High Tide is the kind of gift shop that once you know about it, you'll go back to shop for…read moreyourself. So it's type of gift store that has things you'd actually want to receive yourself, rather than just the okay but slightly pointless stuff you sometimes find in other gift shops. It has a New Zealandy theme without being tacky (think teatowels with the Four Square man and lovely handcreams featuring local ingredients and scents). Everytime I go here the stock seems to have been updated, which must be trickly in a little suburban shop, but is so necessary to keep customers' interest. It also has a bit of a beachy theme going on, which is all sort of fresh, white and blue striped, and relevant to the area too (the beach is just down the road). Best of all, the prices are genuinely reasonable for the quality of the products, and the service is brilliant - very relaxed and chatty.

Gifts Galore is crammed with fun and one of those shops where you don't know where to look first…read more There's everything in here from soft toys of all sizes (even those excellent giant Hello Kittys that I'm really not allowed to buy because it's silly), to stationery, hair accessories, socks, mugs, posters, and make up. And everything has that awesome Korean twist to it, so if you need stickers of your favourite K-pop artists, here's where you head. The staff don't speak heaps of English but they are really sweet and approachable, and I'm sure their Korean is top-notch! When I had trouble figuring out if the alarm clock I bought there would play music or not (I really can't stand that end-of-the-world beep beep beep of doom), they unpacked the clock, put batteries in, and demonstrated it for me. Now that's good service.

I have been coming here for over a decade, just because you get older doesn't mean you have to grow…read moreup. Gifts Galore has just that, a lot of gifts, packed from wall to wall with cuteness. There are two sides to the store, one mostly stuffed toys and the other is stationary. Everything from pens and notebooks to mini staplers and writing paper, you will find it with Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty of Miffy the Rabbit all over it. The fun doesn't stop there, umbrellas, earphones, bento sets and flasks, absolutely everything. Gifts Galore also boast an impressive range of scented pens. If you haven't written with ink that smells of oranges, you're missing out. Such a fun shop, great for the young and young at heart.

Elbow room only on this sunny public holiday on Waiheke Island at True Blue, 'THE' best gift shop…read moreon the island. Let's get serious about shopping for deliciously gorgeous items. Like retro bathing costumes for the ladies, and matching swim caps to go with them - there is a nice selection displayed to the rear of the store. How about the Nelle Tier New Zealand range of body products and perfumes, exclusive to this store on the Island, try the tester out and yo u will be an instant fan! A big baby range here and lots of goodies for the guys. Your home and garden will look considerably more stylish post True Blue purchase. As well a New Zealand artists and craftsmen on display there is a beautiful range of overseas products, Santa Fe inspired, Frida Karlo, Jackie O. Don't pass up a chance to visit.

I always find something in Acquisitions that surprises me. Just when I think novelty gifts couldn't…read moreget any quirkier, they surpass my expectations. Acquisitions is filled with anything and everything, so if you haven't got time for a good browse, the staff are always happy to point you in the right direction. I particularly like their range of greeting cards. The pop-up ones here are awesome and they're great for something a little different and fun when giving a gift to someone. The last time I was there, I saw a great artwork of the American flag and writing this really makes me wish I'd bought it now! They do a lot of Kiwiana stuff too, so its great if you're looking for a little piece of New Zealand. I always come back to Acquisitions for small gifts, because the service is exceptional. One guy I remember was super nice, not pushy at all and knew the products inside out. My partner and I had a great conversation with him and he helped us find what we were looking for. A grade service! I only wish this place was a little more central in the mall, so more people would get a look in. Its great for a nosy and you never know when you'll be heading back there for those champagne flutes, that cute key ring or last-minute stag party supplies.

This is pretty much the perfect place to buy a gift for your mum or grandma. They have lots of…read morelittle trinkets and ornaments and that kind of thing, perfect for a Christmas present or mother's day. This is also a cool place if you want to buy some unique souvenirs, not the usual boring kiwi souvenirs that you find in every generic souvenir shop, here they have some cool handcrafted Kiwiana. I think that is the coolest thing about this store, but they also have plenty of other things for sale like home ware and cooking utensils. You know, all that stuff that your nana would love. For guys, it's one of those shops that you kind of want to just get in, buy a gift, and get out, and the layout of this store makes it pretty easy to do just that.

