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Canberra Today 15°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Time’s running out to find those perfect gifts

With a little more than three weeks until Christmas, there’s no avoiding it, it’s time to get some serious shopping done. This is a sponsored post.

WITH a little more than three weeks until Christmas, there’s no avoiding it, it’s time to get some serious shopping done. 

Whether it is fast and thrilling, soft and cuddly, or something that will grow and last for years to come, “CityNews” speaks with businesses who have unique gift ideas, or fun experiences for the whole family this Christmas.

E-scooters are all the ‘craze’, says David

FROM the busy commuter, to the weekend “speed junkie”, electric scooters, or e-scooters, are all the “craze” at the moment, making them an ideal Christmas present for everyone, says Cookies Cycles owner David Cook. 

E-scooters have plenty of benefits, too, according to David, who says: “They save on parking and it makes commuting more fun. Or, you can use them for fun and recreation [rather than commuting]. I even have one that does 60km/h.”

Located in Franklin, David says Cookies Cycles stocks the best leading brands in e-scooters, such as Zero, Mearth and Emove.

Cookies Cycles also stocks everything from balance bikes and three-wheel scooters for the little ones, to larger scooters, skateboards, mountain bikes, electric bikes, road bikes, BMX bikes for the racer, as well as street and park riders. 

And when it comes to shopping at Cookies Cycles, customers can do it with confidence, says David, who, backed with about 35 years’ industry experience, not only stocks leading products at his store, which he opened in 2015 to cater for the family cyclist, but has the knowledge about the items, too. 

Cookies Cycles also has a fully equipped workshop, which David says offers services and repairs.

“We back up and service all products that we sell with our large range of parts and accessories for all products we sell,” he says. 

Cookies Cycles, 227 Flemington Road, Franklin. Call 6242 0338, email shop@cookiescycles.com.au or visit cookiescycles.com.au 

Get celebrating with Mike’s magical decorations

PEOPLE are already getting excited about Christmas and are buying their decorations earlier than usual, says co-owner of the family-owned Christmas Emporium at Hang Ups, Mike Welch. 

“There’s a different dynamic this year – after the year we’ve had, people want a break from everything and to celebrate Christmas,” he says.

“We’re all about bringing the enjoyment of the festive season to our customers.”

Mike says the Christmas Emporium has a vast range in stock, including lights, which he says people are buying up in multiples. 

The shop also stocks Twinkly, which are LED light strings controllable via smartphones, that can create unique, magical light patterns.

As a gift idea, Mike says they’ve brought in a range of recycled plastic beach towels by SomerSide. 

“They tick every box environmentally and make a wonderful, unique gift,” he says.  

“We’ve also got our own range of candles which are made by Canberra-based company Luxewiks.”

Click and collect is available, too, but Mike says the website may not be up-to-date, so it’s worth coming in or calling to see if a particular item is in stock. 

Christmas Emporium at Hang Ups, 72 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 0312 or email info@hangups.com.au

Treats to spoil the family pets

THERE’S no forgetting man’s best friend this Christmas, says Charlie and Chums owner Sandy Borgo, whose range of products cater to pets and people alike.

Based in Tuggeranong, Sandy says Charlie and Chums allow family pets to join in on the festive cheer, with its pet-friendly gifts that range from advent calendars for dogs, to dog and cat stockings that can be stuffed with goodies such as reindeer “poop” snacks and festive squeaky toys.

“Our pets are part of our family. We spoil them just as much as we spoil our children,” she says.

Operating since 2013, Sandy says she’s grown the business out of a love for the dogs and animals that bring so much joy and companionship into people’s lives.

Charlie and Chums sells a wide range of gifts for people, too, such as jewellery, cards, tableware, metal and ceramic figurines, as well as collars and leads for pets.

Sandy says she has a number of outdoor sculptures and figurines to dress up the garden, such as flamingoes, turtles, frogs and birds.

