Breathe new life into old treasures at the Husky tip shop

Plenty of bikes to choose from for low prices at Husky tip shop. Photo: Samantha Tannous

Unearth treasures like this retro phone table and even musical instruments sometimes appear at the Husky tip shop. Photo: Samantha Tannous

These cute and clean stuffed toys were waiting for a new home at the Husky buyback centre.

Perfect for the beginner to try one of Jervis Bay's glorious greens, the Husky tip shop usually has a variety of golf clubs. Photo: U+

Building materials like tiles and timber, house paint and even bathroom fixtures can be found at the Husky buyback centre. Photo: U+

A shopper browses the homewares in the tip shop that sells good quality secondhand items. Photo: U+

Outside, there's everything from bbqs to bicycles at the tip shop. Photo: U+

Perfect for a rainy day the Husky tip shop has loads of DVDs and books. Photo: U+

Among the gems at the Husky tip shop we found this pair of framed artworks. Photo: U+

You will be amazed at the treasures to uncover at the tip shop, aka the Buyback Centre at the Huskisson Waste & Recycling Depot. From framed art to stuffed toys, from bicycles to lawnmowers, from crutches to golf clubs, there is an abundance of useful items and entertainment to dive into and explore.

As an artist, I see opportunity everywhere I look – such as sections of fencing that could transform into garden trellis, bathroom tiles that I use for printing, a laundry tub for outdoor clean-ups… the potential is only as limited as your imagination.

Inside, there’s always some interesting furniture – once I saw a circa 1950s telephone table that looked straight out of my great-aunt’s hallway – as well as any kind of kitchen and dining objects you’d ever need. Stacks of DVDs and second-hand books are perfect for rainy-day diversions.

Outdoors, the wide aisles of piles contain building materials, plastic plant pots, garden tools, outdoor furniture, kids’ wading pools, the aforementioned bikes and mowers, and so much more.

The shop is sort-of organised into sections of similar stuff, but the adventure is sifting through the outdoor aisles and inside shelves to find the buried treasures.

Op Shop till you drop

If you love breathing new life into pre-loved items then the Uniting Church Op Shop on Hawke St Husky is a must. I once found a retro textured glass dessert set in the shape of apples, and an oil painting of the Australian bush by a fairly well-regarded artist.

The shop has loads of clothing and shoes for every body, and if you love vintage denim or upcycling unique clothing and fabrics it’s well worth a forage around. Everything is well-organised, and always clean and tidy thanks to the dedicated volunteers who run the place with care.

It’s not a huge shop so you won’t find bigger items of furniture (there are big op shops in Nowra), but for kitchenware, home décor, trinkets and other smaller items there are gems to be discovered and lots of useful items to acquire.

It’s open 9-4 weekdays and Saturday mornings 9-12.30.

Buyback Centre open Thu-Sun, Waste Depot open every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day

235 Huskisson Rd, Huskisson

https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/For-Residents/Recycling-Waste/Recycling-Waste-Depots/Huskisson-Recycling-Waste-Depot