Over $200

Sydney V8 Race Car 6 Lap Drive

A car-obsessed dad who has held a licence for decades and never driven anything on a circuit. Check his height and weight before buying.

Ottocast OttoAibox P3 Lite CarPlay AI Box

The dad with a car he likes and a screen he does not, who would rather have apps than mirroring

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 - Mens Running Shoes

The dad coming back to running after a few years off whose knees start grumbling on anything past 5km

For social play

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, two dozen

The dad who tees off with a Pro V1 and is playing something anonymous by the fourth

the Dose Control Pro

The dad with a decent espresso machine and a bad grinder or none at all, and redundant for anyone whose machine already grinds for itself.

Seiko 5 Sports SNK613 Automatic Watch, Blue Dial

The dad who would wear a proper watch but has never owned one. Thirty metres is splash resistance rather than swimming, so not the lap swimmer.

Meater Pro 2 Plus

The dad who sears over direct coals and wants a probe he does not have to pull out before the hot part

Kookaburra Pro 1000 Cricket Kit Bag, wheelie duffle, medium

The dad who plays fourth grade, carries everyone else’s spare gloves, and owns a bag held together by its one remaining zip

V8 Race Car Driving Experience - 5 Laps - Queensland Raceway

The dad who watches Bathurst and still talks about a car he owned in 1994, not someone anxious behind the wheel or over the physical limits below.

Kookaburra Pro Players Tour Cricket Wheelie Bag

The dad carting a splitting duffel bag from the boot to the changerooms every weekend

For playing

Garmin Striker Plus 4 Fishfinder with GPS and Dual-Beam Transducer

The dad fishing from a kayak, tinny or hire boat with no electronics at all. Not the offshore boat owner, who needs a bigger screen and more transducer than this.

Classic Carlectables Holden EH Utility 1:18, Golden Fleece Heritage Collection

The dad who remembers the ram on the sign and can still tell you what a gallon cost

1960s

Hot Air Balloon Ride & Breakfast - Hunter Valley

The dad who would rather be given a morning than a thing, and not the one with knee, hip or back trouble who cannot stand for an hour.

Classic Carlectables Holden HK Monaro GTS 327, 1968 Bathurst, 1:18

The dad who can tell you who really won Bathurst in 1968 and why the scrutineers were wrong

1960s

Victorinox Cybertool Large Swiss Army Knife, 39 Functions

The dad who fixes things and would rather not walk to the shed. It carries a blade, so it cannot be posted to every destination and cannot be taken through an airport in hand luggage.

Has a cutting edge. eBay Australia sells it to over-18s only and verifies age at checkout.

Classic Carlectables Holden EH Special 1:18, Aqua Turquoise

The dad whose family had one, or whose neighbour did, and who has never stopped noticing them

1960s

Premium Whisky and Gourmet Hamper

A milestone birthday, a retirement, or a group gift from several siblings chipping in.

Alcohol. Sold to over-18s only by Gourmet Basket, who verifies age at checkout and delivery.

GME GX865 5/1 Watt Handheld Portable VHF Marine Radio - White

The dad who fishes out of sight of land with a mobile phone in a sandwich bag as his entire safety plan

Shimano Saragosa SW A 5000 XG Spinning Reel

The dad fishing inshore, off the beach or from a boat for mid-sized fish. If he is chasing tuna offshore, the 14000 is the one.

Shimano Saragosa SW A 14000 XG Spinning Reel

The dad fishing offshore or off the rocks for big fish. Too much reel for a creek or an estuary, where the 5000 is the size.

Makita 18V Brushless Combo Kit, 2 Piece, DLX2283S

The dad still working off a corded drill or a dying no-name cordless. Skip it if he is already on a different 18V platform, because the batteries do not cross over.

Garmin Striker Vivid 5cv Fishfinder with GPS and GT20-TM Transducer

The dad with a tinny or a runabout still running a bare depth sounder, or nothing at all. Not the kayak or land-based fisher, where a portable unit makes more sense.

EcoFlow River 2 Max Portable Power Station, 512Wh

The dad who camps a few weekends a year and wants one box that charges everything. Not the one running a fridge for a fortnight, where the bigger units earn their weight.

DJI Mini 5 Pro Drone

The dad who takes photos on every trip and has run out of angles. Check the current CASA rules for where he can fly before buying, because near an airport or over a crowd is not one of them.

CaddyTek CaddyLite EZ-Fold Pro Three Wheel Golf Push Buggy

The dad walking eighteen with a carry bag, or already pushing a buggy that takes five minutes and both hands to fold. No use to someone who always takes a motorised cart.

