The Looksharp empire has a few different branches now but this big shop in Onehunga in the best use…read moreof the old Woolworths/Deka building I've seen in a long time. While it probably doesn't get as much as foot traffic, it's worth the drive - even if you just visit this one shop. It's basically an Asian super-store, full of all the things we've come to expect but crucially MORE. There's just more products and BETTER products - there's an entire "naughty" section here as well as an entire range of inflatables. Need an inflatable palm tree for your living room? This is your place. There's neck ties, fake flowers, party supplies, home supplies, kitchen stuff; you can easily spend several hours here treasure hunting. Best of all, you will find items that are available at upmarket gift stores for the price they really should cost - buggar all.

Unfortunately Looksharp is only a recent discovery of mine and I wish I'd known about this sooner!…read moreOnehunga is probably one of the quieter branches but is still packed to the brim with a lot of things you may or may not need. A friend and I visited when everything in store was 30% off- and to think that Looksharp prices are already really reasonable, we definitely stockpiled on a few things! We made the trip because she was having a luau-themed birthday party- Looksharp had just about everything we were hoping to get! Flower leis, an inflatable floral ukelele, palm tree drinking glasses, bamboo torches, lei bracelets, floral dishes; I could go on! We did catch ourselves making jokes such as "wouldn't it be awesome if they had....", only to find said item seconds later. The selection there was great and I'd come back in a heartbeat for any party goods and decorations. I'm huge on gifts so I loved seeing all of their goodie bags, chinese boxes in an assortment of colours, as well as their scrapbooking section- everything was so well-priced, much cheaper than getting similar products somewhere else, like Spotlight. There's literally so much at Looksharp, I'd make the trip only because I have a feeling it won't be your last!

While waiting for my flight in the Auckland Airport, I was thirsty. I decided to shop for a bottled…read morebeverage & got side-tracked. However, around NZ was the perfect store to get sidetracked in! I found all the souvenirs for each of my grandkids! One stop shop! The customer service was top notch!!! Deraley was quite helpful and very polite & friendly. For the store being inside of the airport, the prices were reasonable and the selection of items was quite generous!

If you are in Auckland on a Saturday morning, one of the most unique things to check out is the…read moreOtara Polynesia Market, located just a 15-minute drive from the Auckland International Airport. This market is held only on Saturdays and is open from 6 AM to 12 PM. While there is plenty of fresh produce for sale, there is so much more to this market. You'll find rows of food stalls with local Polynesian island favorites as well as Maori hangi (meat and various sides cooked in an underground oven). And if you're into shopping, this is your spot. You will find gorgeous carvings and artwork that will likely be the cheapest you'll find anywhere in the country. I lived in New Zealand and this was one of my favorite weekend spots.

This famous market South of Auckland stock great Maori, Samoan, Tongan and Niue arts and craft ,…read morehowever a worthy mention must go to a recent fixture, a clothing stall called 'House of Harem'. The friendly Aeryn has consistently gone out of her way to help me find that 'exact' unique item of clothing, particularly harem pants funnily enough, (although the beautiful silk or satin dresses and skirts are stunning too). These harem pants are great as gifts as they are one size fits most, 8-18 she assures me, and come in an array of textures and patterns... actually I am wearing some right now...

It took me ages to find a decent wind chime, as they aren't nearly as popular as they once were…read more After scouring $2 stores, gift shops and second hand places, I eventually found myself in Rivendell. The ceiling is covered in wind chimes of all different shapes, sizes and prices! I was delighted and still have the one I bought that day. Aside from that, it lives up to its magical middle earth name by having the greatest array of fantasy objects you can imagine. Dragons, fairies, crystals, skulls, wizards, witches or even the odd troll. If you care to be inspired, go visit the elves hidden in Manukau Westfield.

This lovely shop hidden away in a shopping mall, seems to transport you to a different world when…read moreyou enter. Maybe a gateway to Middle Earth is somewhere within. Such a vast collection of Dragons, Dream Catchers, and Fairies alike have gathered here awaiting new carers. Just the place to pick up some crystals and healing oils too.

I love Love Cast. Geddit? Well, that's okay, it wasn't really a joke was it…read more This isn't the kind of shop that you'd come to for one thing in particular, it's much more a browser (nothing to do with computers). It's definitely a girly-girl, nana-ish type of place, and as all of the stock is Asian, may I say Asian-y? The best things are these little microwaveable porcelain bowls that come with plastic lids, so that you can store leftovers classily in your fridge and then reheat them easily. So now you know that you have to appreciate the dinky to really like Love Cast. No wait, the best things are these plastic spoons. I'm not sure I can give them full credit here though. They come in lots of different sizes (from eating to serving) and colours, and are I think made of melamine. I have quite a collection and find them superior for desserts and cereal consumption when the thought of the cold metal of an ordinary spoon is deeply offensive to one's sense of culinary aesthetics. And perhaps they're so appealing because we all ate off them as babies. Also, they have slippers (in the manner of thin-soled things to offer to guests), some pretty quilts down the back of the shop, and some extraordinarily kitsch clocks. There's also jewellery and other bits and pieces.