Stepping into Madder and Rouge is like a small slice of France, Morocco and Istanbul all at once. Great for gifts or just to browse and dream of exotic locales.

Rialto in Newmarket is my cinema of choice in Auckland. I love how they have films from festivals as well as more mainstream movies, so nice to have the option to decide on the day if you want intellectual stimulation or a trashy rom com. Also they have delicious scooped icecream from Kapiti and wine and beer that you can take in to the theatre to enjoy while watching the movie. 

Fabric MRKT has a fine selection of women's designer labels such as Isabel Marant, Rag and Bone, Rabens Saloner, IRO and a large selection of jeans from J Brand, Citizens of Humanity and R13. Covetable and comfortable and all presented in an open and warm space with service to match.

It doesn't take much to lure me into Little & Friday - the cream donuts are a real weakness as are the caramelised onion and feta tarts, savoury brioche and pot of tea alongside is a heavenly accompaniment . But one of the most divine things I have eaten there is a chocolate eclair and boy are these things are elusive! If anyone sees them in the cabinet please alert me a.s.a.p.

Zambesi's Newmarket store is perfectly at home in the old Hayes building, the dark steel fittings work perfectly with the delicate and draped clothing from Zambesi, Nom D, Rick Owens and Complex Geometries. There are the poetic offerings from Serge Thoraval - silver rings, bracelets and necklaces - subtly twisted footwear from LD Tuttle and the mind bending creations from Maison Martin Margiela. Also witness the fantastic menswear on offer from Raf Simons and Acne.

If you are after sportswear for running, yoga or casual wear, Adidas have it all. The range is huge and there is plenty of black for the fashion conscious but also lots of eye-popping colour. My favourite gear has to be the Stella MacArtney which incorporates florals, leopard print and shiny black technical fabrics with dynamic cuts and silhouettes. 

Nike is definitely a go to for stylish running shoes that are good looking as well as high tech. Of course the rest of the gear is also great and crosses over to streetwear as well as exercise gear.

Lululemon has a great selection of yogawear and exercise gear with function, style and comfort in mind.

A great place for sports shoes with a broad range from Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Reebok etc and they also have great basketball merchandise.

Rebel Sport is a mega store for sports gear and equipment, catering for almost all sports. You can find a wide selection of brands with the latest and best products.

Shellshock is a riot of colour and fabulous modern costume jewellery. Here you can channel your inner Frida Khalo or Iris Arpel and pile on turquoise and jasper until your hearts content, the prices are very reasonable.

This shop lives up to it's name. Once you have finished looking at the incredible vignettes of taxidermy mixed with shoes and jewellery in the windows wander inside and spend another lengthy period of time exploring the contents of the cabinets and racks. There is the wonderful and mystical Wunderkammer Jewellery by Zara Bell-Boyd, women's shoes from Costume National, men's clothing from Ann Demeulemeester, Comme des Garcons and also Costume National and the heady scents of Comme des Garcons Perfume - a personal favourite.

Walker & Hall Vintage is an exquisite gem of a store. They have a selection of beautiful heirloom pieces of jewellery that can be worn in a totally modern context. They have a lot of unique to New Zealand greenstone and gold pieces that I particularly love as they are a reminder of our rich and romantic history.

Walker & Hall stock the very best local contemporary designer fashion jewellery from Meadowlark, Karen Walker,  Stolen Girlfriends Club and Zoe & Morgan among others. You can also go to them for your engagement and wedding ring needs as well as men's jewellery and Casio watches - all immaculately merchandised in eye catching displays. 

Agatha is known for it's mascot - the Scottie dog. And who wouldn't love these little guys adorning their person in tortoiseshell, leather or gold filigree. They also have a superb range of other jewellery items in the perfectly formed Vulcan Lane store.

Expert Shoe Repair provide a friendly and professional top quality service. They are in a handy spot on K'Rd with plenty of parking and can do almost any repair to your bag or shoes.

One Step Ahead do top notch shoe repairs of all kinds and are reasonably priced. They also offer a key cutting service.

Looksmart St Lukes offer a great alterations service - they can pretty much do anything - and amazingly can do things in an hour. Highly recommended.

A longstanding favourite of mine, Movenpick never lets you down, the chocolate icecream in a waffle cone with whipped cream, nuts and chocolate sauce, a real treat. Of course there is a lot more flavour choices such as stracciatella, caramelita, maple walnut, mint chocolate etc etc!

The gelato flavours at Takapuna Beach Cafe are so good you will definitely want to have more than one. It is rich and creamy and there is sorbet for those who want something less creamy but just as delicious. Flavours run the gamut from peanut slab, salted caramel, vanilla bean to seasonal fruits.

Giapo is world famous gelato and with such a large and crazy range of flavours you can see why. Organic and seasonal produce is used where possible and the results show. I have always loves the pistachio gelato and the chocolate sorbet is rich and delicious. 

I am a huge fan of Kohu Road's Cookies and Cream and Dark Chocolate icecreams but now also have discovered the spacious cafe out in New Lynn. Supreme Coffee made with organic milk(of course) and a bagel with smoked salmon is my perfect breakfast. The pastries and donuts in the cabinet look delicious and the cafe has a kooky area with a retro caravan and seating area which is endearing.

Global Fabrics is a dream destination for those who sew. It is stocked with luxury fabrics from designers such as Marc Jacobs and DKNY and has an incredible range of silks, cottons, exotic prints and more. Lovely and helpful staff round out the experience in this airy showroom.

Martha's is my go to for furnishing fabrics. The selection is amazing and I especially love the range of natural and dyed linens and the exquisite jewel tones of the velvet. Oh to re-upholster all of my furniture in that luscious stuff. Also worth noting is that they sell feather pillow inners which can be hard to find. It helps that one can sit down for a coffee and a doughnut at Little & Friday after all that hard work. 

Centrepoint has a large selection of fabrics and is handy to central Auckland in its Newmarket store. Lace, satin, sequins, printed cottons, tulle and trimmings - they pretty much have everything.

The Spotlight stores cater for most of your fabric needs whether you are looking for dressmaking supplies, curtain fabric or upholstery.

Front Room produces hand printed furnishings in fine cottons, silks and velvets, all with a twist. The St Kevin’s Arcade storefront is like a miniature gallery in which the sumptuous items are displayed as they might be in a house.