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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 first discovered Little White Box at the Kraftbomb market. They sell a range of cute and dainty…read morehand crafted ceramics, mainly ornaments and kitchenware. They are all handpainted and made right here in Auckland. I have purchased a few hanging ornaments of birds and an angel and they are really special. I see now, looking at the products on their website there some cute bunny rabbit designs too. As for the pottery range, I really like the bowls/cups that have red hearts painted on them, and the polkadots and the blue stars. These would make a great addition to any kitchen. The Kraftbomb market is held every last Sunday of the month at the Grey Lynn Community Centre in Auckland 11am-2pm, and is the perfect way to spend a lazy sunday!