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Packed filled with the usual bargains, this Crazy Clarks is clean and well stocked. The shelves are full, which makes a nice change from the usual half empty ones I usually encounter in Bargain shops.

The service is cheerful and quick.

This has a great range of essentials that you may have forgotten when holidaying, all at great prices. I loved the fact the Xmas stock had been knocked down by 75 per cent.

Located behind the Fishers Supa IGA on Vincent Street, is the IGA liquor shop.

The shop is on the small side, but does have a reasonable selection of alcohol. There are the usual brands of beer, wine and spirits, but due to the size of the shop the range is not extensive.

The service is adequate, but the shop's air conditioning was struggling with the heat outside so it was quite oppressive inside.

The cool room held a good range of beer, some white wine and a lone case of pear cider.

Four kilometres outside of Ararat is the beautiful Green Hill Lake campsite. With solar powered hot water, the shower blocks provide hot showers, and flushing toilets. There is a playground for children - with some newly laid pine bark to soften the landing.

There are water taps with good clean water for drinking, and plenty of shady trees around to provide shelter and shade.

A dump point for Black Water waste is available in the town of Ararat.

The five dollar fee is a donation of sorts to the Green Hill Development Board.

It is a lovely place to pass a night or a week, and a bargain at five dollars.

This is a gorgeous al fresco setting, hidden in a former laneway, it has a great ambience, with some really helpful staff.

The ice cream and coffee were of a great quality, and it reminds me of one of those little cafes you'd find in Albert Park, our friend from Melbourne was very impressed with it, and with a range of different activities from Pizzeria, to Cider Bar complementing the Café and restaurant services already on offer, The Lane will be one of my favourite places to take people new to Ballarat. They even offer a loyalty card for the frequent coffee drinkers!

Pleasing décor, convenient location (close to the railway station and bus depot), the staff are friendly, but it is let down by the underwhelming food on offer, and the loud music playing when you enter the pub.

The focaccia eaten was just a bread roll with a slice of ham and cheese, while the children's serving of fish and chips was extremely underwhelming. The fish was oily and left an unpleasant taste, which is not helpful when trying to get young ones to eat outside their comfort zone.

The roast lamb dish was a highlight, there was plenty of yummy vegetables, and some lovely lamb, the addition of a small container of mint jelly was a nice touch.

Worth a look if you're interested in a slice of Ballarat history, as the Miners Tavern has taken over the Bended Elbow site. It has some beautiful pressed metal ceilings.

The Ballarat Library located at Doveton Street, is a fantastic environment for all ages. They cater for a wide range of interests, and welcome folk to come in, and stay awhile, you can even eat your lunch on a comfy sofa - particularly good if you're trying to escape the bitter cold, or extreme hint.

Staffed by some of the nicest librarians I have encountered, they will assist you with your reference needs - they offer an ask the Librarian service for hard questions, or just tracking down books you've always wanted to read, but have forgotten the name of.

They are also a digital hub, so you can sign up for a range of mostly free courses, run by trainers, who will update your skills. There is wifi internet, as well as traditional internet access.

Best of all you can order books from all the libraries in Victoria using their internet site and pick them up in the holds section of the library - how convenient, and a great time saver for the busy parent.

The children's section is huge, and filled with all the great materials available for kids these days - books on cd, dvds, and a huge range of interesting books. Plus they run story times for children ranging from the babes in arms, to the pre-schoolers. As an added bonus they run a range of activities for children during school holidays.

We arrived at the tail end of the lunch hour, but were still able to purchase a very hearty pie and salad for lunch. The pie was the best I've tasted, it was full of those old fashioned chunks of real beef, inside a very tasty pastry case. The salad was fresh and tasty (not your usual boring old tomato and a piece of lettuce type of salad either). They serve a variety of teas, and the usual range of coffees. Also they cater for the gluten intolerant and the vegetarians too. I'm sure if you were Vegan they could whip you up something.

Soy milk is available too for teas and coffees and they also serve a range of freshly made slices and scones.

This is, for me, the best pie in Ballarat.

This is a little primary school with a big heart. With a focus on the head, heart and hands of a child, I have been greatly impressed with the dedication that the prep teachers have given to each and everyone of these children. They adapt their teaching styles to suit the children they have in their years, and also adapt the method of teaching the important skill of reading for each and every child.

I can't praise high enough the level of engagement these teachers have with their preppies. They strive to ensure that all children are given fair and equitable access to the tools needed in this digital world we inhabit.

A great small school.

Due to an unfortunate incident with the washing machine, the local Laundromat has become the place to wash. Bonnie Bubbles Laundromat is your typical Laundromat, a little tired, but with some awesome bubble patterns on the walls to watch as you wait for the washing to finish.

There are free magazines to read, the place has a mix of front loading and top loading machines, and has two banks of commercial sized dryers for use.

Front loaders cost from $5 - $8 per load, while the Top Loaders were a steal at $4 a load.

Driers operate in ten minute blocks for $1.

Powder is available to buy, or you can choose to bring your own.

Mr Stewart is one of the few genuinely nice surgeons you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. He is polite, with none of the usual arrogance, and has a wonderfully warm manner which puts you at ease when you're discussing your condition. His reception staff are attuned to how stressful needing to visit a surgeon is, and are both attentive and polite.

The whole practice exudes warmth and caring, and I came away knowing that I was in good hands.