Charlie and Chums, shop 1, 103 South.Point Tuggeranong. Call 0402 097580, email charlieandchums@bigpond.com or visit charlieandchums.com.au

Fun and interactive for all ages

PARROTS, finches, doves and quail are among the birds ready to interact at the Canberra Walk-in Aviary this Christmas period, says owner and manager Mick Logan.

“The aviary is great fun for all ages, with the chance to get up-close-and-personal with a range of friendly, free-flying birds,” says Mick.

“While not all birds will interact with you, visitors get the chance to observe, up close, species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild.

“We provide a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds.”

The aviary is a 1000sqm planted walk-in enclosure that has more than 500 birds from about 65 different species from Australia and the world, Mick says. 

“Providing the weather is fine you can have a great time feeding the birds, taking photos or just observing our feathered friends,” Mick says.

Gold Creek Village has three other attractions, as well as cafes, gift shops and a garden centre, so it’s a great place for a day out after visiting the aviary, Mick says. 

Numbers are still limited for social distancing reasons, but the aviary is still open as usual and over the summer will be open every day including public holidays, except Christmas, from 10am-5pm, with the last admission at 4.30pm. 

Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

Quality teddy bears that last a lifetime

FOR the young or young at heart, the teddy bears at The Teddy Bear Shop in Majura will make the perfect, quality gift for either, says owner Meg Cutler. 

“We’ve got something for everyone. Age is just a number really. We’ve got something for kids of all ages,” she says. 

And The Teddy Bear Shop is “the destination” for teddy bears, according to Meg, who says “our bears are for a lifetime”, that’s how good the quality of them are. 

The business has been operating for more than 40 years, and Meg says she’s helped generations of children pick out teddy bears.

“People who got them as a baby are now buying them for their grandchildren,” she says. 

The shop features all sorts of bears, from flat bears, cute and cuddly bears, as well as christening gifts and children’s dinnerware, classics from Peter Rabbit, Paddington and Winnie the Pooh, and popular collectable brands such as Teddy-Hermann and Margarete Steiff, she says. 

Although, she says, it’s the Charlie Bears that attract the most attention. 

“[They] are probably our biggest collectible, and we’ve got a lot of collectors from all over the world,” she says.

The Teddy Bear Shop, shop 9, Majura Park Shopping Centre. Call 0418 303448, email hugs@theteddybearshop.com.au or visit theteddybearshop.com.au

Swap the tree for something native

Kunzea ericoides also known as “Snowman”.

CANBERRA’S only dedicated native plant retailer, Cool Country Natives, has plenty of Christmas ideas, including Australian alternatives for trees and some exclusive gift options, too, says owner Karen Brien.

The Adenanthos sericeus, otherwise known as a Woolly Bush, which is a lush and hardy native shrub, is a great choice for a Christmas tree alternative, says Karen.

Or, for anyone after a white Christmas, Karen says there’s the Kunzea ericoides “Snowman”, named for its small white or pink flowers, or for something more bright, there’s the Grevillea “Lady O”, which, with its rich, red flowers, Karen says makes for a self decorating Christmas tinsel alternative.

The best part about these alternatives, according to Karen, who’s proud of her range of “living” native Christmas trees that aren’t harvested or synthetic, is they can be kept, potted or planted once the season is over. 

As for gift giving, she says: “There’s plenty of things that are attractive and plenty will grow in pots and on balconies [to be given as presents].”

And, customers can also purchase a gift voucher, she says.

Customers can also find groundcovers, grasses, ferns, climbers and small-to-large shrubs and trees such as acacia, banksia, crowea, daisies, ferns and grevillea, as well as tube stock that is grown on site, she says.  

Cool Country Natives stocks and propagates a range of locally endemic species to the Canberra region, too. 

Cool Country Natives, 5A Beltana Road, Pialligo. Call 6257 6666, email retail@coolcountrynatives.com.au or visit coolcountrynatives.com.au

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