I love craft markets and thoroughly enjoyed this one. So many unique products that are made with…read morelove. I particularly loved the little stall that offers girls' dresses. All the designs looked so sweet. Nice, high-quality products and a great atmosphere with a crafting area for kids and a small band outside in the food area. The "fine food" part of this market was also made the trip to Devonport worth it. I tried the gelato, the crumpet stall and the taco truck -- all very good. Had the Strawberries and Cream gelato and it was just so perfect -- reminds me of the ones we had in Italy. And the single scoop in a cone that I got for NZ$5 was really big! Had the chili con carne taco from the taco truck, that was very tasty and had a refreshing cilantro-lemon twist to it. It was my first time to try a crumpet so I picked the one with hummus and sun-dried tomato -- also very tasty.

This sweet handcrafted market is hosted in the Devonport Community House the last Sunday of every…read moremonth! There's children's toys and clothing, jewellery, art, beautiful soaps and candles and delicious preserves. Perfect for finding one of kind gifts or treasures for the home. Unfortunately, when I went, I didn't have much cash on me but managed to scrap together some coins to buy two small jars of chutney (mango and one that's similar to Branston) from Thelma, the lovely lady who makes a fabulous ranges of preserves, jams and chutney. Oh, and if the juices/smoothie stall is there it's not to be missed. At only $5 a pop they are an absolutely steal!

The Takapuna Night Market is just a perfect opportunity to sample some tasty local food stalls and…read moresee what the crafty designers are making and selling at the stalls. I popped in early to the markets and watched them set up this afternoon as the bright fall sun beamed happily away, and could sense a real peace and serenity of the community markets. Stall owners happily chit chatted away to each other, as they completed last minute preparation of food. I walked past a organic fruit stall from Kumeu named Fruit Bros the two guys selling apples, pears, and green and purple grapes were young hip guys, and raved that they had spray free organic fruit. They gave me a free apple for my little one to have, and since I was out of fruit at home, I promised them I would return with some cash from the ATM. I love the setting, it's relaxed, and placed right on and around Hurstmere Green, you have a lot of neat natural wooden seats to chill on, and beautiful trees and plants surround the grounds. I love the variety of food as well- Indian, Mexican, European, to name a few and lots of delicious dessert stalls too, they have the Spanish Churros stall which is to die for. A perfect finish to a hard worked Thursday.

Takapuna Beach Night Markets are not to be missed!…read more Happening every Thursday night in the summer season from 5pm to 9pm, they bring together both locals and newcomers to the area to consume street food and just have a jolly good time! While day markets are cool too, night markets tend to have a completely different atmosphere. All the stalls lit up against the inky blackness, in the balmy humidity that constitute Auckland summer nights is a really cool sight to see and is popular for this very reason. Watch out for the Austrian specialty sweet treat 'Sweet Chimneys ' -so good they make me happy when skies are grey. If you choose too you could also whip down to Takapuna Beach for a night swim while your in the area too if the mood takes you!

I love shopping for whanau and friends have done since they were in Kingsland I will we in next…read moreThursday our neice engagement in 3weeks in Brisbane so our perfect gift will be of the two pieces of double half greenstone hearts, also our sister also living in Brisbane since she was 22yrs will be. celebrating her 65th birthday not sure on a gift but I am sure I will find somethink special for her also. I would recommended any person looking for somethink special you will not be disappointed.

Wonderful selection of greenstones, including special pieces by local artists! Can't wait to wear…read moremy new piece!

The St Heliers Mall is easy to miss if you're not on the lookout for it. Tucked away off the main…read morestreet, it's an interesting mix of independent retailers including women's and children's clothes, a nail bar, cafes, an excellent kitchenware/gift shop, and a good second hand clothing shop. The two shops that face the street are Bagatelle, which has an interesting range of bags (including Olga Berg that I'm a huge fan of), with some quite quirky jewellery scattered among them. The other street-facing shop is Chances which is a long-established kiwi surf and street wear company - just the place to duck into if you've forgotten to bring your togs for a day at the beach. My other recommended shops down in The Mall are Déjà vu (mid-range secondhand clothing), and The Gift Studio ('nuf said). Check out my St Heliers list for all tasty places to visit in the area.