I adore 101 Howick, and perhaps my one regret in life is that I left it too late to snap up one of…read morethe incredibly stylish and New-York-loft-esque stools that were basically one huge thread with a seat on top, and you could hand-screw to adjust in height. Okay maybe that's not the best description... Point being, they have tasteful, unusual, and beautiful homeware and gifts. There's a little bit of everything really, and if you like Redcurrent, you'll love 101 Howick. It's like Redcurrent with more cushions, and fewer candles. With more stylish pieces of occasional furniture, and fewer Olga Berg bags (not that I'm knocking them). Visit for a present you'd never have dreamed of, or a decent spoil for yourself.

Acquisitions is like a gift store on crack. Seriously, it's packed with so many things to buy…read more Almost too much. You can find yourself walking around the store for way too long faced with too many options to choose from. First world problems, I know, and in many ways less is more. In saying that though, it's the perfect place to go for a present for someone who has everything as there is so much stuff to choose from. It's situated in the Albany Westfield Mall and there's an entrance right buy the store. This means you can park pretty much outside and save yourself running all over the mall. You just need to make sure you drive over to the Cinema side of the mall and enter from there. It's a great place to go if you need a present, something to cheer you up or an hour to kill while window shopping.

I'm probably sexist in believing that girls enjoy gift buying more than men, however men are…read moreprobably the better gift givers, it's the process we hate so much. Maybe we fear buying a bad gift, and that's what inspires us to spend so much time and effort. Shopping for gifts is a torture like no other, but I've narrowed down my gift-buying destination to one, Acquisitions in Albany. This shop caters for all ages, differing tastes and even crosses the cultural barrier with ease. No matter the occasion, or the person on the receiving end, the gifts you can get here are of high quality, and for most instances, inexpensive too. My birthday is coming up soon, please feel free to shop for my gift at Acquisitions, they've got my approval.

Ever wandered where to find a store with nice wicker baskets that don't cost the moon? Well, head…read moreon down to Highland Park - there's a store down that way that has wicker baskets, wicker doll prams, cane wall art and nice lamps. They were very well priced, much better than The Warehouse or another furniture shop. It's also extremely environment friendly, with their products made from 100% sustainable materials, such as willow or rattan. Slightly annoying to have the shop lady on the phone nattering away very loudly, but the ambience of this place is really, really inviting. You almost want to turn it into a baby nursery or a woman's craft room.

It's a painfully small and quiet shop, and it has much the same variety as all the other bargain…read morestores scattered around Auckland. I gave 1,2,3 Plus 3 stars though for the exceptionally friendly owner. A sweet Chinese man with a big grin, he has more than the typical 'Hi' & 'Thank you' to offer you. He goes out of his way to wish you a 'Happy Easter' and plays some great tunes, such as the 'Phantom of the Opera' suite. I was immediately warmed by his big heart and wanted to stay a bit longer. I'm not a huge fan of discount stores, but I'm usually dragged in by my bargain hunting mother. At least I wanted to stay in this one for a while, and sing along to 'All I Ask of You'.

Surprizes is really just another way of saying 'we sell whatever we like'. There's a great variety…read moreof ornaments, toys, useful cooking implements, pens, notepads, etc. Nothing particularly stands out from the rest of the gift shops, as this place looks a lot like Acquisitions at the other end of the mall. However, it's worth a squiz if you're looking for something a tad different, quirky or just to kill some time while you're waiting for a friend to arrive. They always have an intriguing window display, and a big smile to offer when you walk in, so that's something to look forward too.

I tend to visit Surprizes when I'm after something and I don't quite know what is it yet…read more Basically, I go to Suprizes to be inspired. There's just so much to look at here and they're always adding new items- its hard to keep up! From mini glass sculptures of...well, anything really, to canvas prints and shot glasses, they cover a lot of ground here and for a gift shop they're definitely stocked up on almost anything you could imagine. Unlike other gift shops, I'm always a little scared that I'll knock something over here- there are fragile items everywhere! One of the best things I've ever seen at Suprizes was a modern take on the 21st key; it was a beautiful silver key that doubled as a giant bottle opener. I'm not sure how common those are, but it was my first sighting of one, and I instantly want to rewind time and tell my 20 year old self about it. I also enjoy their section of photo frames and albums- its really hard to find nice, elegant and plain frames like the ones at Surprizes. The only bad thing about Surprizes is that I can't take my Tank smoothie in there with me for a browse- rough times for a multi-tasker.