Now bear in mind this was a romantic getaway so we hadn’t planned to do a lot of shopping in Melbourne. I had just two things on my list – a handbag and little presents for the kids. James wanted a pair of shoes.
James is not a fan of shopping so we decided to split up and spend an hour power shopping. Another great thing about Melbourne is that everything is so central so while an hour may be a challenge in other places – if you put your mind to it an hour is entirely achievable in Melbourne.
My solution for a handbag appeared in the form of David Jones final clearance and the Kate Spade handbag I had been dreaming of reduced to a third of it’s price! After a win like that I wouldn’t have minded if that was the only thing I bought.
After that we headed of to the markets. The Queen Victoria Markets have been operating for over a century and are the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere.
From the moment you walk in the markets are different to anything I had experienced before. It’s like it takes bits of markets that I have known and amplifies them! Fresh produce and meat give way to the smell of freshly roasted coffee and then to leather as you wander around stalls with vendors making belts and bags behind their stalls.
It was here that we found the perfect gifts for the kids! Our favourite had to be the one that we got for our youngest daughter for just $5. She is absolutely mad about sharks so we found her a Mako Sharks tooth necklace and she is just about the happiest kid ever!
It’s also a spectacular visual contrast looking back from the rustic, sprawling market to the monolithic, towering glass city behind.
For more shopping spots make sure you check out our post on a girls weekend in Melbourne.