Gorgeous Art gallery in the heart of Auckland! My husband and I enjoyed strolling the gallery…read moreduring a recent trip. I really enjoyed their Manet and Picasso pieces. If you have a few hours to spare, there's a really nice outdoor space to sit and read a book!

We had just finished eating on Queen Street and were wandering around the area when we stumbled…read moreupon this art gallery museum. We decided to walk in and I'm glad we did. The first floor is free and features several exhibitions, so we took our time roaming around. One of the main exhibits focused on Māori art, and we spent about an hour exploring the pieces and learning more about Māori history in New Zealand. It was genuinely informative and beautifully presented. There was also a display by a Korean artist on the first floor. I don't quite remember the theme, but the design of the house-like structure had some Chinese influences, which made it visually interesting. Overall, if you have some time to spare and want to cool off from the scorching sun, this gallery is definitely worth a visit. Bonus points for clean restrooms, too!

If you have artistic flare but not the traditional type, then come on down to 85 Cavendish Drive…read more(in the hub with Big Save Furniture, PK Furniture and Reece), there is a massively long drive way that backs onto Chipmunks which has fantastic graffiti art all over it. Graffiti artists from all around the world have come here and painted magnificent pieces, showing off their talents and skills which have made them known world wide. Before meeting my boyfriend never was I into this art, but it really is quite unique. These big bold pieces are done with spray cans and spraying techniques. I would never have known that those fine straight lines were all done freehand. It really is an art and far from the horrible eye sore tagging which gives graffiti a bad name. This local flavour is totally worth coming to view. It gives so much character to the area. I truly am a fan!

This store is great because it doesn't cater to the 'kitschy' side of New Zealand art and design as…read moremuch as some souvenir type stores like it do. It's more of an Art Gallery rather than a store. And affordable too. I love artist Tony Cribbs 'Adventures of Tin man' series and always like to pick something up whenever I see one in a store or gallery. They are just too cute. And funny as well. I always get compliments on them whenever I have people over to mine. They just exemplify the New Zealand sense of humor so well. I like the fact that Mana also has prints of a lot of their artworks so if you can't afford the actual original artwork itself there are still opportunities for you to own a slice of something. I'm currently crushing on one of their artworks, one of a Maori girl/princess wrapped in a traditional woven cloak. I may have to settle on the print of this one myself!

If you're looking for some absolutely beautiful local art, jewellery or gifts for someone visiting…read moreNew Zealand to take home with them or even to send to someone abroad, this place should be your one stop shop. They've got a fairly small but carefully curated collection of glassware, paintings and sculptures alongside jewellery and cards and other nick-nacks. My favourite things in here are the necklaces. Long thin silver chains with bird and flower pendants, which were gorgeous and really unusual. Things like this range from around $40 up to $400, so you're sure to find something no matter what your budget. I've been looking for a Green Stone necklace for my partner for quite some time and have never been able to find one that I really love, but the ones in Mana are the nicest I've seen in Auckland. Plus they were playing Ben Howard on the stereo when I walked in, which just made me like it even more.

I'm so pleased I accidentally stumbled across this little gallery on Ponsonby Road; it's a small,…read morequiet but inviting space on the K' Road end of Ponsonby and showcases small but interesting exhibitions in its whitewashed rooms. I really like its current "Islanders" exhibition, which showcases the work of NZ sculptor Jo Torr. I'm really fascinated by fashion history and the exhibition provided a unique insight into how Polynesian culture inspired European dress during the early days of New Zealand's colonization, which I found really interesting. There are usually two exhibits on in the gallery at any one time: a small one in the window at the front, and the main one covering the rest of the gallery. It's a real shame the gallery isn't slightly bigger as, really, you couldn't spend more than about half an hour in there; but it's free and culturally enriching. I think it's really important for places like this to exist in any city and this one is great if you just want a quiet break from the noise of the city for a while, learn about stuff or just look at beautiful things. Exhibitions usually change around once every month or two.

"You know, I'm no art critic. But I know what I hate. And I don't hate this." - C. M. Burns,…read morePowerplant owner. Never a truer word was spoken. Art galleries are pretty boring sometimes. I don't think Starkwhite could ever be described as boring, which I think is probably the most important thing for an art gallery, right? Starkwhite consistently displays work by artists who challenge their audience. Whether they're poking fun at something or maintaining a poker face, the work always has something to say. That's why I like Starkwhite and always go inside if they've got a new artist exhibiting. Best thing I saw there was this terrific sculpture piece that saw a tray of eggs drooping perilously over the corners of an empty doorway. It was bloody excellent. Probably one of the best contemporary art galleries in Auckland.

