When you’re shopping in Tarwin or Toora, Fish Creek or Foster, Walkerville or Welshpool, you're not just ticking items off your list – you're investing in your community, supporting your neighbours' livelihoods, and helping to keep the Prom Coast alive and thriving.
Every dollar spent at a local business circulates through our community multiple times, supporting local jobs, sponsoring community events, and keeping our town centres vibrant. Local business owners are the ones coaching junior footy, volunteering at the CFA, and donating raffle prizes for school fundraisers. When we support them, we're strengthening the fabric of our entire community.
This Christmas, give gifts that support local businesses, reduce waste, and make a meaningful impact right here at home. From charitable donations to pre-loved treasures and handcrafted goods, here's the Prom Coast News guide to sustainable and thoughtful gift-giving this festive season.
Give the gift of community
Sometimes the most meaningful gifts are those that give back. Consider making a donation in someone's name to local organisations that are making a real difference in our region.
Support essential services like Foster Hospital and Linton Court Retirement Village, or contribute to organisations like Manna Gum Community House or Venus Bay Community Centre, the South Gippsland Landcare Network, or the South Gippsland Conservation Society. The South Gippsland Community Health Foundation focuses on enhancing healthcare across our community, contributing to Banksia Lodge and funding new rooms at Prom Coast Aged Care. The Gippsland Community Foundation is a philanthropic trust that invests in projects promoting wellbeing and resilience across the broader region, while the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, run entirely by local volunteers, provides vital relief for Gippslanders facing hardship after natural disasters.
The Manna Gum Community House Christmas Gift Drive is another great place to share the joy this Christmas. Simply drop off donations at Manna Gum, Foster Primary School, Paragreen Real Estate in Foster, the Windmill Cafe in Toora, Welshpool RTC, the Welshpool Hotel or the HandMakers Store in Fish Creek, before 4 December. Volunteers from Vinnies and Manna Gum Community House will collect the donations and distribute around our local Gippsland area. Please do not wrap donations.
Manna Gum also has plenty of beautiful homemade gifts and preserves available including Christmas cakes, knitted cloths, heat packs, herbal tea, jams, chutneys, pickles. All of these have been created with love, by volunteers, and all of the sales will support Manna Gum's community services and programs. They are also available at Manna Gum anytime during their office hours 10am-3pm.
Local not-for-profit arts company (it’s no) drama have released a limited run of 150 colouring books for $10 each, available for pre-order at events.humanitix.com/colouring-book. All proceeds support the charity’s artistic programs, making this both a creative gift and a contribution to local arts. Pre-purchased books can be collected on 5th or 12th December from Leongatha Memorial Hall – just in time for wrapping!
And for those who love staying connected to local news and events, a digital subscription to Prom Coast News is a thoughtful gift that keeps giving throughout the year, and you’ll be supporting your not-forprofit friends here at the paper! Head to www.promcoastnews.org.au.
Experience gifts: memories over material
In a world overflowing with "stuff," consider giving experiences that create lasting memories. These gifts not only reduce waste but can be far more meaningful and way more fun than another item gathering dust on a shelf.
And there’s plenty of options for great experiences in the Prom Coast. Treat someone special to some well-deserved pampering (how about a facial) from Zyink Cosmetics and Beauty, Haven Hair Skin Beauty or Southern Sass. For those seeking a fresh start to 2026, book a gym or Pilates class from Prom Health. Food lovers will appreciate a gourmet hamper from Aherns or a voucher from the delicious Trulli Deli.
Help preserve precious memories by getting a special photo or piece of artwork professionally framed by Angela at Art Life Framing in Leongatha, or select a fine bottle of wine or whiskey from Cellarbrations for the connoisseur in your life.
For the sports enthusiast, book a day at the Stony Creek races or arrange a golf lesson at Foster Golf Club – both gifts that promise a day of enjoyment and perhaps a new skill or two.
Many local cafes also offer vouchers, making them the perfect gift for coffee lovers who'll think of you with every sip throughout the year.
