The Rocks

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Published: 12:00am, 28 Aug 2005

Although The Rocks is one of Sydney's favourite tourist haunts, if you look hard enough you'll find some offbeat shops that sell more than standard souvenirs. From novelty candles and puppets to Irish wedding rings and old maps, it pays to look beyond the boomerangs and koala-emblazoned T-shirts.

Bottom of the Harbour Antiques (right; 104 George Street, tel: 61 2 9247 8107) is a quaint shop specialising in nautical antiques and collectibles. There are all kinds and sizes of hand-crafted ship models, ships set in glass bottles, wooden sailor figurines, maps, old naval instruments and trinkets. Pick up a sea lantern for A$110 ($660) or a hand-crafted timber ketch model for A$450.

The Puppet Shop at the Rocks (below; 77 George Street, tel: 61 2 9247 9137; www.thepuppetshop.

com) is tucked away in the basement of one of Sydney's old sandstone buildings. This is a cavern of wonders for puppet fans, with Australian Aboriginal puppets (A$65), fairy princess puppets, Venetian gondolier puppets and Shakespearean characters. See the outstanding collection of Burmese warrior puppets (A$520) dressed in gold war masks and jewelled robes.

The Candle Factory (84 George Street, tel: 61 2 9241 3365; www.thecandlefactory.com.au) offers candles in the form of witches and warlocks, schooners of beer, teddy bears with red-and-white striped shirts and pandas of all hues. Some even come in the form of delicious-looking 'cakes' topped with cherries and cream. The Candle Factory stocks an extensive range and will take orders and ship overseas. Prices start at A$2.50.

The Irish Design Shop (33 George Street, tel: 61 2 9247 3233; www.irishdesign.com.au) is home to one of Australia's largest collections of Celtic jewellery. It also sells mugs and scarves adorned with Irish family crests, tin whistles, folk music CDs, bookmarks, key rings, spoons, pins and plaques. The cheapest item in the shop is a packet of Irish Tayto (potato) crisps at A$2.50 and the most expensive is a 14-carat gold Celtic-design engagement ring at A$3,500.