Too Hot for the Beach? New Zealand's Best Independent Bookshops for a Slow Holiday
Updated: 3 days ago
Some summer days the sand is too hot to walk on. Some days it rains. And some holidays are really about one thing: a good book. Travel the slow lane with an actual book. Savour the scent of a new one, with its crisp, never-touched pages, and settle into a chair while the rest of the family heads off to do their own thing.
New Zealand's independent bookshops are made for this. Most sit in the heart of town, surrounded by cafés and shops, and many have been trading for more than a century. Here are our favourites, from a villa in Ponsonby to a kiosk outside a Wānaka cinema.
Before you go, Jay has some rules: watch Jay's Bookshop Survival Rules.
At a glance
Oldest: Smith's Bookshop in Christchurch (founded 1894), McLeods in Rotorua (whose business began in 1896) and Hedley's in Masterton (1907)
Best for kids: Telling Tales in Christchurch, Little Unity in Auckland and storytime at Dunedin's University Book Shop
Best secondhand: The Open Book in Ponsonby and Smith's Bookshop in Christchurch
Book-lover's city: Dunedin, a UNESCO City of Literature
Good to know: opening hours vary and many shops close or shorten hours on Sundays and public holidays, so check before you go
North Island
The Open Book, Ponsonby, Auckland
You thought Ponsonby was all about glorious eateries and beautifully curated boutiques? At 201 Ponsonby Road, The Open Book fills a character villa with secondhand books: six rooms of them, with reading nooks, armchairs, a courtyard and coffee. It's the perfect antidote to the busy street outside. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
Nearby: you're in Ponsonby, so eat. Long-running Italian favourite Prego is just along the road, and Duck Island's ice cream is a few doors away. More ideas in our Auckland Savvy Swaps guide.
Carson's Bookshop, Thames
Carson's Bookshop on Pollen Street has been selling books since 1906, which makes 2026 its 120th year. Alongside a well-chosen range of new books you'll find gifts, stationery and prints, with a café and gallery next door. Look out for Carson, the shop dog, and if you're travelling with your own well-behaved pooch, check with the staff before bringing them in.
Nearby: our Thames travel guide has ten more things to do, including the Shortland Street historic cemetery with its views over the Firth of Thames. Heading further? See our Coromandel Peninsula guide.
McLeods Booksellers, Rotorua
In the heart of Rotorua on Pukuatua Street, McLeods Booksellers has a history stretching back to 1896, when it opened as A.T. Coates. It took the McLeod name in 1943, and the Thorp family has owned it since 1968, today run by David Thorp and Lynne Jones. It has survived a world war, recessions and a pandemic, and it's a treasure trove for a wet afternoon, a holiday read or a gift for yourself.
Nearby: Rotorua is on everyone's must-go list. Plan your day with our Rotorua in One Day itinerary.
Wardini Books, Havelock North and Napier
Owned by Louise and Gareth Ward, Wardini Books has shops on Te Mata Road in Havelock North and in Napier. Look for the staff reviews handwritten on yellow cards tucked into the books, and the book clubs for everyone from children and teens to sci-fi fans and cookbook lovers. Gareth also performs as a magician, The Great Wardini.
Nearby: explore more of Hawke's Bay with our guide to Ongaonga, Hawke's Bay's heritage village.
Hedley's Books, Masterton
Founded in 1907, Hedley's Books on Queen Street is New Zealand's oldest family-owned independent bookshop, now in its fourth generation. Even non-readers will find a small gift here, and there's a strong range of bestsellers, Wairarapa and New Zealand titles, and harder-to-find editions. In 2022, David and Jenny Hedley received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the book industry.
Nearby: half an hour south, Greytown's Victorian main street is full of homeware, clothing and gift shops, and Mrs Blackwell's Village Bookshop opened in the former Greytown Library building in 2020, the town's first dedicated bookshop in over 30 years. Around a third of the shop is fine stationery, there are jigsaw puzzles too, and a log burner keeps it cosy in winter.
