Long before the toilet paper rampage caused any problem in our household, one of our local Coles supermarkets had a delivery in the morning. (It was the 24-roll Sorben pack.)

We darted into ALDI (in the same square), and another shopper (who overheard me saying something about how ridiculous the toilet paper panic buying was) said in a stage whisper to me, "Coles just over there has some toilet paper." I thanked her and said we'd already managed to buy a roll from there but that it was so nice to see friendly community information exchange! (Or something along those lines.)

Almost everything is available again locally. We're very lucky in having... 4 x Coles, 2 x Woolworths, 2 x ALDI, 1 x IGA and 1 independent family-owned supermarket providing - among other items - goods produced locally from the Yarra Valley area... all within 10 minutes' drive. We also have local shops providing wonderful things that aren't available in supermarkets, including an excellent spice/grains/nuts/flours shop selling in bulk (as much or as little as one wants), a continental butcher (20 minutes or so away), several delicatessens (with my favourite about 18 minutes away), some very good greengrocers...

Even with that range of shops and supermarkets, it's a sign of how insidious the panic-buying was, in that for two weeks straight I saw no toilet paper for sale anywhere. (We weren't in need of it at the time; I usually buy enough toilet paper to last for 6 weeks in the household.)

FLOUR ALERT!

I rang Lighthouse, and they informed me that the Woolworths distribution centre in Mulgrave and the Coles distribution centre in Somerton would be receiving more packets of Lighthouse flour (including the one I want for pastry-making) next week. That's a heads-up for any bakers on these boards.