How far is the nearest adult shop?

Name: Aotearoa Adult Shop Access Index 2026
Creator: Naughty Hut
Published: 2026-10-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In 14 NZ towns, home to about 51,000 Kiwis, most people live more than an hour's drive from an adult shop we know of.

NZ median drive: 6 min
Live over 30 min away: 10.5%
Live over an hour away: 4.0%
Walk-in places we verified: 154

Download the data (CSV)How we measured it

Region by region

Median drive time to the nearest adult shop we could verify. Darker means further.

≤15
16–30
31–45
46–60
>60 min

Northland18 min
West Coast16 min
Tasman10 min
Dunedin & Otago10 min
Taranaki8 min
Manawatū-Whanganui8 min
Invercargill & Southland8 min
Wellington7 min
Nelson7 min
Bay of Plenty7 min
Waikato6 min
Hawke's Bay6 min
Gisborne6 min
Christchurch & Canterbury6 min
Marlborough5 min
Auckland4 min

The numbers

Regions, longest median drive first
Region	Median drive	Over 1 hour	Places	Per 100k people	Longest trip
Northland	18 min	7.2%	6	3.1	Mangawhai Heads (1 h 1 min)
West Coast	16 min	19.6%	2	6.0	Reefton (1 h 4 min)
Tasman	10 min	7.6%	2	3.5	Tākaka (50 min)
Dunedin & Otago	10 min	32.7%	6	2.5	Lake Hāwea (3 h)
Taranaki	8 min	0.8%	5	4.0	Ōpunake (37 min)
Manawatū-Whanganui	8 min	8.1%	5	2.0	Taihape (1 h 26 min)
Invercargill & Southland	8 min	9.9%	4	4.0	Te Ānau (1 h 50 min)
Wellington	7 min	0.8%	13	2.5	Martinborough (45 min)
Nelson	7 min	0.0%	2	3.8	Nelson (7 min)
Bay of Plenty	7 min	1.7%	13	3.9	Murupara (59 min)
Waikato	6 min	3.0%	19	3.8	Whitianga (1 h 17 min)
Hawke's Bay	6 min	1.6%	6	3.4	Haumoana (14 min)
Gisborne	6 min	10.1%	1	2.0	Gisborne (5 min)
Christchurch & Canterbury	6 min	2.9%	15	2.3	Twizel (1 h 57 min)
Marlborough	5 min	3.8%	2	4.0	Renwick (13 min)
Auckland	4 min	0.7%	53	3.2	Waiheke (1 h 10 min)

