Today is Christmas Day. Almost all shops did not open today. But the most of the stores will remain their normal trading hours tomorrow. Also, they have the large sales during the whole year. In the previous years, I bought some good value things on Boxing Day. However, a lot of people had the same thought of mine. Some of them even go to the Stores such as Myer and David Jones at 5 am. They will line up and wait for the stores opens. They wish to be the first round of customers in the store and can buy all best bargains. Even you need to buy the best bargains, the most of the major shopping centers are full of people during that day. You need to prepare at least half hour to find a parking spot.
This year, I do not want to spend the time for finding a parking spot. I choose to do the boxing day shopping on online. The major stores, such as Myer, David Jones, and UNIQLO, have the giant sales in their online store. The most of them have free shipping offer for any customers who spend more than $100. Moreover, I can do the shopping now, I don’t need to wait for tomorrow. That is great. I only did a few clicks and waited for the shipping during these few days.
Yesterday, I went to Sunnybank Hills Shopping Center. I faced a problem I have never seen before. That is the running out of parking spots in Sunnybank Hills Shopping. There are always a lot of empty parking spots. I have spent 15 minutes to find a place to park and that was away from the entrance too. I thought that must be a lot of people to do the Christmas shopping.
I went to Supermarket for getting enough supplies to survive this Christmas Holidays. There was a long queue. A lot of people was busy to buy the food for their Christmas Eve Dinner. After I did the supermarket shopping, I went to a Chemist. I have waited for a half hour to get a Prescription Medicines. This long wait is understandable. Because a lot of doctors will take a long break during this Christmas holidays, so a lot of people need to get the medicines they required on Friday.
Well, today, I found my home was running out of milk. Then I need to go Supermarket again. That is bad. There must be more people than Yesterday. I went Sunnybank Hills Shopping Center. I was in there around 3 pm. It wasn’t that bad. I found a parking spot easily. I bought a bottle of milk in Woolworth without any queue at all. I think that is a bit late in the day. The most of the people did their Christmas shopping.
P.S. Tomorrow is Christmas day. Almost all of shopping centers and supermarkets are closed, even I hardly know about any shops will open tomorrow.
I remember my time in Hong Kong; we went to CBD. Those high rises will have some Christmas light decorations on their wall. In Brisbane, we will go to 4KQ Christmas Lights Competition Winners’ home to see Christmas lights. The winners spent months to setup light decorations in their houses and gardens for this Competition. They are very very professional, those gardens like a small Christmas theme park! So, this is a must-do Christmas event in Brisbane. For full addresses of winners’ home, please go to visit the 4QK website.
Also, I wish to share some photo I took the year before in 11 Lucy Drive, Edens Landing which is also the South Residential Winner this year.
In the garden, there were the Christmas Figures at their Garden, such as three wisdom kings and Mary to show the scene of Jesus born.
There was Santa’s sleigh in their garden. You can sit in there and take photo with friends. As I said before, that sounds like a small theme park!
Well You can see how cool they are, I think you must visit there!
In past years, the most of the major shopping centers in Brisbane extended their trading hours near Christmas. Normally, they opened up to 9 pm during weekdays, on 23rd or 24th of December, they opened up to 3 am.
This year, they went much further. Tonight, most of Westfield shopping centers included Garden City, Chermside, and Carindale will open until midnight. Tomorrow, they will open at 8 am until the Saturday 6 pm. Therefore the centers won’t close on Friday! There are plenty of time for you to Christmas Shopping. Moreover, there are some stores, such as Myer and David Jones, have their pre-boxing day sales! Maybe, this is a good year for shoppers.
Today is 20th December 2016. That is only five days away from Christmas. If you come to any major shopping centers or Brisbane City, you can “feel” the Christmas Spirit.
So, Brisbane and Southbank have a series of events for celebrating Christmas. Firstly, from today to 24th December night, every day 7 pm, Queen Street Mall has Christmas Parade. Same as previous years, there were a lot of performers dressed as Christmas figures such as Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men.
