I will be visiting Sydney in early August. Can anyone recommend paper shops that might cause me to sigh and smile? I am most interested in stationery for letter writing but can actually be tugged in any papery direction.

http://www.thepaperplace.com.au/index.html

Try the paper place.

Hmmm. I'm not a big fan of The Paper Place but it's worth a look. There are a number of others I'd like to suggest, but I now realise I know where some of them are without actually knowing what they're called or the precise address. So partial information for now, if I'm there in the near future I'll try to remember to note the precise details and post back:
~Small specialist stationer on Crown St, Surry Hills. Has Royal Crown Mill writing paper, lovely notebooks and folders, cards etc.
~Pepe's Paperie at Bondi Junction. Sells fountain pens and ink as well as an interesting range of stationery, including Royal Crown Mill. Very close to Kikki K. (below).
~Kikki K. at Bondi Junction. Swedish style stationery shop. Okay but expensive and quite utilitarian. I like it as a source of things like folders to organise my bills in, not luxurious writing paper. Google the shop name for their website with the address.
~Florentine style shop on the top level of the Queen Victoria Building in the CBD. Limited range and very expensive - bit of a tourist trap. Opposite a pen shop though!
~Florentine style stationers at a most incongruous location in King's Cross, down the road from the s-x shops. Nicer selection than the above. Think leather bound notebooks with marbled paper. Expensive but good quality.
~Kinokuniya in the Galeries Victoria in the CBD (opposite the Queen Victoria Building) has an interesting range of notebooks but limited choice in writing paper (I've seen beautiful writing paper there with ghostly pale Japanese images on it, but sadly with lines only suitable for writing Japanese).
~for a unique soft leather folder to contain your gorgeous writing paper, check out a stall at the Paddington Markets (open Saturdays) called something like Leather & Roses (? - I know I don't have that name quite right). If you're after something you won't find elsewhere, this is the best recommendation I can make. A range of sizes and good quality - they have a B&M store somewhere in Woollahra but sell at lower prices at the markets - and they'll make you something to order if you so desire and are here for long enough.

Whew! I didn't think I knew that much when I started typing. I've lived in Sydney for less than a year, but clearly I have my priorities straight.

Have fun.

~Callida

Very helpful - I am going to go to Sydney in October, and now I have some places to look out for whilst I'm there (plus a good fishingtackle shop or too of course).

Chris

To add: if you're happy to do some walking you could easily see these in a day. It'll take you to some interesting parts of the city that are well worth seeing.

Start at The Paper Place on the northern side of the CBD. Walk south along George St to get to the QVB and Kinokuniya (about 5-10 mins). From there, head towards the southern end of Crown St in Surry Hills to get to the mysterious nameless stationers (about half an hour - use a map). Stop for refreshment at one of Crown St's many good cafés before moving on.

Then, head back along Crown St in a northerly direction until you hit Oxford St. Turn right at Oxford St and keep walking until you reach the markets, if it's a Saturday (about half an hour total). Oxford St itself is a trendy shopping strip and the suburb, Paddington, is a pretty area with interesting architecture. There are lots of great little art galleries off Oxford St but that's probably another full day trip. Good cafés to choose from if you need another rest stop.

Then, catch a bus to Bondi Junction. They run along Oxford St about every 10-15 minutes. Bondi Junction is basically just a big shopping mall, so not much of interest unless you're going specifically for the shopping. Check the address before you go - too confusing to give directions within a mall.

Catch the train back from Bondi Junction to King's Cross. Take the Darlinghurst road exit, turn left and walk for about 5 mins to get to the Florentine stationer.

Check out King's Cross while you're there - it's a diverse area with a fascinating bohemian history, bit seedy but not unsafe (though I'd rethink that suggestion if you're bringing kids, and probably avoid it at 3am). Walk back along Darlinghurst Rd past the station, cross William St to Victoria Rd, Darlinghurst (10 mins). There you'll find buzzing cafés and restaurants. Could even catch a play in the evening at the tiny SBW Stables theatre nearby. It's a 20 minute walk from there back to the CBD, or catch the train if you're exhausted by then.

I can't think why the tourism bureau isn't on to this.

Can't help you on the tackle shops, sorry!

~Callida

Kinokuniya is a must - I think this is the only aussie source for Apica. The range changes but they are well priced. Have a good look around the notebooks as some are branded with unusual names but when you turn them over they have the Apica logo on the back.

Fantastic Callida. Thanks for both posts. Can hardly wait to take your tour.

if you want to look at pens, i saw an interesting pen shop (vintage and modern) on the top floor of the queen victoria building on george street. you'll probably hit the QVB anyway, might as well take a look

Yes, it is one of the three branches of Pen Ultimate in Sydney, and the biggest. I have been there a couple of times, but haven't noticed the paper shop opposite though.

I bought some Kikki K product some months ago and have been quite disappointed. The paper is not FP friendly at all.

Currently my favourite notebooks & paper shop is Officeworks (but you're not going to come to Sydney to visit an Officeworks). They have the Tudor Eco notebooks, HP Colour Laser Paper in 100 & 120 gsm, and the new (I haven't tried it yet, but it has a good writeup on the FPN) 4CC paper.

My favourite pen shop is The Pen Shop, in the Wintergarden Plaza on O'Connell St. Go up the stairs and turn sharp left from the O'Connell St. entrance. However, they have recently moved from their old premises on the other side of O'Connell St, into this newer, smaller one. The staff are there are my favourite, very nice, friendly and knowledgeable. But the one in QVB is still worth visiting.