It is indeed fairly straight forward to find a local supermarket, hardware/ homeware store or specialist furniture, lighting or kitchen shop hereabouts. Nonetheless, there are other opportunities for anyone looking for that special knickknack or thingummyjig and for those wanting to turn their holiday space into more of a homely pad cheaply and quickly. In Australia, we have Opp shops, ( opportunity shops, charity stores, Oxfam etc), which are widespread, common and usually, delightfully inexpensive here in our region. Whether you want a summer wardrobe for the kids, an exercise bike, a spare mattress or a selection of plasticware for the kitchen, Opp shops are generally a wonderfully reliable source. In the smaller, rural towns Opp shops are often a bargain hunter's and kitsch collector's paradise. Garage sales, where locals arrange everything they might possibly sell in their garage or front yard, are a customarily weekend phenomenon. Saturday's newspapers will often have a half page of advertisements in the classified 'Garage Sale' columns. There is also the new North Queensland Trading Post, free to advertise in and for sale at newsagents. Rusty's Markets, in the Cairns CBD, becomes a jumble sale every Sunday. As elsewhere, local schools and church groups also hold irregular markets and jumble sales around the local area. These are often worth checking out just for the home-made jams! There are also a fair few secondhand shops roundabouts, but they are expensive. The regular Police Auction always has some fascinating bargains and the frequent Estate Auctions throughout the local area can be well worth attending, though real bargains are rare.