The best night market I've been to! I've been to multiple night markets and I always felt…read moreeverything was overpriced. But I've heard good things about this night market and I'm so glad I decided to give it a go! This is the first night market that I've been to and I actually thought everything I ate was delicious and food was reasonably priced. My favourite was the Korean food stall by the big battery. They sold a large box filled with either rice or noodles (or fried rice for additional $1) and three different meat dishes of your choice for $13. This was such a great deal. I'm glad I had someone to share it with because the portion was huge! Tip: walk around the entire night market (it's not too big) before you buy anything. There are a couple stalls that sell the exact same thing but the portions/pricing are slightly different. I would definitely come back and would recommend it to anyone in Auckland on Sundays :)

I love Glenfield night markets as they bring all the different flavours of culture in Auckland. I…read morelove eating from the different food stalls and walking away satisfied. Unlike restaurants at the markets you can nibble on this and that while you walk around and shop or you can sit down with your selection of goodies and enjoy the live music. Apart from the food, the night markets have stalls with clothing, phone accessories and bling bling. My favourite purchase to date is chunky beads that were hugely discounted. The night market is a must visit, for a bit of flavour and selection. Don't forget to try the pineapple with the ice-cream!

I don't really know what I was expecting from this store when I walked in. Maybe a shop full of…read moreelephant crafts. Elephant shaped things? Are there any elephants in this store? The answer is no, I couldn't find any. On the bright side they do have some other nice things that aren't elephant related. Lots of little knick knacks and crafts all specially handcrafted by Homegrown artisans. Now that can't be a bad thing! It's a really good place to come if you are looking for a very 'kiwi' gift to send to friends and families overseas. And there's a whole lot of kauri/ wood ware. I mean a WHOLE lot. I think maybe they should rename it to something with wood in the title. It might be more reflective of the product they do actually stock.

An absolute nightmare…read more I was excited when I read the reviews and decided to visit. However, when I shipped over $500 worth of gifts it arrived poorly packed and completely destroyed. It has been months and they say they will reimburse me, but never followed through. Also found their exact merchandise for a fraction of the cost elsewhere. Feel completely ripped off. Do yourself a favor. Go somewhere else!

Parnell is the oldest and one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Auckland - dating back to the…read more1840s - and it ended up being one of our fave spots we visited! We wandered around the tree lined streets and enjoyed views of the harbor in search of some lunch after exploring one of its magnificent historic cathedrals. Quaint cobblestone paths lead into hidden courtyards with cute bridges and statues. There are boutique shops and eateries around every corner and even in the basements and up beautiful winding staircases. The buildings all appear to be glorious Queen Anne style with their cute gingerbread wood trim accents - one of my fave aesthetics! Our lunch here at the Java room was one of the best meals of our trip - highly recommend!! And the pavlova with the passionfruit sauce at the Chocolate Boutique is a must. We were staying in the CBD which is a couple of miles away so we arrived via Uber which was very affordable. This is a great place for shopping and just meandering and I truly wish we had more time to explore on our trip.

Parnell Village is so charming. Filled with restaurants, boutiques and history, it was the first…read moresuburb in Auckland established in 1841. Although most of the galleries were closed due to Auckland Day, we were able to buy a couple of delicious lamb pies from a bakery and munch happily as we walked down the road enjoying the sunny summer afternoon. Tip: Take the Explorer Bus to the Cathedral at stop #6 and then walk to stop #7 to pick up another bus.

This store is great because it doesn't cater to the 'kitschy' side of New Zealand art and design as…read moremuch as some souvenir type stores like it do. It's more of an Art Gallery rather than a store. And affordable too. I love artist Tony Cribbs 'Adventures of Tin man' series and always like to pick something up whenever I see one in a store or gallery. They are just too cute. And funny as well. I always get compliments on them whenever I have people over to mine. They just exemplify the New Zealand sense of humor so well. I like the fact that Mana also has prints of a lot of their artworks so if you can't afford the actual original artwork itself there are still opportunities for you to own a slice of something. I'm currently crushing on one of their artworks, one of a Maori girl/princess wrapped in a traditional woven cloak. I may have to settle on the print of this one myself!

If you're looking for some absolutely beautiful local art, jewellery or gifts for someone visiting…read moreNew Zealand to take home with them or even to send to someone abroad, this place should be your one stop shop. They've got a fairly small but carefully curated collection of glassware, paintings and sculptures alongside jewellery and cards and other nick-nacks. My favourite things in here are the necklaces. Long thin silver chains with bird and flower pendants, which were gorgeous and really unusual. Things like this range from around $40 up to $400, so you're sure to find something no matter what your budget. I've been looking for a Green Stone necklace for my partner for quite some time and have never been able to find one that I really love, but the ones in Mana are the nicest I've seen in Auckland. Plus they were playing Ben Howard on the stereo when I walked in, which just made me like it even more.