You can either hit the highway and hare up to the Gold Coast where lie the twin lures of Robina and Pacific Fair – joining the frenetic throngs milling in and out of homogenous, impersonal shops purchasing objects made in China. Or you can go to the Mullumbimby (Friday) or New Brighton (Tuesday) farmers’ markets. Close to home, they offer, instead, unique and imaginative gifts suggesting thought and consideration – gifts, above all, whose purchase supports our farmers and producers and our local economy.
At Byron Bay Lotus, Liz Lualdi has pretty packs of her Purus dried blue lotus flowers to transform into a calming and hydrating tea, along with Blue Lotus Tincture, a rescue remedy, and an organic cold-pressed moisturising oil. Tom Warren at 3 Top Honey has jars of honeycomb, superb with cheeses – as does Sunny Times Honey where you will also find cute little tins of lip balm flavoured with spearmint, lemon myrtle or honey.
At Ayusa Tea you can purchase Christmas bundles or separately buy their glorious huayusa teas – rich in antioxidants, natural caffeine and gut health benefits – beautifully packaged in pastel cardboard cylinders; glass tea pots; infusers and sample packs. At Rainforest Foods you’ll find a fabulous new macadamia oil infused with anise myrtle, along with pots of jams, jellies and sauces utilising ingredients from the local rainforest. Rebecca at Playing With Fire stocks vinegars infused with botanicals, her award-winning finger lime marmalade and packs of herbal teas also infused with native botanicals.
There are: mini herb gardens at Iona Herbs; lemongrass and pumice tallow soap at Local Dorper Lamb; fat chocolate macadamias at Nudgel Nuts; Grumpy Grandma’s extra virgin olive oils (chilli, garlic, lemon myrtle). Ahana Candles has the cutest mini Christmas trees in cream or gold, pure beeswax hand-poured – and to save you the trouble, at Mad Mountain there are calico-wrapped homemade fruit cakes in small (350g) or large (1300g).
All in a one-stop shopping expedition!
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