Unity Books, Wellington and Auckland
A Wellington institution since 1967, Unity Books is at 57 Willis Street, with a sister shop on High Street in Auckland and Little Unity, its children's bookshop, nearby. It specialises in New Zealand and international literature, poetry, history and non-fiction, from weighty tomes on Aotearoa's history to cookbooks by cooks you've never heard of. It was named New Zealand Bookshop of the Year in 2022.
Also worth the short trip from the city: Schrödinger's Books in Petone, named New Zealand Bookshop of the Year in 2026.
Nearby: ride the cable car, explore Te Papa and wander the laneways. See our Wellington Savvy Swaps guide and Wellington laneways guide.
South Island
Page & Blackmore, Nelson
On Trafalgar Street, Page & Blackmore was formed in 1998 when two Nelson bookshops merged, with roots going back to 1909. It carries one of New Zealand's largest magazine ranges, and the shop dog is, of course, called Nelson.
Nearby: our Nelson travel guide covers the best of New Zealand's sunny arts city.
Smith's Bookshop, Christchurch
Trading since 1894, Smith's Bookshop is the jewel in the crown of The Tannery in Woolston, a former industrial tannery turned into boutiques, delis and cafés, with free parking. Smith's specialises in secondhand New Zealand non-fiction and rare and antiquarian books, with almost 20,000 titles catalogued. Serious bibliophiles can ask the team to track down rare and out-of-print New Zealand books, and its own Cadsonbury Press reprints some of them.
Telling Tales, Christchurch
A must for families. Across the courtyard from Scorpio Books in the central city, Telling Tales is a bright children's bookshop built around a floor-to-ceiling tree sculpture made from salvaged wood. Kids can browse their new favourites while parents take a seat. Scorpio Books itself celebrated 50 years in 2026.
Nearby: pair your bookshop visits with our Christchurch Savvy Swaps guide or a half-day itinerary.
The Next Chapter, Wānaka
Opened in 2020 by Jenny Ainge and Sally Battson, The Next Chapter fills an architect-designed kiosk outside Paradiso Cinema on Brownston Street. As you'd expect in Wānaka, there's a great mountaineering and outdoors section, plus book clubs and a little free library out front.
Nearby: see our Wānaka Savvy Swaps guide.
University Book Shop, Dunedin
Dunedin is a UNESCO City of Literature, New Zealand's first, and University Book Shop on Great King Street is one of the country's oldest and largest independent bookshops, founded in 1945. Bring the kids for free Magic Carpet storytime on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Nearby: between chapters, head for the coast with our Dunedin Savvy Swaps guide.
Bookshop etiquette for holidaymakers
Buy local: if you browse for an hour, buy something. Independent bookshops survive on visitors as well as locals.
Ask for a recommendation: booksellers love matching a reader to a book, especially New Zealand authors.
Pack light: many shops will post books home for you, so you don't have to squeeze them into your luggage.
Jay's observation: the best holiday souvenir weighs less than a fridge magnet and lasts a lot longer.
This article is one of my favourites to prepare. The librarian in me is overjoyed that the art of books is flourishing for visitors and locals alike. - Sarah-Jane
FAQs
What is the best bookshop in New Zealand?
It depends what you love. Schrödinger's Books in Petone was named New Zealand Bookshop of the Year in 2026, and Unity Books won in 2022. For secondhand and rare books, try The Open Book in Auckland or Smith's Bookshop in Christchurch.
What is the oldest bookshop in New Zealand?
Several date back to the 1890s, including Smith's Bookshop in Christchurch (1894) and McLeods in Rotorua, whose business began in 1896. Hedley's Books in Masterton (1907) is New Zealand's oldest family-owned independent bookshop.
Which New Zealand bookshops are best for children?
Telling Tales in Christchurch is a dedicated children's bookshop with a giant tree sculpture. Little Unity in Auckland is also children-only, and University Book Shop in Dunedin runs free storytime on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Why is Dunedin a City of Literature?
Dunedin was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2014, New Zealand's first UNESCO Creative City, in recognition of its writing, publishing and reading culture.
