If your mum has always wanted to go to Tasmania, the weekend of Sunday 10th May could be the time for a surprise holiday in Launceston. In Hobart? Consider a trip North.
The New Launceston Shopping
A wave of talented buyers and curators from around Australia and overseas, have joined the gourmet foodies in Launceston.
Now in Lonely Planet’s Top Ten, the city has transformed into shopaholic heaven – with unique, eclectic gift stores that women love.
Launceston Flight Packages
From Melbourne you can fly from as little as $70 (that’s a champagne bottle price for Mother’s Day). Visit Virgin for the best offers.
For Mums Who Have It All
Campbelltown (45 minutes from Launceston) has an ‘everything’ shop called Coco Blue in a converted historic house, for the mother who has it all. Almost. There’s a gardening room. A new wardrobe room. A big selection of designer candles. Picnic accessories. A wooden trestle table piled with journals. Coco Blue is at 103 High Street, Campbelltown. They ship Australia wide.
For Bohemian Mums
Grace Violet
This lovely corner boutique is decorated with peacocks, in homage to the dazzling birds at nearby Cataract Gorge.
Inside, you will find waving lucky cats, heart and angel wall decorations, oracle journals (owner Tanya M Ashatara runs a YouTube meditation channel) and exclusive modern pop art candles.
Beyond this gift boutique, Tanya’s YouTube channel offers crystal wisdom videos and a 21-day Green Tara journey.
Inside you will find luxe hippy style, beach babe boho classics and some old-fashioned Harris Tweed purses and bags. It’s Scotland meets Byron Bay for the bohemian mum in your life.
For Feminine Mums
The spirit of Audrey Hepburn is alive at Georgio’s with baskets of pink roses for a Mother’s Day bouquet, or lavish, old-fashioned, ruffled cotton dressing gowns. There is an awful lot packed into three rooms here and if you’re doubling up on a Mother’s Day lunch, Charles Street has a good café and bar strip. Georgios + Co is at 236 Charles Street.
For Grand Designs Mums
If your mother is devoted to her home then Ecoco is the place to go. Gift cards for later are a good idea if you can’t choose (or she can’t). Candles, crockery or hearts to hang on a wall? Cushions and throw rugs? Rustic or provincial? The nature of Tasmania?
This is the place to go, at 51 Balfour Street, for a beautiful home.
For World Traveller Mums
How do you buy a Christmas or birthday present in Launceston for a woman who is overseas every year?
Inside Out (with a café next door) has the Finnish brand Marimekko (founded in the 1960s), Tokyo Milk (made in Canada) and the French favourite, L’Occitane. They also stock cashmere.
There are quirky Tasmanian candles to light in your Air BnB or to take home, as presents.
Choose from Rugged Tasmanian Coastline, Untamed Tasmanian Wilderness, Tasmanian Campfire and Tasmanian Pepperberry and Black Raspberry, Huon Pine or Lavender Fields.
Waverley Woollen Mills blankets and picnic rugs are lifetime investment pieces for a discerning mother.
Inside also has the delicious Tasmanian-made cult chocolate Lakker bars. This is one of those shops where you can spend a little or a lot. Drop into 10 Paterson Street, in the heart of Launceston.
For Chic Young Mums
Hope & Me
Hope & Me in the Quadrant Mall, has a beautifully curated wall of presents for babies and children. However, the rest of the shop is devoted to bathroom luxuries for mums who need to unwind.
Arty designer candles, striped Hommey dressing gowns, beautiful Australian and New Zealand scented ranges – and funky wash bags – make this a one-stop young mum luxury shop.
We really liked the Frankie Gusti soy candles, hand-poured in Melbourne, and the Frankie Gusti body bars with shea butter. They are wrapped like miniature works of art and the boxes are beautiful enough to hand over, without ribbons or tags.
There are also good options for school or work lunches – chic foil-lined gingham lunch bags, plus the ever-popular Margarita mix for ladies who lunch, and stunning, modern ceramics.
If she’s a dog mother, they also sell designer dog shampoo – Woof Wash.
Hipster Mums
Stockton & Co
At 124 St. John Street, Stockton & Co catches a lot of bar hoppers walking from Saint John Craft Beer, to Du Cane Brewery – in the mood for an impulse shop.
This is a good place for Melbourne and Sydney hipsters and Japanese visitors alike, with big bowls full of vintage art reproduction matches; retro birthday cards; cult notebooks – and the softest designer socks.
You’ll find Tasmanian art on the walls, along with designer toolboxes. There’s a whole back wall of designer notebooks, antique reproduction birthday cards and little bottles of perfume from Gentle Habits, including its own Tasmania label.
If you want to buy a landscape by a Tasmanian painter, but don’t have time for an exhibition, this is the best place in Launceston to pick something up. It’s Fitzroy meets Tokyo via Tasmania.
Fashionista Mums
Housed in the stunning old 1842 Johnstone & Wilmot building, Loft Home has racks of wardrobe desirables.
There are stacks of bushwalking hats for men and women, pretty scarves, knitwear and separates. If you are looking for wool and cotton pieces, start here. The Tasmanian climate suits layers.
Loft Home is huge. One wall is devoted to gardeners; another to home cooks. There are Indian block print cushions and leather cross-body bags, birthday cards and berets. It’s that kind of shop.
Your mum might want a little glass honey jar and spoon – or a rabbit for her toddler- but Loft Home looks after most tastes.
There are also cocktail orange slices in jars, for grown-ups.
If you see it in a magazine gift guide, you’ll probably find it here too.
They’re at 121 Cimitiere Street, Launceston.
Vintage Mums
Red Fox Antiques
Over at 37 Tamar Street, this must be one of the best curated vintage and antique shops in Australia.
We really liked their big selection of glittering costume jewellery – but you can also pick up copper saucepans or lovely old tweed jackets.
There are huge Chinese vases and (if you want to invest in a really big birthday present) stunning furniture pieces. If you like Antiques Roadshow discoveries, you’ll enjoy Red Fox.
The shop is crammed with candlesticks and oriental rugs, clocks, cushions and rolling pins, lovely paintings and pudding bowls. Stop here if you are shopping for even the fussiest people who like adding to their vintage kitchen, wardrobe or dining room collectables.
For Outdoorsy Mums
Picnic rugs and new-style wine coolers (forget blokey Eskies) are ideal for the outdoorsy mother. Pocket of Posies has more affordable alternatives to the collectable Waverley Mills picnic rugs, but they all roll neatly in carrier straps.
