ROLLINGSTONE IS OP OF LOT

IT may be one of Townsville’s best kept secrets, but the Rollingstone op shop is well and truly on the radar of thrifty grey nomads.

The Rollingstone and District Community Association is behind the shop, which draws a steady stream of income from tourists travelling along the Bruce Highway.

Debbie Calder runs the op shop with the help of a team of volunteers and said she was surprised to learn of how far the op shop’s reputation had spread.

“We had some grey nomads in and they said they used a website to share where the best spots are and our op shop is listed as number one in Australia,” she said.

Rollingstone and District Community Association president Sue Van Wald said the op shop was a profitable business in its own right and vital for the people of Rollingstone.

“We would not be able to maintain the community centre to the standard it is now if we didn’t have the op shop,” she said.

“We have people come in from down south who say it’s the best op shop on the road.”

And it’s not just the op shop benefiting from local volunteers.

Rollingstone Lions president Ian Dow said the town had plenty of volunteers for every possible event.

“The majority of the people are retirees and they need to do something and what better way to do it,” he said.

Pictures: ALIX SWEENEY TOP OP TEAM: Debbie C alder at the popular Rollingstone op shop and ( below) manageress Angie Barr with fellow volunteers ( from left) Joan Ruddick, Vanda Simmons, Rhonda Muller, Terri Dallman, Ms Calder and Ruth Brookers.