Shop local: unique finds
The Prom Coast’s shops and markets offer many treasures you simply won't find in chain stores or online – each purchase comes with the story of the maker or curator, and the knowledge that you're supporting someone's dream.
Don't miss the Foster Produce and Craft Market on 7th December at the Showgrounds, where local artisans showcase their handmade creations. It's the perfect opportunity to find unique, locally crafted gifts while meeting the makers themselves.
Luscious goods are on hand at the Panton Store in Toora, where potter and retailer, Shelley Panton, and her husband Arron Crombie have a range of practical and beautiful products, including Shelley’s own pottery. Crafty folk will love Sam's Patch, now in new digs in Toora, after many years in Foster.
Music lovers will find something special in the vinyl collection at Itchycoo Park Vintage in Foster, while there is a plethora of wonderful gifts to be explored in the treasure trove that is Main Street Revelations. Browse the calming delights of Natural Living, where you’ll be sure to find a thoughtful gift for the hard-to-buy-for very old and very young, and for the stylish (and practical – it’s the best place for wardrobe essentials!) head to Inside Out Clothing.
Venture a little further afield, to find the wonderful Vintage Spirit and Soul Emporium in Leongatha, where every visit feels like a treasure hunt. The Olive Branch café in Welshpool offers an eclectic mix of bric-a-brac and homemade cakes alongside their regular menu – perfect for finding that one-of-a-kind gift while enjoying a cuppa. And check out Welshpool Outdoors, chock full of gifts for the person in your life who prefers chainsaws to tchotchkes, or maybe needs a robot lawnmower to help at home (Tanya reckons the little go-getters can mow an acre at a time!).
And for the furry members of the family, Paws & Ponies in Leongatha has a unique range of premium pet care products for cats, dogs, horses, and livestock, along with indoor plants, plant care, and distinctive gift ideas that any animal lover would appreciate.
Art and creativity: supporting local artists and makers
Gippsland is blessed with extraordinary artistic talent, and purchasing artwork or handcrafted pieces makes for truly special, one-of-a-kind gifts.
Fish Creek has an abundance of gorgeous galleries, indeed you’d be hard pressed to walk anywhere in town without bumping into one. The beloved and heartwarming illustrations of Alison Lester are on display at her gallery alongside her many books, and are perfect for the kids in your life. Just next door, Ride the Wild Goat has an array of unique metal and woodwork sculpture, furniture, lighting and jewelry available, and a wander through the sculpture garden alongside is a delight. Around the corner, Fishy Image Photography and Little Oberon Café sit side by side, offering gorgeous art photos and a continually changing exhibition of local artists and ceramic treasures respectively.
One shop up is The Handmakers' Store, chockablock full of beautiful, thoughtful, local, handmade goods. Whether you need a native Australian wreath for the front door, lush cosmetics and soaps, jewellery, knitted, woven, beaded or crocheted treasures, or another tiny wonder, Helen and Cath have you covered. Up the hills on either side of town, are the lovely Stefani Hilltop Gallery, and renowned botanical illustrator Celia Rosser’s Gallery. Even the Fishy Pub has art for sale on the bistro walls. Some would say it’s all a bit much, but those people would be philistines.
There are a wealth of other artistic outposts across the Prom Coast. Meeniyan Art Gallery is hosting "Christmas Creatives" from 3rd to 30th December (10am-4pm daily, closed Tuesdays), featuring affordable artisan gifts from talented local creators. Visit early to snap up the best pieces! Lacy Jewellery Studio and Gallery is another Meeniyan gem, and is home to award winning young apprentice jeweller, Lily-Grace Toohill.
Foster’s Stockyard Gallery has a fabulous December show on, presenting the work of two talented South Gippsland artists, who have filled the space with large birds, exquisite landscapes and nature-inspired ceramics. And a few clicks away at Rare Earth Studio Gallery in Toora, there’s a cornucopia of works - in a variety of different mediums - in local earth pigments by local artists.
You’ll also find wonderful works at Thirty Work Studio Gallery in Tarwin, Rosie Lyons Studio in Welshpool, The Outer Space in Stony Creek, and Sandy Point Art Gallery. Each venue offers its own distinctive style and supports local creative talent.
