Kallista Books

One thing that hasn't changed since when I started this blog in 2010 and when I revised it a few weeks ago is that the gorgeous Kallista Books in the Dandenong Ranges is still going strong.

There are a few reasons I can suggest for why this bookshop has survived while others have failed. The building itself is distinctive - it began life as a dairy in the 1930s. Inside, the shop has a cosy vibe that makes you want to settle in and browse. And the owner, Willie, is friendly, helpful, and hugely knowledgeable about books.

The bookshop boasts an extensive children's collection, plus shelves full of Australian history, including Dandenong Ranges history. There are gardening books, the classics, crime, and lots of quirky titles as well, including, when I visited, an old Foy and Gibson catalogue.

Willie knows his prices, so while the books aren't cheap, they also aren't excessive. And the quality of his stock is excellent.

There's book-related furniture and a particularly delightful and unusual rotating bookcase to be found within the shop as well.

Kallista Books is open on Saturdays and Sundays (follow the signs from the village roundabout). If there's a particular title you're looking for, ask, as not all of Willie's stock is on display (hard though that may be to believe, with so many books).

Other places to visit in Kallista include Grant's Picnic Ground, which has walking trails and birdlife, and the Kallista Tea Rooms, if you're looking for somewhere for coffee or lunch.

Village delights

Kallista is one of the lesser-known villages in the Dandenong Ranges, overshadowed by the tourist meccas of Olinda, Sassafras and Mount Dandenong. But if you're a bibliophile, Kallista is the village to head for, boasting two unique bookshops.

I'm not exactly renowned for my culinary skills, and even my eating habits leave a lot to be desired (my favourite meal is soup with toast and I'm usually more interested in what's in my glass than what's on my plate!), but Vintage Cookbooks (bottom image, above), in Kallista's main street, is definitely a place to check out if you have even the remotest interest in food. Its shelves contain countless tomes covering all aspects of cooking: baking, vegetarian food, wild foods, vegetables, fruit, French, Eastern European, Mediterranean, Italian, English cooking pre- and post-World War II ... and, of course, Australian cuisine. You name the food, this bookshop has a book about it! The kitchenalia - scales, rolling pins, wooden spoons - adds to the atmosphere. The shop's owner, Barbara, is a historian with a passion for cooking. Her bookshop is inspirational: when you've been there, you just want to go home and bake.

Equally passionate about books is Willie, whose shop Kallista Books (top image, above) is around the corner and up the hill from Vintage Cookbooks (just follow the signs on Saturdays, when his shop is open). This shop is crammed with books as well as old maps, recipe booklets, obscure old magazines and horticultural catalogues. He also has a collection of book-related furniture in the shop, including a working printing press. If you visit and can't find what you're looking for, ask - Willie has back rooms full of books, and if he knows what you're seeking, he might well have it in stock. It's a beautiful shop, with heaps of atmosphere, and there are so many books that you know the elusive novel you're looking for to complete your collection just has to be there somewhere ...

When you've finished browsing, Kallista offers non-literary attractions, including a fabulous deli just across the road from Vintage Cookbooks and Grant's Picnic Ground just down the road heading towards Belgrave. Lots of colourful parrots and some good walking trails there ...