Firstly, over the last few years our business has morphed into something that I had always dreamed of. A shop filled with only the very best, unique gifts, practical products and Aussie brands that we absolutely LOVE ~ including our very ownAustralian made products. (You can read more about theshop here...)
We often get nominated for various awards, which we are always so chuffed about and we love that our customers think so highly of us. When we were nominated in a few categories in the inaugural Australian Rural Business Awards bySpend with Us I was personally over the moon. We are rural, we are Aussie and we have supported this platform for many years.
We were then announced as FINALISTS in all three categories that we were nominated in! WOWZERS! We made our finalist submission for judging and waited...
Around the same time we were also nominated for an award withCaravan Industry Victoria - we obviously LOVE caravanning & camping and our sister businessCaravanning with Kidshas been an industry member since 2015. We proudly promote the industry and our most popular products in our store are from thecamping space(and the top ones are Aussie made!) This was the third time we have been nominated and we were also named as a FINALIST again. We are always up against huge National & Global businesses, so we accept our finalist nod and usually enjoy celebrating with everyone else on the night - just chuffed to make the finals and be seen amongst the big boys! We made our finalist submission and had our judging and waited...
At this point, our entire team was thrilled! We had all worked so hard throughout the rollercoaster of pandemic and felt that this was a lovely 'reward' for surviving! (...is there another word?)
But wait...there's more!
We were then notified that we were nominated for our local shire awards and then announced as a FINALIST! It means so much to our staff to be recognised locally, we trade in a very small country town called Numurkah - our shopfront is a popular destination, so this one is pretty cool too...
Could this month get any better?
YES it could....
The first award announcements came from the Australian Rural Business Awards. The ceremony was an online event and we were happy that we could watch on from home, cheer on the other rural businesses in the comfort of the couch and in our case, our pj's. The finalist list was extensive in all categories and included some businesses that I have loved and admired for many many years. Another moment where we were really happy to make the finals and were celebrating this recognition. We never expected to WIN any of our categories and were blown away when we were announced on the podium for all THREE!
Could it get any better?
The following week was the Caravan Industry Hall of Fame Gala event at Crown Casino in Melbourne. A formal event that we love attending, get dressed up all fancy and dance the night away. However, this year, we were in Birdsville Outback Queensland, getting ready to work at the Big Red Bash - yup, we took our regional Victorian shop all the way to the Simpson Desert after been asked to produce the Official Photobooks for the events! Big deal for us. (you can read more about this here...)
While we were snuggled up in our caravan in Birdsville watching Netflix, Irene & Harvey were at the awards - they have been part of our team for many years and we asked them "If a miracle happens this year and we WIN, can you please accept out award..." Once again, never expecting what happened next.
We got a phone call from Irene at 9.30pm (we were just about to go to bed...)
WE WON! Third time lucky maybe... someone captured the moment it happened - excuse the quality, however, it is so nice to have a record of it all.
WOO HOO...
Thank you to everyone that has supported us, nominated us, judged us and voted for us...
I love that this map was the perfect size for our fold down picnic table on the caravan. It creates a talking point amongst the m/tea supplies. I love also that it can be safely removed when we sell the van and still keep the record of our travels, perhaps on our fridge. Love it.❤️
Firstly thank you to Leanne and her helpful staff... received our 2 sets of sheets and just love the quality, they washed up and fit amazingly and even better to sleep in!!
Your service to us as customers was outstanding, thank you so much it was a pleasure dealing with you and can't wait to get our next order!!
I recently bought Hop,Skip,Snap. Animal Mammal Snap Game. The kids love it and they can learn about the animals as they play. Decent sized cards, quality cardboard.
I recently bought the Transport Memory Game. The quality is exceptional, well made and the kids love it. Made in Australia. I can't recommend this highly enough. Great for all to enjoy.