There will be some activities in Southbank. Every day until 23rd December, Southbank has Christmas Street Mall. In additional, in Southbank beach, there is an outdoor cinema. There will be two movies at 6pm and 8pm. For the detailed schedule, please go to their website for further details.
Lastly, it will be fireworks at 7.45pm in Southbank too.
I come from Hong Kong. When I arrived in Australia, I felt very headache about the trading hours of shops. After 6 pm, the whole CBD became silent. In Hong Kong, we can do shopping until 10 pm every day. The most of the supermarkets will close around midnight. In Brisbane, that is a completely different world.
Recently, that sounds some improvements. The Queensland Government changed the laws to allow the large stores, which can open to 9 pm. A few days ago, I went to Coles. I found the trading hours has changed to response this change. On Saturday, the stores will open until 9pm. But I checked Myer and other shopping centers have not changed their normal trading. However, they have some extended trading hours for Christmas period. I wish all shopping centers can open until 9pm every day!
Yesterday, I went to Masters at Parkinson. I found there were 16 days to close down. Moreover, the whole store got 60% to 80% off. I thought the should be a lot of good deals. But after I went there, the most of the shelves were empty. The most of the stocks are sold out.
I planned to buy some LED light bulbs and lawn seeds, but these kinds of goods were sold out too.
However, if you intend to have some home improvements, there were still some paints, wooden fences, floor tiles, bathtub and toilets left. Please be quick, I saw a lot of people bought these products yesterday.
Early in this week, I went to Brisbane City. However, that was still a month away from Christmas, and Brisbane City is already very “Christmas.” I found Queens Street Mall has some Christmas decorations.
Moreover, there are some Giant Christmas Toys.Also, please don’t miss the big Christmas Tree in King George Square. I think that is about two story height;
Under the tree, there is a big postbox for Santa. All big and small kids can write down your wish list and put it in the box. AusPost will send them to the north pole.
I went there at day time, if that is the night time, that will be even better. The tree is with lights too. The lighting event of Christmas Tree will be held at 5.30pm 25/11/2016(Tomorrow) at King George Square. There will be some Christmas Carols and free entertainment during this event.
Lastly, I found Myer has setup a Christmas Window for this year. The theme of this year is about some Iconic places in Melbourne such as Luna Park,The Palais Theatre, and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. I think that is a traditional custom in the Western world. The department stores in New York and London have this kind of Christmas Window. Some of them will use the current affairs or Christmas stories as the main theme.
In Australia, we like to buy a gift card as the gift as a wedding gift and a present to thank you someone help. Sometimes, we don’t know what our friend want. The gift card is the best option; they can use it to buy the things they like, and it sounds more polite than cash.
Also, Gift card always has a discount. For example, this week in Woolworth special. If you buy Myer, City Beach and Kathmandu gift card, $50 gift card has 1000 Woolworth point which can be exchanged $5 Woolworth dollars(you can use as a cash in Woolworth). $100 gift card has 1000 Woolworth point which can be exchanged $10 Woolworth dollars. That is 10% off. It sounds a good deal.
Please be aware this special will be ended on Tomorrow.
A few months ago, Mint buffet garden in Sunnybank Plaza had been closed down. There was a notice about the closure for renovations. I think that was about the changes of ownership. The restaurant would be a kind of buffet garden. But early in this week, I went to Sunnybank for dinner. I saw Mint buffet garden became Golden Lane which is a new Chinese restaurant. I have heard a rumor about a new restaurant will open in Sunnybank. I read their website. This restaurant will have Yum Cha and Cantonese Style Cuisine for lunch and dinner. This sounds attractive for me. I will find a chance to try this restaurant.
Address:
Shop 109 Sunnybank Plaza,
Corner Mains Rd & McCullough St.,
Sunnybank,
QLD 4109
Tel:07-3344 1361
Open Hours:
Open 7 days from 10:30am to 2:00am