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 Australia offers top quality
products of every sort, from clothing to confectionery to
jewelry and home wares. Australian gemstones, particularly the
unique rainbow-colored and black opals, colored diamonds and
pearls are to be found in reputable jewelers throughout
Australia. Their up-and-coming clothing designers are becoming
internationally well-recognized - labels such as Collette
Dinnigan, Scanlan and Theodore, Saba, Marcs, Akira Isogawa and
Brave.  For the classical dressers, Australia has Country Road,
Trent Nathan, Carla Zampatti, Simona or Covers.
There are over 150 Duty Free stores throughout Australia's major
cities and international airports. On any weekend, quality goods
are offered for affordable prices in a range of markets in
Australia's major cities. Many are open-air 
and offer finely
made arts, crafts and clothing. Among the best known are
Sydney's Paddington Market, where more than 250 stalls offer
goods of every sort, including avant-garde clothing by
up-and-coming designers. Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market is a
major produce market most of the week and doubling as clothing,
crafts and bric-a-brac market on Sundays.
Brisbane is home to the Riverside Markets, an upscale arts and
crafts market in the city center. Country markets also are
offering a charm of their own. Areas such as New South Wales'
far north coast have a number of weekend markets.
Australia is the land of some of the world's most talented
craftspeople - from the creative indigenous people and their
communities in the north to the most southerly settlements in
Tasmania. In recent years, interest in Aboriginal arts and
crafts has boomed and craft shops can be found in all capital
cities and many major regional centers. Musical instruments,
utensils, woven baskets and jewelry are just some of the
indigenous crafts to be found.
In Tasmania, designers and woodworkers are producing hand-turned
woodenware that is among the best ever seen. Their delicate
creations range from small bowls to fine pieces of furniture
that are made from exotic local trees. |
