Your guaranteed that just about every village in Auckland has an op shop, and the Matakana Op shop…read moreis another store full of old goodies to browse. Run by some elderly volunteers possibly from the next door Anglican Church, they are cheerful group. I actually was in store on a mission to find a cast iron fry pan, my partner and I had been on the lookout for and old school pan to gift to my mum, as she had admired our cool antique one. The shop is full to the brim with all kinds of things; clothes, cutlery, books, videos, music, tea pots, crockery, pots and pans. I didn't leave with the wanted pan in hand but I did find the perfect pot, which till today still serves us well in the kitchen. This op shop is always worth a stop in when in the village, as you really never can tell what they will be selling, and it's always a hunt for gold really.

The Matakana Op Shop has been there FOREVER. It's about the size of a hallway cupboard, and has all…read morethe things you'd be likely to find in a hallway cupboard too. Books, clothes, kitchenware, toys...all sorts. People just drop their unwanted goods at the door and you come in and buy them for cheap. The exciting bit is that it's a lottery. Sometimes you'll leave empty handed, other times you'll take home the full 'Clan of the Cave Bear' series, a new skirt and a set of tea cups. My favourite thing about the Matakana Op Shop is the smell. Yes it's a little musty and moth ball smelling (again think your hallway cupboard) but that to me is the smell of treasure hunting, and if you're lucky enough treasure is what you'll find!

Piece is a contemporary art gallery tucked underneath Matakana Cinema. Every time I walk passed…read morethere seem to be brilliant new creations in the window. They have amazing recycled glass light fixtures and wall hangings. The jewellery is really unique and made in different and interesting mediums. They do beautiful exhibitions in ceramics and glass from a range of NZ artists. Recently they had the vase exhibition; who would have thought vases could be so interesting, there were some real funky items. Although there's no way I can afford any of it, I would love to have one of these fun creative pieces in my home, something to aspire to I guess!

We were driving to Tawharanui Regional Park and noticed the sculptures peeking out from inside a…read moregarden and decided we must stop in. We are so glad that we did. We found a lovely art gallery that even includes pieces from Chihuly that led to a couple of beautiful gardens adjacent to the gallery. Beyond this there is yet another larger sculpture garden with meandering paths that sometimes led to aviaries as well as other small animal areas (such as rabbits). They will be having a couple of "native" pigs join the property soon as they just arrived today. We met the owners, Anthony and Sandra Grant as she arrived on property with their new pets. Between our visit to the gallery and the larger sculpture garden, we stopped by for a wine tasting and met Tina who was generous and informative sharing about the wines grown on their estate. The Gallery Syrah and Bordeaux Blend were our favorites. Much appreciation is extended to Tina for her kindness and hospitality! After the sculpture garden, we ventured over to their restaurant, Rothko. Unfortunately for us, the restaurant was fully booked with reservations. Fortunately for us, they had seating at the picnic tables outside and they served wine and small bites. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience and will definitely be back!

Fabulous collection if (mostly) modern art sculptures set in beautifully manicured gardens and chic…read moreindoor galleries. One hour from auckland cbd... we were tourists, renting a city hop car (very reasonable and convenient)... 1 hour to get there and 3 hours in the setting, well worth the time and expense!

Warkworth Market is a bric-a-brac lovers dream. It's a treasure trove of old goodies; lots of it…read morelooks like it's from nana's glass cabinet or old cupboard. I always like having a quick browse at the antiques; you can find some interesting bits and bobs. Little ornaments, bowls, old kitchen ware and jewellery, there's lots of trinkets to rifle through. The second (or third) hand book section is my favourite. There is always a big range of old books. They have clothing too, which can be hit and miss but is generally ok quality. The Market can vary in price, sometimes it's reasonable and other times I think it's overpriced. I guess different items hold differing value for different people. It's worth a look anyway, even if it's just for a curious browse

There's always an occasion for a shop like this! Children's birthdays are a perfect example. Often…read moreI think WHAT THE HECK when I see people dishing out big bucks for kiddies gifts. I mean really, what child is going to appreciate the quality of their gift, which will more than likely get lost, broken or forgotten within a month? Enter: Mega Choice. Not quite the average/crappy $2 shop. This place has some really good stuff! Lot's of great gifts, cool dress ups, essential stationary, colouring books... everything. And it's all affordable. The name says it all really. Go inside and be faced with a mega choice of goodies!

It's hard not to! (Love this shop that is). I love the idea behind this store... it's mostly local…read moredesigners and its all handmade clothing and jewellery. There are some beautiful and unique items in here and the love behind them (and the store) is obvious. The stock varies quite a bit, and although sometimes there's not too much in the store, I always find something new when I pop in. Debbie (who owns it) is such a vibrant lady and always greets you with a beaming smile. It's hard to categorise the age group 'Love this Shop' would appeal too, there really is such a mix. But I think anyone that is after something special, made with care and individual would appreciate what they're trying to do here

Last Friday my wife and I was out and about shopping for gifts, when I came upon a boutique store…read morethat will forever change the way my wife shops for clothing. This store is everything that chain stores are not. The fashion within was unique, and the style absolutely stunning. The people of Warkworth is now the envy of all Auckland shoppers not prepared to make the way up the Northern Motorway. Katya Maker stocks a unique range of shoes imported from Bulgaria, and provides a personalised service that is missing from so many stores these days.

I love popping into this Red Cross when my mum's going to the supermarket nearby. It's awesome…read morebecause you never really know what you're going to find. And because it's on the shore there's way less 'vintage' hunters stealing all the good stuff. The other day I found the most amazing brown boots that will do me so well for winter. The prices aren't super cheap compared to some other op shops but the clothes they sell seem to be of a higher quality. It's like they filter out all the bad stuff and only put good quality, rather new pieces out. They also make the front window display really good which adds to the higher quality theme. The staff obviously care about this store and try really hard to make it a great place for their customers.

I like this op shop the most because their pricing is not as outrageous as some of the others,…read moreBrowns Bay is quite the op shop destination. They also colour coordinate their clothes and put extra special effort into their display window. I also like the conversations you can't help but overhear, people being kind to people. That's what it's all about.