paper, plus a selection of artworks for under A$5000.00.
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Tim Olsen Gallery
Tim Olsen runs one of Sydney's most important galleries. The airy space holds works by Tim's father, John Olsen (winner of the 2005 Archibald prize), and some dazzlingly beautiful landscapes by Ian Grant and Philip Hunter; also present are abstract paintings by Melinda Harper and Matthew Johnson.
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toi o tahuna
Exclusively NZ art, with around half the work from contemporary Maori artists. Around toi o tahuna, you can also explore other galleries in chic Church Lane. Ask for the Fine Arts Galleries Walking Trail map at the i-SITE.
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Handicraft Market
You may pick up something more authentic at the handicraft market but check out the prices in the shops beforehand to ensure you really are getting a bargain. Be aware that wooden items are unlikely to have been treated and may need to be quarantined once you get home.
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Dive Milne Bay
Trobriand Islanders come to Alotau to sell their carvings and they'll find you around town. Dive Milne Bay has the town's best collection of Trobriand lime pots, walking sticks and bowls; all reasonably priced. There are small handicraft shops at the top hotels.
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Jack's Handicrafts
Unashamedly aimed at the tourist wallet, this outlet of Jack's is colossal in size and contents. Crafts, clothing, jewellery and house items are sold at reasonable prices but it's all fairly mass-produced and you're unlikely to find anything truly unique here.
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Cargo Shed
Landlubbers in town on the weekend might want to consider calling into the Cargo Shed , the town's creative art market with lots of local art and craft for sale including a good selection of Maori-made and -inspired wares.
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Tribal Galleries
There are Indigenous artefacts aplenty here, including didgeridoos that the staff claim have been hollowed the proper way – by termites. Works come with a certificate of authenticity and the money goes straight back to the artist.
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Meet Me at Mike’s
Mixed assortments of ‘70s greeting cards are sold alongside quilts and children’s clothes lovingly crafted from ’50s fabric. There’s also a range of kits and beautiful materials that will go down well with the Etsy generation.
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Government Crafts Centre
Although its goods are generally more expensive than elsewhere, this craft shop sells high-quality work by local artisans so it's a better place to head for a unique piece. Moreover, it assists rural artisans in the process.
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Ralf Stüttgen
Ralf Stüttgen has a vast array of Sepik carvings collected over a lifetime with pieces from 50 different villages. His artefacts are for sale, or he can tell you where to buy particular pieces on the river.
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St Luke Artist Colourmen
An inspiring artist’s supply shop for both professionals and Sunday painters, St Luke stocks journals, kits and all manner of materials. Some of its beautifully packaged materials are objects in themselves.
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Old Broome Lockup Gallery
In the building that was a jail for Aborigines up until the 1950s, this gallery sells art by local Indigenous painters, along with photography, carvings, didgeridoos and music created by resident artists.
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Territory Craft
This is a retail gallery for Territorian artists working with glass, enamel, fibre and various other materials. Visit the studio out the back to see how the wares are made, and to talk to the artisans.
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PNG Arts
The long-running PNG Arts warehouse has a huge collection of wares from all over the country. The prices are reasonable, credit cards are accepted and freight and documentation can be organised.
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Pohutukawa Design
You'll find funky jewellery, well-crafted wooden products and fashion in this fabulous store that showcases the work of local designers. You can also do your laundry and check your email here.
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Bowerbird Tip Shop
Op-shoppers and foragers will love the Tip Shop, which proves that one person's trash is another's treasure. Sculptures fashioned from found objects are interspersed with salvaged stuff.
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CAAMA Shop
The CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) Shop stocks Aboriginal books, CDs and cassettes, painted ceramics, and various products with local Aboriginal designs.
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Short St Gallery
In a 100 year-old house (one of Broome's oldest: note the wind tunnel!), Short St Gallery was Broome's first gallery and specialises in contemporary indigenous Kimberley art.
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Nad's Handicrafts
Competing fiercely with Jack's, Nad's has the same stock for the same prices and lures shoppers with a 'Fijian warrior' at the gates promising the best deals in Nadi.
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Arilla Paper
Arilla Paper is an indigenous women’s cooperative that sells beautiful handcrafted paper made from native plants and grasses. It’s great for gifts!
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