Gifts for her in Townsville

Start with how she spends her weekends. If she walks The Strand most mornings, good sunglasses or a bottle that keeps water cold all day will get used straight away. If she'd rather stay home, look at bedding that breathes in the heat or a candle in a scent she already likes.

Jewellery and accessories

Jewellery is the gift most people want to see before they pay for it. Ring the store first and ask whether the piece is at that location, then go in and look at it in the light. For rings, ask about resizing and how long it takes. Jewellers get busy in December, so a ring bought in the last week before Christmas may not be resized in time.

Silver tarnishes faster in humid air. Ask the shop whether the piece comes with a pouch or a polishing cloth, and suggest she keeps it in a drawer through the wet season.

Bags and scarves are easier, because there's no size to get wrong. Ask about the material. Leather can grow mould if it sits in a humid cupboard for months, so canvas or a good synthetic may last longer here.

Beauty and fragrance

Fragrance is personal, and a wrong guess sits on the shelf. If you don't know what she wears, check the bottle on her dresser and buy the same name, or a set from a brand she already uses. A sample set lets her try a few at home if you're unsure.

Skincare up here has to sit under sunscreen and cope with sweat for most of the year, so lighter products tend to suit. Our pamper gifts page has more on skincare, massage vouchers and bath sets.

Prices and wrapping

The price on each listing comes from the store selling it. Some shops wrap for free and some charge, so ask when you ring. Ask for a gift receipt too, and check the exchange policy before you leave so she can swap a size or colour later.

For clothes, check the size on something she wears often, and the brand. Sizes vary between labels, so the brand matters as much as the number.

If the budget is generous and she's hard to buy for, think about a day out together. A ferry to Magnetic Island with lunch at Horseshoe Bay is easy to organise, and there's nothing to store afterwards. A dinner booking or a massage voucher works the same way for someone who'd rather stay on the mainland.