A haiku: beauty…read morelocal art chiseled, painted, sculpted, wow visit them when you go to Auckland because they're great I'm bad at haikus. The local artists have filled this place from wall-to-wall with interesting views and techniques. You won't find anything like this in the world, and I found it to be a great voice for the local culture. Neat gallery.

What an awesome shop! This is a collection of quirky, fun and interesting pieces of furniture and…read morehome decor items that the owner sources from around the world. The pieces are a mix of French and, Asian and Bohemian, you'll find French chairs upholstered with bright coloured fabrics, Asian styled cabinets in soft duck egg blue with an almost tribal feel to them. They also have a great range of little wood stools and other interesting occasional pieces of furniture that would make for an interesting addition to your place. Home decor items include anything from large glass jars, vessels, cake domes and candles. It is a great place to come for gifts too and with the prices ranging from $20 to $2000, I also think very good pricing. They have some draws and cabinets that I would say are comparable to what Red Current stock but at almost half the price. The layout of the store is really funky too, organised chaos, a great store, something that little bit different.

Ponsonby road is an altogether dangerous thing, and with shops like Zoo Warehouse as tenants you…read morecan see why! It's a place where wallets come to die, die hard in fact. Like many of my discoveries in Auckland, I happened on this place rather by chance. I'm currently furniture/ knick knack shopping for my poor little empty flat so this store was a godsend. There are some really beautiful pieces, one set of drawers In particular which I narrowly missed out on! Ah regret! I did purchase a really fantastic wall hanging for my bedroom the last time I was in there however, and at $180 I thought it was pretty much a bargain, considering the size and quality of it any rate. If you have to save your pennies to purchase one of these individually crafted and lovingly restored pieces I suggest starting now as they go quick.

Came here for the Chinese New Year event. The parking here is terrible, we had such a hard time…read morefinding a parking spot. So be warned when coming here for a very big event come early to get a spot! There was so many delicious foods and drinks around the venue. However no food or drink was allowed inside the arena. This was very disappointing. Otherwise enjoyed the event but parking was a hassle.

The Trusts Stadium is a great place to go to as there is always so much going on there. Netball…read moregames, business dinners, a cafe that sells freshly made sandwiches and of course the gym. The Trusts Stadium is perfect as it has a track great for those training for marathons or just out to run for some general fitness. I love walking to the trusts just to see what's going on especially the run and walk series, great fun for the family. After a run just head in through gate B to the cafe for some goodies, I mean after a run one can eat hot chips without feeling too guilty. After all you need some food after exercise, right!

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.

Le Monde is just the place to buy that unique, beautiful, stylish piece of home decor, for yourself…read moreor a loved one. Plus, if you have the money (lucky you!), then this store have the furniture to match. Gorgeous layout, right down to the handpainted door behind the checkout that is more of a feature wall than an actual door. Its all about aesthetics here. In a room towards the back Le Monde have sale pieces, such as the brass, antique-looking clock and compass that we bought for $10 instead of the original $90. All that was missing was the glass covering over the compass that sits at the base. We can live with that. This shop is located just behind the La Cigale markets, with parking onsite. Worth a visit if you like style;)

If you need to buy gifts for anyone, then this is the place to go. You can browse around, and there…read moreis nobody looking over your shoulder. The store is laid out for a quick stock turn around, leaving one item on show and the rest packed in boxes ready to become much loved gifts. I have yet to enter this store and not find a suitable gift for anyone and everyone. They stock vases, bowls and home decor pieces. During the Christmas period, they were selling the most beautiful decorations you could find, and they were cheap as chips. Initially I thought they were just opening up to cash in on the Christmas gift rush, but this outlet store's popularity is making them it the one stop gift shop on the Shore. The lady that served me offered to wrap my gift, a service that adds to the five stars they've already achieved.

Its funny after we moved to the area, my mum and I visited Birkenhead shops and we wanted somewhere…read moreto have a cake and coffee, I wanted to come here and my Mum was like what about that place and this other place. But we came here and she loved it, the lady serving was a little rude or maybe stressed but that didn't deter us, we came back for more. So after the first visit I have been back 4 times, twice with my mum. Its hard to choose which sweet treat/cake to buy, as they all look so good, so each time I have tried something different and haven't been disappointed yet. This bakery is a German inspired one, but the owner Chris (who is very friendly) has worked all over the place and has now opened this great place. You will find all sorts here, cakes, chocolates, fudge, bread and also nice coffee. What's also great is how reasonable the prices are. So I was very impressed with this small but well worth a visit German cafe, where you can either eat in at or just grab and run. Oh and its also had the seal of approval from my German friend.

I was overjoyed to find OTT cafe in Birkenhead one afternoon, as I strolled by on my way to the…read morevideo store. Located on the corner of a busy roundabout in Birkenhead, you get a nice picturesque view of the village as it moves around the front. I could not resist the home made German chocolate twist pastry, done in a traditional style of course, which was sensational, and beats my usual fave chocolate croissant any day. I was happy to meet the owner the day I arrived a very happy German man by the name of Chris, as I have researched after he is a very well trained pastry chef of seventeen years. The cafe is full of wonderful treats, they serve amazing coffee, wholesome and delicious bread and the most fabulous pastry this side of Auckland Harbour Bridge. Please make this a marked stop on your journeys north.

Love this store. It always has such great picks from all my favourite designers. I know that…read morewhenever I go there I will find something that I just have to have. They have designers like Stolen Girlfriends Club, Kathryn Wilson, Mimosa, George and Caroline Sills. They always do a great job of dressing the store too. The window displays are always interesting, chic and really capture the trends of the moment. The staff can be a little intimidating and not super friendly but most high fashion stores have this same problem. If you go in there not expecting to have a big smile greet you then you'll be sweet. They also have a really decent sale every now and again. I definitely recommend you hit these up when you can because the prices are quite high when they're not on sale. It's awesome getting a sweet deal for a bargain!

I was a loyal customer at this store. However today I walked…read moreout to see the owner spraying street scum from outside his shop all over my car and others and on purpose was so disgusted by this that I rang to complain and it was laughed off. Will not be recommending this place to anyone.