Books for everyone
A good book is the best gift (according to this gift guide, anyway!), and our local booksellers are experts at matching readers with their next favourite story.
At Atticus Books and Gallery, Foster, Leanne has curated a beautiful selection for every age. For the littlest readers, she recommends the gorgeously illustrated Between by Anna Walker and Families by Jane Godwin and Yael Frankel – both perfect for wrapping and placing under the tree.
Primary school kids will devour Craig Silvey's well-regarded sequel Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping, while older teens might lose themselves in the latest Hunger Games novel, Sunrise of the Reaping.
For adult readers, Leanne has a lush collected edition of Elena Ferrante's compelling My Brilliant Friend novels available. Her 2025 picks of the year include Patrick Ryan's Buckeye and Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness – both perfect for long days at the beach.
Kerry Greenwood fans will be delighted by her final, posthumous Phryne Fisher mystery, Murder in the Cathedral, while those after fresh, local, fungi-scented true crime will be captivated by The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein.
Meanwhile, at Nice Stack of Books in Meeniyan, Emma has thoughtfully selected recommendations across all age groups. She’s picked Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth for adult fiction lovers, Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent for those who prefer non-fiction, Summer, In Between by Holly Cardamone for young adults, Oceanforged by Amelia Mellor for junior readers aged 8 and up, and the delightful picture book Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury for the littlest bookworms.
Emma's personal favourite book of the year is The Names by Florence Knapp. She reckons, "This 'sliding doors' style debut knocked me off my feet. I'm still thinking about these characters months later. The perfect bookclub read!"
Can't decide? Let recipients choose their own literary adventure with a book voucher from either store.
Op Shops: Pre-loved treasures with heart
Shopping at op shops is the ultimate sustainable choice and a great place to find stocking stuffers – you're giving new life to pre-loved items while supporting vital community causes. Each purchase helps fund local services and initiatives, making them gifts that truly give twice.
Australia’s 3,000 op shops are doing far more than providing bargain hunting opportunities for savvy shoppers. According to Charitable Reuse Australia, a national network of charitable reuse enterprises, these shops sell 160 million household and clothing items annually at an average price of just $5.81 per item, saving Australians $2 billion a year compared to buying new.
The environmental benefits are equally impressive. The organisation’s National Reuse Impact Report 2025 reveals that 190,000 tonnes of waste were diverted from landfill to reuse, and op shops saved 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. So when you’re browsing for gifts at your local Prom Coast oppie, you’re not just finding a bargain – you’re participating in a nationwide movement that’s saving money, supporting communities, and protecting the environment, one pre-loved treasure at a time.
These are our local oppies!
- Lion's Den Warehouse, Toora: An eclectic mix of pre-loved household goods and furniture. Vi-Plus factory, Jetty Road. 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, 8am-1pm.
- Anglican Parish Corner Inlet Opportunity Shop, Toora: 50 Stanley Street, Toora. Thursday-Saturday, 10am-2pm.
- Welshpool Op-shop and Nursery: 12 Main Street. Open daily 10am-4pm (Saturday 10am-2pm, closed Sunday). A treasure trove of finds plus plant bargains!
- Fish Creek Op Shop: 13 Falls Road. Friday-Sunday, 10am-3pm. Funds raised support ongoing maintenance and improvements to Fish Creek Hall. Proceeds from the 2025-2026 Summer Op Shop sale will be shared between Fish Creek Hall, Kindergarten, School, Bowls Club, CWA, and Football Netball Club – truly supporting the whole community.
- Venus Bay Community Recycling Enterprise: 27 Canterbury Road. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, 9:30am-2pm.
- Meeniyan Area Community Shop (MAGS): The place to go for op shop bargains, benefitting the town and local community organisations. 101 Whitelaw Street. Sunday-Friday 11am-3pm, Saturday 10am-4pm.
Foster Op-shop and Collectables: 78 Main Street. Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 9am-1pm. All funds raised enhance the quality of life for residents of Prom Country Aged Care and Linton Court residential living units.
