This is an excellent idea. A one-stop shop for brides planning their big day, and those going along…read morefor the ride, grooms, bridemaids etc etc. They don't actually sell wedding dresses or any of those kind of big-ticket items, but all the little accessories you might want to buy such as garters, horsehoes(?!) and little diamante hair accessories, that kind of thing. There are also all kinds of silly things you may need for a groom or hen's night. Not the devil's horns or blow up doll but the bride-to-be sash, the comedy drinking goblets etc. I am pretty sure anyone part of a bridal party would find something useful at this shop or on the company's website.

Ran in here on a Sunday afternoon to grab a present for a one year old. Not the cheapest place to…read morego but the range in here is special and gorgeous and The Garden Party are a passionate supporter of Kiwi-made products. All the bases are covered and this is where I would prefer people shop for me : ) You won't find any of these items stocked at The Warehouse or K-Mart and I am happy to pay more for the local designer items - they are really beautiful. There's funny stuff, cool stuff, pretty stuff, home stuff, kids' stuff and more. Oh yeah and garden stuff. There's art and jewellery and a range of special cards. After a quick browse I asked the nice lady for some help and we settled on Baa Baa Smart Sheep, an award-winning book about poo by Mark and Rowan Sommerset, along with an Alphabet Wall Chart featuring such child-genius words as Astrophysicist. Not everything is crazy expensive (these two items weren't) and in future I'm going to try and get here for all my gift purchases because why wouldn't you? Everything about it is better - no plastic crap from China and the pleasure of giving something just a little bit different.

More than anything else here, the fact that you can always find friendly and helpful service in a…read morePonsonby gift store astounds me. I have consistently been greeted in a cheery fashion by the staff at The Garden Party, whether browsing or gift hunting. And this is certainly a great gift shop to browse in, combining the fancy gift stores of Parnell with some great Kiwi flair, so they don't have the tacky "New Zealand souvenir" feel. A fantastic store, showcasing New Zealand talent, nostalgia and humour; a brilliant shop for impressing friends overseas with something other than postcards of Cape Reinga. A big hit are tea-towels designer by Melina Martin and the Lynskey sisters (yes, cool tea-towels).

Chambers offers a good mix of luxury gift and homeware items with relatively affordable pieces. The…read morebusiness is actually split in two, each store a few steps apart on the same side of Ponsonby Road: one offers candles, glassware, bowls and furniture etc while the other focuses more on linen and bedding. I can always go in with a gift or occasion in mind and find something that will fit my budget... as well as a lot of things that won't! Regardless, on a road where things tend to ere on the side of over-priced, Chambers is a good starting point for homeware and gifts.

This is a great shop for picking up unique presents that once unwrapped, won't immediately scream…read moretheir price point at the recipient. And if you're looking for a bigger commitment, the furniture is pretty much unique within Auckland. Buana Satu has changed a lot over the years. It's evolved from something more along the lines of The Third Eye, into a more upmarket, modern haven of unique art and homewares like rugs, bags, cushions, and crockery. When I last visited I was completely smitten with the little mermaid sculptures hanging on the wall - glittery, kitsch, and with little moko. So adorable. And surprisingly inexpensive. There are a lot of things with a slight kiwi bent available here, but they're definitely not souvenirs. They're much nicer than that. In sum, it's a kind of "I bought this for someone but on second thoughts I might just keep it for myself" haven.

This store really surprised me. From the outside it looks like it's going to be your typically…read moreoverpriced home-wares store, but on closer inspection, it's actually got some rather nice little Kiwi-centric gifts such as traditional greenstone necklaces and other New Zealand made jewellery. It's a really great gift shop to find things for friends or family abroad and even better for visitors to the country to buy something distinctly Kiwi to take home with them. I also really like the selection of Buddhas they have in the store, made from stone and resin and available in a variety of sizes and styles. It's a spacious store, with nice lighting and relaxing music on the stereo. making for a very pleasant browsing experience and the lovely guy behind the counter really knew what he was talking about when I made an enquiry.

This place sells some funky furnishings to brighten up your home. They also stock some great…read morefurniture, jewellery, and gift ideas. The bright colours and textures of items spilling out around their small entrance is what drew me in for the first time. I have shopped there several times, and although I love their stuff I do have to mention that the service has not always been so great; staff are often too busy socializing, or have little knowledge of their own stock; once I left my phone number, wanting the price on a particular item that they couldn't quite get at, physically, and they never phoned me back.

If storage is what you're after then Storage Box is usually a pretty safe bet. I often think to…read moremyself that something should be done about my mess of a floor that I have affectionately entitled 'the floordrobe', so I took matters into my own hand and popped into this store the other day. While I thought that they only sold cheap plastic storage options, I was actually impressed by the range of things on offer. Everything from rolling storage devices, to shoe racks, pretty patterned boxes etc. They even stock a range of furniture; bookshelves and I even found a cute little side table here. While I eventually decided on the cheap option of a large plastic box type thing that I could put clothes into and then stash away in the actual wardrobe, I was initially sidetracked by these pretty laundry hampers, until I looked at the prices and saw that they were $89.00, which was just ridiculously expensive. A lot of the things in here were a lot pricier than I thought they would have been for what they actually are, just things to store other things in.

I think the days of shopping at surf shops are behind me. Whenever I walk into one I get a wave of…read moreform 1 socials and trying wy to hard to impress boys. Still, for the odd thing, it doesn't help to look. I really like Amazon Takapuna because it's on the road, meaning not in a mall, meaning 100x better. I often waltz into here when i'm walking down this street, just to have a wee lookie. The staff are super friendly and chilled in the way you'd expect from a surf shop and leave you alone until you start to look like you might need some assistance, which i really like. There is a good range of boys and girls surf stuff in the fron and a pretty massive surfboard selection out the back. Theer are also wetsuits, shoes, sunnies, beanies and other surf and skate stuff. plus a few gears for the snow. The store is fun and vibrant and is perfect for the products. Being just up the road from Takapuna beach, it always feels pretty summery and relaxed in here which sets the scene nicely for the place.

I keep forgetting about this florist, but whenever I drive by and remember, it is totally worth it!…read more They seem to have two levels of flowers - outside they have really nice flowers that are only a few dollars a bunch, and then you can take them home and do whatever you like with them - make up your own bouquet and give it to someone, or brighten up your own day. And then inside, they have fancier quality more expensive flowers that you can buy by the stalk if you wish, or buy all the pieces you want and get them to make up your bouquet. But seriously, who can pass up a bunch of fancy flowers for only a few dollars - buy them for yourself and put a smile on your face!