Set on 16 acres of waterfront property, the newly developed Britomart neighborhood offers a fun mix of restaurants, bars and boutiques. Labels like Karen Walker, Zambesi, Sass & Bide and Kiwi shoe guru Kathryn Wilson are all represented here.

This terrific wine store has a massive selection of New Zealand vintages from the major regions of both islands. They can help ship it home for you or supply a sturdy carton if you want to take a case of wine along as checked luggage. There are several branches throughout Auckland, but this one is a ten-minute walk from the Sofitel.

Karen Walker’s funky yet feminine attire has captured the attention of stylish girls around the globe. Worn by fashion-forward celebrities like Chloë Sevigney, Claire Danes and Madonna, the designs seem perfectly at home in Walker’s two sleek and sexy ateliers – one in the shopping district of Newmarket and the other downtown on O’Connell Street. Although the chic separates and accessories from New Zealand’s most famous designer can be purchased around the world, shoppers shouldn’t miss a chance to browse the well-stocked racks in Walker’s hometown.

This tiny, centrally located boutique is a one-stop trove for locally made gifts, ranging from stuffed animal Kiwi birds to beautiful home wares. Best of all, many of their gifts pack well, including colorfully printed tea towels, vibrant stationery and jewelry designed and made by New Zealand artisans.

Long gone are the days where the area of Ponsonby was a gritty neighborhood to be avoided – now the thoroughfare and surrounding streets bustle with boutiques, as well as cute restaurants, cafés and bars. The shops here for the most part are the types of cool independent places you'd find in New York's Lower East Side. There are also some nice homewares, design and art shops. After a morning or afternoon shopping tour, seek out Ponsonby Central (136 Ponsonby Road; ponsonbycentral.co.nz), a center with a lovely organic market and some stamp-sized cafés, bakeries and restaurants (Toro is a favorite for lunch).

The brainchild of Kiwi designers Karen Walker and Dan Gosling (who teamed up with stylist Stephen Marr), this centrally located concept store bills itself as the "Colette of Auckland." This is a bit of an exaggeration, since shopping in New Zealand is a far cry from that in Paris. But the selection offers an interesting – and quite personal – edit of favorites, ranging from haute independent labels to lots of cool Australasian designers. Beauty and home accessories round out the offerings. It's located across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, about a 20-minute drive from the Sofitel, in the coastal northern suburb of Takapuna, so this is really just a destination for committed concept store fans.