Traeger Induction Cast Iron Skillet

The dad who cooks on both a pellet grill and an induction cooktop and owns a separate pan for each

Weber 57cm Compact Kettle Charcoal Barbecue

The dad who has a gas barbecue and has started talking about charcoal. Not the apartment balcony, where open charcoal is usually banned.

Breville The Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Grinder

The dad who owns an espresso machine but grinds badly or not at all, and unnecessary for anyone whose machine already has a grinder built in.

Ozpig Series 2 Portable Wood Fire Stove

The dad who camps as well as entertains and likes cooking over wood, not someone who wants push-button heat with no ash to deal with.

Breville The Bambino Espresso Machine Brushed Stainless Steel

The dad with a small kitchen or an apartment who wants real espresso, and not the one without a grinder and no intention of buying one.

Meater Pro Duo Smart WiFi Thermometer

The dad who does overnight low-and-slow cooks and sets alarms to go outside and check the pit

Tandem Beach Skydive Up To 15,000ft - Weekend - Wollongong

The dad who has said out loud that he would like to try it, and definitely not the one you are hoping to surprise into bravery.

Babolat Pure Drive 98 2025 Racquet

The dad who plays graded competition and has been saying for a year that his frame is spraying balls long

For the serious player

VoltX E600 Portable Power Station

The dad who camps a few weekends a year and does not want to listen to a generator, or run his car battery flat

Coros Pace 4 Premium Multisport GPS Watch With Nylon Band - Black

The dad working through a structured marathon plan with his phone strapped to his arm

For the serious player

Gasmate Stellar Black Deluxe Outdoor Area Heater

The dad with a good outdoor setup that nobody sits in between May and September

Speedo Mens Fastskin LZR Pure Valor 2.0 Jammer

The dad chasing a masters national qualifying time who counts tenths of a second off his 100 free

For the serious player

Oklahoma Joe’s Tabletop Rambler Charcoal Grill

The dad who camps or tailgates and will not accept that gas tastes the same as coals

Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

The dad who wants the fire and the ritual as much as the pizza, and not the one who just wants dinner fast, who is better served by a gas-only oven.

BogaGrip Special Fish Grips

The dad who tags and releases, or fishes club competitions where a disputed weight actually costs him something

Bondi Hottie Surfboard 8'

The dad who surfed hard in his twenties, has not paddled out in fifteen years, and wants something forgiving that the kids can learn on too

ARB Premium Recovery Kit Series 2

The dad who goes bush with mates and currently has one snatch strap rolling around the back with no shackles rated to match it

ARB Portable Air Compressor (Brushed) Single 12V

The dad who airs down happily for the sand but dreads the drive home, because pumping four tyres back up on a cigarette-lighter pump takes the best part of an hour

BLUETTI AC70P Portable Power Station, 864Wh

The dad who camps off-grid, works from a ute, or lives somewhere the power drops out. Not the hiker, because this is a heavy box rather than a battery pack.

Ozpig Big Pig Wood Fired Cooker and Heater

The dad who camps in the cold half of the year, or who wants a fire on a patio where an open one is not allowed. Not the fly-in traveller, because it is heavy and it is steel.

Coros Apex 4 Sports GPS Watch 46mm - Black

The dad who runs 100km events and has had a watch die on him partway through a race

For the serious player

DJI Power 1000 V2 Portable Power Station

The dad who works remotely from a caravan, or wants household backup that also comes camping

Ferrari, Lotus & Lamborghini Drive Experience, 12 Laps - Sydney

The car dad with a clean licence and a bit of track curiosity, not a nervous driver or anyone who would spend four hours worrying about the excess.

Ooni Koda 2 Pro

The dad who already hosts and wants the outdoor-kitchen upgrade, and not the apartment dweller or anyone who needs to pack the oven away after every use.

Ooni Karu 2 Pro Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven 16 inch

The dad who has spent a decade chasing good pizza with a stone in the kitchen oven and never quite got there

Gentrax GTX4200 Pro Inverter Generator

The dad with a caravan who wants to run air conditioning off-grid, or needs genuine home backup during outages

Arc XL

The committed home pizza-maker feeding a crowd who would rather buy once, and not the curious beginner, for whom this is a lot of money and 26.5kg of commitment.

the Barista Touch Impress

The dad who wants cafe coffee at home without learning barista technique and has someone with a milestone budget buying it, and not the hands-on tinkerer, who will find the automation patronising.

Jet Fighter Flight - 25 Minutes - Sydney

The milestone-birthday dad in good health who has already done the skydive and the V8 day, not someone who gets motion sick or has a heart condition.