Self confessed Op shop fanatic here, so when the opportunity presented itself it for an Op Shop Road Trip, I got planning the trip with a passion.  Heading away to Rotorua recently, for a long weekend, I decided to make the most of it by not taking the quickest route to get there but the most interesting one for me. This included the towns of Ngatea, Paeroa and Te Aroha. Added bonus its a great way to see some more of New Zealand.

Ngatea – first stop on the Op Shop Road Trip

First stop on the Road Trip was Ngatea. A small town that is a service center for the Hauraki Plains (according to Wikipedia). Google advised that there was one Op Shop in Ngatea, St Johns Hauraki Plains. What an Aladdians’ cave that turned out to be. A large collection of vintage and retro goods, bric a brac, clothing, furniture and so much more. Loved what was on offer and wished I could buy more.

 

Paeroa

Onward to Paeroa which according to one sign, it’s the Antique town of New Zealand. For most Kiwis however Paeroa is known for the giant L&P Bottle (Lemon and Paeroa is a fizzy drink or soda). Paeroa was the town in which the drink used to be manufactured.

Op Shops

• St Johns Paeroa – Large store, well laid out, with three large rooms and a bit of everything including clothes, vintage/retro, kids toys, books, furniture and bric a brac
• Forget Me Not – small store with helpful staff worth a look
• Saint Pauls Op Shop – small store, lots of clothing and a small amount of bric a brac

 

 

Antique shops

I love to look at Antique shops and normally find a couple of things in my price range and Paeroa was no exception. Some of the products I saw bought back fond memories of growing up as a child in NZ, maybe that makes me an antique too or perhaps retro is more fitting. All the shops mentioned are ones I visited on the day so there may have been some I missed.

• Second Thoughts Collectables ( Granvilles )
• Junk & Disorderly
• Vintage & Retro
• True Collectors
• The Depot
• Upstairs & Downstairs

 

Te Aroha

Not far from Paeroa is the town of Te Aroha. Once known for its therapeutic spas, it still has much to offer (another blog for another day) While only having two op shops (that I could find) its well worth a stop especially with the added bonus of a great little gift shop.

Op Shops

These two op shops are across the road from each other

• The Salvation Army Family Store- large well set out store lovely staff and something for everyone
• Good As New Op Shop – large store with a good range of furniture and a mixture of everything

Gift Shop

Looking for more Op Shops I took a walk down the street and happened upon a gift shop, Tea Rose Crafts. The shop is run by Karen and  her daughter, its mainly stocked with creations made by herself and other creatives. There is lots to choose from for either yourself or a gift for someone else.  It was so nice to meet someone so enthusiastic about what she does and helping others creatives too. So even if you have to take a detour make sure to stop in to meet Karen and buy something to support a small business.

The Op Shop Road Trip Continues

The op shop road trip doesn’t stop there. You can read about the op shops to visit in Rotorua and Matamata too.

If you would like to do the same Op Shop Road Trip and checking out the places I stopped at you can find them all on this Google Map.

Love to hear about your op shopping adventures and if you find a shop not on the list do let me know.