Tumut

Tumut's homewares destination occupies a prominent stretch of Wynyard Street, the town's main run of shops. Behind the glass frontage is a deep, independently owned range of kitchenware, crockery, glassware, cookware and decorator pieces, pitched at both the home cook and the professional kitchen. The stock leans practical rather than purely decorative, the sort of place locals come to replace a good knife or a baking tin as much as to buy a gift. Staff make a point of tracking down specific items or suggesting alternatives, the kind of counter service that keeps a regional store relevant against online buying. In a town better known for its river and its bakeries, it fills the gap for a proper kitchen and homewares shop.

The Riverina Highlands Landcare nursery at 5 Gocup Road, Tumut, growing local native plants for gardeners and revegetation alike. More than 150 species pass through — trees, shrubs, groundcovers, sedges, grasses and climbers — sold as tubestock and potted stock, with cash and EFTPOS at the bench. Stock shifts daily, so a call ahead helps. Open Monday to Wednesday, mornings into the early afternoon.