Among the countless very special inhabitants of Dubbo, African elephants, Indian rhinos and Sumatran tigers are probably among the most special. As inhabitants of the popular Western Plains Zoo, they not only lend the town in central western NSW a whiff of the wide world, they also attract lots of visitors.
Perhaps these do not come from as far as Africa or India, but most certainly they come from all corners of NSW: Dubbo is considered the crossroads of the state. From here you can drive north to Brisbane, south to Melbourne, east to Sydney and Newcastle, and west to Broken Hill and Adelaide.
Thanks to the Riverdale Mall, Dubbo Centro and the Orana Mall, with retailers including Target, Myer, Cotton On, Rockmans, Jay Jays, Big W and a number of smaller boutiques along the Macquarie and Talbragar Streets in the city centre, fortunately the locals do not have to drive that far.
Dubbo is the hub of the Orana region and as such serves as meeting place and shopping centre for people living in surrounding rural areas. Many women from out west shop at boutique Big on Style, where brands like Mr K, Black Pepper, Essential Casual and Reno are on offer.
“Light knitwear is what our customers can’t get enough of at the moment,” says a Big on Style spokesperson. “They mostly spend between $75 and $110 on a piece, but we have also got cashmere qualities that retail for $300-plus.”
A casual and classic style is what most female clients from rural areas seem to be after. Hence, value-for-money is more of an issue in town than scoring the latest fashion must-have. The same goes for kidswear.
“Even though I find that most parents are not overly price-concerned, they most certainly are after good quality pieces that last,” says Rhonda Davis, shop assistant at Kids of Dubbo.
With brands such as Thomas Cook, Andy & Crew, Ka-boosh, Leebon and Bright Bots, the boutique stocks everything for newborns to size 12. “With our offer we don’t have much competition around town,” she says. “Well, there are the big department stores…”
But with many people not coming to town on a daily basis, they don’t just want to buy what’s on the list. Boutiques like Kids of Dubbo give them the welcome opportunity to have a chat and exchange gossip and the latest news – an additional benefit local store owners bank on. ¦
Location: 400km north-west of Sydney
Population: around 38,000
Brands: Thomas Cook, Andy & Crew, Ka-boosh, Leebon, Bright Bots, Mr K, Black Pepper, Essential Casual and Reno.