Dixie & Richard came to Batemans Bay in the early nineties and opened up a department store called Browse About located in the middle of North Street.  As Batemans Bay started to grow, in the late nineties they decided to expand their business, rebrand & redesign. This meant Dixie & Richard opened up two separate stores, one being a footwear store called Vamep & the other being Saltwater Dream.

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This is where the journey for Saltwater Dream began, and where it found its feet and become a popular surf store located on the corner of North Street & Clyde Street in the Blandford complex.

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​In 2004 the face of Batemans Bay changed forever with the town facing changing development and the opening of a shopping complex. Dixie & Richard knew it was then; they had to further develop the store and open up a bigger & better Saltwater Dream. The new store is a 420 square meter shop front with an adjoining store dedicated to specialising in ladies & girls' swimwear. Their main store offers something for everyone in the family from fashion, street wear, boy's & men's swimwear, skate hardware, surf hardware & accessories.

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​In 2008, Dixie and Richard decided it was time to open up Saltwater Dream's sister store in Merimbula. This store was a great success and was welcomed by the local community.  Then with the unexpected passing of Richard in July 2019, Dixie losing her home & everything on NYE in the Black Summer Fires, and then the Merimbula store facing landlord problems with COVID in early 2020. Dixie had the challenge of having to shut her store due to her workload and the landlord disbelieving in COVID, wanting high rents.& forcing her to a pay-out.

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​Dixie is now focusing on one store to offer the best range of quality items to her local community and tourist. As Batemans Bay is where she calls home and has for over 30 years.