Kaukapakapa Op Shop: a country church op shop on Highway 16

Kaukapakapa is a small rural settlement north-west of Auckland, more a crossroads than a town, and the op shop sits right at that crossroads — the corner of Highway 16 and Peak Road — with its entrance through the local church hall. It's run in support of All Saints Church.

The stock is a classic country op-shop mix: secondhand clothes and shoes, children's toys, books, CDs and DVDs, and general bric-a-brac and household goods, all donated locally.

Reviews are limited but positive — the directory shows a 5 out of 5 average, with one shopper calling it a neat little shop with good clothing bargains, and another describing it as clean and pleasant-smelling, which isn't always a given for a secondhand shop. A more matter-of-fact account noted it doesn't offer much to set it apart from other op shops, just the usual mix of bargains and oddities, with volunteers happy to chat while they work.

It keeps limited hours — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 3pm — reflecting its rural, volunteer-run scale, so it's worth checking the days line up before making the trip out.