Best roadside safe deposit box kiosks in New Zealand

One of the joys of road trips around New Zealand is the ability to stock up on local goodies at roadside stalls, some of which have proven so popular that they have developed into full-fledged stores.

And in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, they can be a godsend, offering the likes of farm-fresh fruit and vegetables (often organic), free-range eggs, honey and homemade jams at prices that would put supermarkets to shame.

Many have entered the digital age too, enabling customers to pay by bank transfer or using the Kiwi My Honesty Box app.

While some bad eggs make headlines for being stolen from these small, usually family-run stalls, so far they have managed to stand the test of time, and long may they continue to do so. Here are a few of our favorites. Feel free to share yours in the comments.

Kaitaki Farm

This former kiwifruit orchard in the foothills of the Kaitaki Range has been converted into organic vegetables, and is a hit with travelers between Sakura and New Plymouth.

Seasonal vegetables grown on family land according to organic principles are sold at Beach Road Milk Co., which has already built a small shop selling fresh raw milk. Aside from the milk, everything in the store is sold on an honesty basis, from bags of chilled green salad to the likes of zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, honey and homemade jam.

Cashless? No thanks necessary. Kaitake Farm was the catalyst for the My Honesty Box app, which enables users to pay online.

20 Beach Road, Omata, New Plymouth

Alpine Blooms Farm

Located in the Maungawera Valley between Hāwea and Wānaka, Vera Yakzhik specializes in unusual flowers you won’t find in most shops.

Her sustainably produced seasonal bouquets can be found at florists, supermarkets and gas stations in Central Otago, and you can buy them online, but she also runs a fresh flower stall on Camp Hill Road.

In the spring, you can often buy daffodils for around $10, along with tulips and peonies, while the summer months bring the likes of lilies, tulips and dahlias. You can create your own bouquet from loose flowers, or you can purchase a small pot of flowers for something long-lasting. On special occasions like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, you can find bouquets for around $15 — if you arrive quickly.

20 Camp Hill Road, Albert Town

Yum granola

The award-winning cereal company sells its many varieties of granola online – from original cinnamon, hazelnut and coconut to cocoa and coffee flavored versions – but has brought back its honesty box in Nelson.

Customers order and pay via bank transfer before placing their containers inside a wooden box attached to the Red Art Gallery & Cafe. They are emailed when their orders are ready – usually the next day.

Asking customers to bring their own containers helps the company reduce plastic packaging, and receive a significant discount. Made with organic ingredients, our granola is grain-free, paleo-friendly, and refined sugar-free.

Clevedon herbs and production

Everything grown on this family-run farm in rural Clevedon, about a 45-minute drive south-east of central Auckland, is either protected from pests with organic sprays or not sprayed at all.

The shipping container outside sells fresh lettuce and seedlings via the My Honesty Box app, and produce – and EFTPOS – are also available from 10am to 3pm on Wednesdays.

360 MacNicol Road, Clevedon

Young Honesty Fund

The Young family has relied on Mount Ruapehu’s organic soil and snowmelt water to grow great-tasting carrots and potatoes for three generations.

These days, Youngs Honesty Box sells all kinds of seasonal fruits and vegetables, from apples and avocados to broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, parsnips, beets and Brussels sprouts.

You’ll likely pay a lot less than you would at your local supermarket. Think of a kilo of carrots for $3, or 10kg of potatoes for $8, and 2.5kg of potatoes for $6.50. The cherry on top: the postcard-perfect view of Ruapehu.

6740 State Highway 4, RD6, Revised

Tomtit Farm

This small Matangi market park has a roadside stall that is relatively high-tech – it has a fridge full of organic goodies like salad greens, herbs and seasonal vegetables.

If you can’t get to the farm, you can have a Harvest Box delivered to your door if you live in the Matangi, Tamahere, Cambridge, Te Awamutu or Hamilton areas.

However, you may have to join a waiting list – the weekly boxes are so popular that they are sold out for the winter 2023 season.

165c Matangi Road, Tamale, Hamilton