Shopping in Australia

Take back mementoes of your sojourn in the Land of Oz, but make sure they’re actually made in Australia. Avoid the kitsch range of plastic boomerangs, ashtrays and animals that are usually mass- produced on the Asian continent. Instead hunt for good Aboriginal Art and Artifacts, stone and woodcarvings, bark paintings, shields and boomerangs, indigenous musical instruments, grass mats and bags, ceramics and screen printed T-shirts produced by Aboriginal cooperatives and sold at craft outlets.

The perfect keepsake from Australia would be an opal, the national gemstone found only in Australia. Ensure you pay the right price for the real stone by buying from standard and reputed outlets. If an opal doesn’t fit into your budget, try pearl-shell pendants, an old Aboriginal craft. Seeds of native flowers and plants, honey, macadamia nuts and fine Australian wines also make good buys.