Marysville BookNest

This past week has seen the 'ring of steel' between the Melbourne lockdown area and regional Victoria finally lifted - so, of course, my husband and I have been out and about, enjoying some long walks in places we haven't been to for months.

I'm pleased to report that Warburton's Wee Warbee Bookshop has survived the long lockdown period, and it looks as if the Marysville BookNest has as well. We visited Marysville on Tuesday, and the bookshop is open from Wednesday to Sunday, but certainly the building (a replica of the town's original police office) still appears to contain the bookshop, which opened almost three years ago, in January 2018.

Next time we visit Marysville, we'll make sure we go on a day the bookshop is open, so I can blog about it.

If you're in the area, it's worth visiting Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden in the town as well as the nearby Steavenson Falls. Marysville is also close to Lake Mountain, which is great for hiking in summer and (I'm told) cross-country skiing in winter. 

ETA: Marysville's BookNest is open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holiday Mondays from 11 till 3. More information is on their website. Thanks to Ian from the BookNest for updating me re. this. 

Wee Warbee Bookshop

Yesterday, we visited Warburton and dropped in on the Wee Warbee Bookshop. As the name suggests, this is a tiny shop - and it's made even smaller by the chaotic piles of books that tumble over half the room.

As you'll know if you've read my blog before, bookshop chaos prompts me to walk out rather than hunt. However, I enjoyed a brief chat with the friendly owner while my husband explored some of the piles.

Wee Warbee Bookshop sells new as well as second-hand books, with the new books on the shelves and the second-hand stock in piles. Other than that, nothing is divided into sections, and there are no prices on the books - you ask the owner and he tells you what it is.

Book lovers willing to spend a long time fossicking will like this bookshop. Note that most of the second-hand stock appeared to be relatively recent (1990s onwards), so I'm not sure that you'd find any early to mid twentieth century gems tucked away.

Warburton is located on the Yarra, and there's a beautiful walk you can do along the riverbanks, with suspension bridges to take you over to the other side. There are plenty of eateries nearby.

And finally, apologies for taking such a long time between posts. It's been a busy time and we haven't been out and about very much.