The Fuller Good Gift Guide

  • 16 December 2021

Just like earworm carols, jingling bells and chinking champagne glasses, it seems the ubiquitous paywave ‘beep’ has become another iconic sound of Christmas.

Australians are set to spend a staggering $23.9 billion over the Christmas period this year — a 38 per cent increase compared to 2020 — meaning credit cards across the country are getting a serious workout.

With the countdown to the Big Day well and truly underway, if you’re running low on gift-spiration (and time), forget the AirPods and air fryers! Why not look to your own backyard?

This year at Fuller, we’ve loved working with some of our state’s best producers, wineries, charities, sporting teams, artisans, and tourism operators.

In the spirit of Christmas, we’ve compiled The Fuller Good Gift Guide to shine a spotlight on some unique, thoughtful and practical gifts from our clients; perfect for budding ballerinas right through to the intrepid travellers in your life and everyone in between.

When you shop local, you’ll also support businesses as they navigate the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, avoid Christmas-ruining delivery delays, and reduce your carbon footprint.

What’s not to love? Happy shopping!

Good gifts for foodies and oenophiles

When it comes to feeding a crowd or buying gourmet gifts for foodies, our friends at Drakes Supermarkets have you covered.

 

 

Independent and family-owned, Drakes stock a wide range of SA produce and brands, and the platters available through Feed Me by Drakes will make Christmas entertaining a breeze!

For a full Christmas spread with all the trimmings, or the perfect present for a condiment connoisseur, look no further than Spring Gully’s range of pickles, sauces, relishes, chutneys, mustards, honey, jams and fruit spreads.

With food sorted, you’ll want to head to Fassina – SA Family Owned Liquor Stores for all your other Christmas ‘essentials’! They’ll keep your beer fridge well-stocked, and can recommend the perfect drop to pair with a fresh seafood platter or to impress your new in-laws.

Kids and amateur mixologists will love Ashton Valley Fresh’s range of still and sparkling juices, made entirely from Australian grown fruit, primarily grown here in the Adelaide Hills.

With our roots in the Barossa, we’re all about the ‘other’ type of fruit juice at this time of year: wine. And lots of it!

This year, we worked with some iconic South Australian wineries, including Wirra Wirra, John Duval, Wolf Blass, Sawyer and Two Hands.

 

 

You can’t go wrong with the ever consistent and deliciously drinkable Wirra Wirra Church Block, but there’s also John Duval’s Entity (just named in the US Wine Spectator’s Top 100) and the exceptional new release Sawyer Fume Blanc, just right for beachside sipping.

Good gifts for arts aficionados

It’s been a tough year for Australia’s arts sector. Ask any arts aficionado, and they’ll tell you the best gift you can give this Christmas is to support struggling writers, actors and musicians.

 

 

In 2022, iconic open-air festival WOMADelaide is returning to the stunning Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla. Featuring an all-star line-up of local and international acts including The Cat Empire, Paul Kelly, Baker Boy and Courtney Barnett, these are the hottest tickets in town, making the perfect gift for musos and music lovers!

While we might not be able to dance ourselves yet, we can certainly appreciate it. The Australian Dance Theatre is Australia’s pre-eminent contemporary dance company and the longest running in the country. With an exciting program of shows set for release in 2022, why not purchase season tickets as gifts, or make a donation to support this pioneering arts company?

Good gifts for those who want to be part of the club

It’s the gift you never knew you needed…until you’re stuck on the side of the Princes Highway with a dead battery, a car full of screaming kids and dwindling snack supplies. Purchasing an RAA Membership as a gift not only guarantees roadside assistance, but a swath of other discounts on entertainment, home, health, lifestyle, exclusive travel deals, and more.

 

 

If you know someone that might need help recovering from the road trip from hell, an Intro Pass from Human Kind Studios should do the trick. Offering yoga classes, strength training, mindfulness, physiotherapy, clinical psychology and one-on-one support for holistic healing, Human Kind will have them feeling zen in no time at all.

And for the one-eyed Adelaide Crows members it is still not too late to stock up on merchandise or gift subscriptions for the next season…which starts in just 12 weeks just in case you’re counting.

Good gifts for travellers

 

 

Holiday close to home and treat the family to some R&R at West Beach Parks this Christmas. With Gulf St Vincent on your doorstep and loads of recreation choices to entertain the kids, West Beach Parks is one of South Australia’s most popular holiday destinations.

Now that we’re able to journey beyond the end of our street, don’t pass up the opportunity to buy the intrepid traveller in your life an incredible experiential travel opportunity offered through Journey Beyond. Hit the tracks on The Ghan or cruise through the Whitsundays, and re-ignite their passion for travel.

 

 

Alternatively, treat your loved one to a stay at South Australia’s most iconic outback pub — The Prairie Hotel — and go bush with their selection of unique Flinders Ranges tourism experiences. Don’t pass up the opportunity to try their signature ‘Feral Feast!’

Good gifts for altruists

Let’s not forget the real meaning of Christmas — giving back to the people and organisations which make a remarkable difference in our state.

 

 

Making a donation to AnglicareSA’s Christmas Appeal on behalf of a loved one will go towards providing emergency assistance, practical support and hope to families doing it tough. You could also consider giving the gift of time, and becoming a foster carer for one of thousands of South Australian children in need. There are many opportunities to make a difference, including short-term care (two weeks to two years) and respite care (e.g. one weekend per month or an overnight stay).

You can also give the gift of life by purchasing a voucher for a first aid course through St John Ambulance SA, or a first aid kit. Aside from providing first aid services at events, not-for-profit St John Ambulance SA also runs a range of youth development and social inclusion programs, worthy of a donation in a family member’s name at Christmas.

Good gifts for your Kris Kingle

Finally in the spirit of buying local, purchase an Etikette candle or stationary from Earth Greetings and your gift will not only help SA artisans, it will be hot property during the Christmas Party Stealing Santa.

 

 

Etikette produces a stunning range of hand-crafted candles, eco diffusers and smudge sticks right here on Peramangk and Kaurna Country in the Adelaide Hills, inspired by “ocean sprays, big rains, smoky campfires and winding bush tracks”… dreamy!

Earth Greetings is Australia’s original earth friendly greeting card and gift brand. Their gorgeous collections are the result of collaborations with talented artists inspired by Australian native flora and fauna.

They’re not just a pretty face though: Earth Greetings are a solar powered, carbon neutral business, donating more than 10 per cent of profit to care for native wildlife and habitat.