Outstanding service and selection of gifts. I purchased a print and love the story behind it…read more Staff are awesome and will bend over backwards to help you.

Wonderful shop with artifacts, green stones, pottery, wall art and much more - a gem close to…read moreWestfield mall. Fern was a great help And very attentive. a must in Auckland!

Ever time I visit Fingers, I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. I think it may well be my…read morefavourite shop in Auckland. In sparkling glass cases and slim wooden drawers, Fingers displays the creative outputs of some very, very talented jewellers. From highly wearable rings, necklaces, brooches, and bracelets, to high-art pieces that would look equally good displayed on a wall at home as they would on a human body, Fingers has hands down the most exciting range of contemporary jewellery in town. The materials showcased range from the traditional gold and silver, as well some some stunning pounamu, to the extremely modern looks of plastic, aluminium, and even sheepskin (I'm not kidding) - Fingers is a ever-thrilling visual destination, not to mention a pretty exciting place to pick something out!

It's the fact that Parnell Gallery is not arrogant or assuming, in staff, in art and inside, that…read moremakes it such a hit art gallery. The suburb of Parnell does have a clichéd "hoitytoity" image of older, more wealthy denizens. Parnell Gallery is less conceited and more light hearted than it's sober neighbours. While still looking classy, they throw their doors open and welcome you to enjoy art, to get excited about bold colours and take pride in New Zealand artists. They display a range of artistic styles and art forms from prints to statuettes. They share the Parnell vista with you from their balcony. They have FUN with the contemporary art, offering occasional hands-on experiences with the artists, as demonstrated again by this years White Night.

This hidden oasis is a major fave of mine, located upstairs off the busy K Rd…read more Up the stairs and you will hear funky music grooving away care of the K Fm studio based at the same address. If you are after a cup of warm beverage especially the herbal tea variety well this is your Auckland tea wonderland. Tea Culture has a massive selection to choose from with such imaginative names and taste bud melting descriptions. A great tea lounge to have a pot of tea at and enjoy the great music care of Krd fm any day of your busy week to unwind and let time slip away. The staff at Tea Culture are ultra cool and chilled. Perhaps request a song at the station it's only a skip and a jump from your seat?

It was a friend of mine who put me onto this place. Hidden up in what appears at first to be the…read moreentrance to a tattoo studio and radio station is the best place to have tea in Auckland. There are large glass jars that take up most of the space up here, loose leaf teas, a massive range of herbal teas that even have descriptions on the jars as to the ailments they are meant to heal. I felt like I was in some African Voodoo Pharmacy, it was awesome. This is a really nice place to sit and relax, over looking K Road while you drink your tea. Your tea is kept on one one of those tea light burning contraptions to stop it getting cold and there is honey available if you want a little added sweetness. Even if you're not a big tea fan, you might be after paying a visit to Tea Culture.

I have driven past this character house on Fred Thomas Drive many a time on my excursions out and…read moreabout, and actually did pop in many years ago to find that there onsite cafe was closed that day. However on this occasion they were open, and I got to attend a free pre school art class in the centre. Part of the summer community program for children in the pre school age range, my three year old and I attended a morning session for about half an hour, where we participated in weaving using different arts and crafts and decorating our pieces. I got to meet other parents with little children and also au pairs. Then after the fantastic class the children and parents, etc relaxed outdoors on the lawn with free toys from the community trust, just a great way to spend time with other mums with little children. Lots of space for the kids to run about and let of steam, and they even had a permanent play tee pee and swing. Inside the main building is a cafe where you can purchase food and drinks and sit inside undercover of the dining room, or deck, and even outside if it is a sunny warm day. Good to know that there are classes that you can enroll your children in from school age five, somewhere that creativity flows freely.

I recently had a friend exhibit some art work here and was quite impressed with the place. Its a…read morebeautiful old heritage building on Barry's Point Reserve in Takapuna so once you're there you feel like you're at a private estate in the country (ok maybe sometimes depending on wind direction you can hear the motorway traffic). I had previously thought it was just a gallery that local artists put their work in but its much more - basically a community centre only way more interesting. They have art classes for all ages and all sorts of free children's programmes during the summer. Also really cool is every couple of years they host a wood-sculpting event where you can go and watch sculptors create pretty large-scale art pieces from raw wood over ten consecutive days. There's a café onsite that caters and does functions and they have a few different rooms in the lake house itself that are available for venue hire too. This place is not just for the arty-farty!