Towns with their own page, longest drive first
Town	Drive	Region	Nearest shop in
Lake Hāwea	3 h 2 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Wānaka	2 h 59 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Arrowtown	2 h 19 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Cromwell	2 h 16 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Queenstown	2 h 14 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Twizel	1 h 57 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Oamaru
Clyde	1 h 57 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Te Ānau	1 h 50 min	Invercargill & Southland	Gore
Kaikōura	1 h 50 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Blenheim
Alexandra	1 h 48 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Taihape	1 h 26 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Palmerston North
Ōhakune	1 h 23 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Whanganui
Whitianga	1 h 16 min	Waikato	Thames
Waiheke Island	1 h 12 min	Auckland	Auckland
Raetihi	1 h 10 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Whanganui
Taumarunui	1 h 5 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Te Kūiti
Reefton	1 h 3 min	West Coast	Greymouth
Mangawhai Heads	1 h 2 min	Northland	Whangārei
Mangawhai	59 min	Northland	Hibiscus Coast
Murupara	58 min	Bay of Plenty	Rotorua
Balclutha	58 min	Dunedin & Otago	Gore
Coromandel	53 min	Waikato	Thames
Tūrangi	51 min	Waikato	Taupō
Golden Bay	49 min	Tasman	Motueka
Whangamatā	48 min	Waikato	Paeroa
Dannevirke	45 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Waipukurau
Martinborough	44 min	Wellington	Upper Hutt
Pāuanui	43 min	Waikato	Thames
Carterton	43 min	Wellington	Eketāhuna
Tairua	42 min	Waikato	Thames
Greytown	41 min	Wellington	Upper Hutt
Ōpōtiki	40 min	Bay of Plenty	Whakatāne
Wellsford	38 min	Auckland	Hibiscus Coast
Waimate	38 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Timaru
Diamond Harbour	38 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Milton	37 min	Dunedin & Otago	Mosgiel
Ōpunake	36 min	Taranaki	Hāwera
Raglan	36 min	Waikato	Hamilton
Kawerau	36 min	Bay of Plenty	Whakatāne
Riverton	35 min	Invercargill & Southland	Invercargill
One Tree Point	35 min	Northland	Whangārei
Hokitika	35 min	West Coast	Greymouth
Waihī Beach-Bowentown	34 min	Bay of Plenty	Paeroa
Waipū	33 min	Northland	Whangārei
Waikouaiti	33 min	Dunedin & Otago	Dunedin
Snells Beach	33 min	Auckland	Hibiscus Coast
Marton	33 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Whanganui
Darfield	33 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Ōpua	32 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Oxford	31 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Rangiora
Masterton	31 min	Wellington	Eketāhuna
Leeston	31 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Methven	30 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Ashburton
Kawakawa	30 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Winton	29 min	Invercargill & Southland	Invercargill
Kaikohe	29 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Featherston	29 min	Wellington	Upper Hutt
Bulls	28 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Palmerston North
Katikati	27 min	Bay of Plenty	Tauranga
Woodville	26 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Palmerston North
Warkworth	26 min	Auckland	Hibiscus Coast
Ruakākā	26 min	Northland	Whangārei
Paihia	26 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Foxton Beach	26 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Levin
Ngunguru	25 min	Northland	Whangārei
Moerewa	24 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Bluff	24 min	Invercargill & Southland	Invercargill
Rākaia	23 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Ashburton
Pātea	23 min	Taranaki	Hāwera
Waiuku	22 min	Auckland	Pukekohe
Parakai	22 min	Auckland	Kumeū-Huapai
Maraetai	22 min	Auckland	Auckland
Helensville	22 min	Auckland	Kumeū-Huapai
Amberley	22 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Rangiora
Ngatea	21 min	Waikato	Paeroa
Edgecumbe	21 min	Bay of Plenty	Whakatāne
Clarks Beach	21 min	Auckland	Pukekohe
Waihī	20 min	Waikato	Paeroa
Pahiatua	20 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Eketāhuna
Kinloch	20 min	Waikato	Taupō
Haruru	20 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Feilding	19 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Palmerston North
Eltham	19 min	Taranaki	Hāwera
Beachlands-Pine Harbour	19 min	Auckland	Auckland
Te Kauwhata	18 min	Waikato	Huntly
Te Aroha	18 min	Waikato	Paeroa
Stratford	18 min	Taranaki	Inglewood
Putāruru	18 min	Waikato	Tokoroa
Māpua	18 min	Tasman	Motueka
Geraldine	18 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Temuka
Ōtorohanga	17 min	Waikato	Te Kūiti
Wakefield	17 min	Tasman	Richmond
Hikurangi	17 min	Northland	Whangārei
Brighton	17 min	Dunedin & Otago	Mosgiel
Ahipara	17 min	Northland	Kaitāia
Lincoln	16 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Foxton	16 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Levin
Ashhurst	16 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Palmerston North
Ōakura (New Plymouth District)	15 min	Taranaki	New Plymouth
West Melton	15 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Shannon	15 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Levin
Pōkeno	15 min	Waikato	Pukekohe
Ngāruawāhia	15 min	Waikato	Huntly
Maketū	15 min	Bay of Plenty	Te Puke
Haumoana	14 min	Hawke's Bay	Hastings
Ōmokoroa	13 min	Bay of Plenty	Tauranga
Waikuku Beach	13 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Rangiora
Renwick	13 min	Marlborough	Blenheim
Pirongia	13 min	Waikato	Te Awamutu
Pegasus	13 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Rangiora
Mataura	13 min	Invercargill & Southland	Gore
Tuakau	12 min	Waikato	Pukekohe
Rolleston	12 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Pleasant Point	12 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Temuka
Ngongotahā	12 min	Bay of Plenty	Rotorua
Lyttelton	12 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Clive	11 min	Hawke's Bay	Hastings
Brightwater	11 min	Tasman	Richmond
Ōhope	10 min	Bay of Plenty	Whakatāne
Waikanae	10 min	Wellington	Paraparaumu
Patumāhoe	10 min	Auckland	Pukekohe
Paekākāriki	10 min	Wellington	Paraparaumu
Rūnanga	9 min	West Coast	Greymouth
Woodend	8 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Rangiora
Waimauku	8 min	Auckland	Kumeū-Huapai
Prebbleton	8 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Christchurch
Normanby	8 min	Taranaki	Hāwera
Ōtaki Beach	7 min	Wellington	Ōtaki
Hibiscus Coast	7 min	Auckland	Hibiscus Coast
Waipāwa	6 min	Hawke's Bay	Waipukurau
Riverhead	6 min	Auckland	Kumeū-Huapai
Kumeū-Huapai	5 min	Auckland	Kumeū-Huapai
Kihikihi	5 min	Waikato	Te Awamutu
Whanganui	4 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Whanganui
Whakatāne	4 min	Bay of Plenty	Whakatāne
Te Puke	4 min	Bay of Plenty	Te Puke
Paraparaumu	4 min	Wellington	Paraparaumu
Kerikeri	4 min	Northland	Kerikeri
Wairoa	3 min	Hawke's Bay	Wairoa
Temuka	3 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Temuka
Ōtaki	2 min	Wellington	Ōtaki
Tokoroa	2 min	Waikato	Tokoroa
Porirua	2 min	Wellington	Porirua
Motueka	2 min	Tasman	Motueka
Ashburton	2 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Ashburton
Waitara	1 min	Taranaki	Waitara
Waipukurau	1 min	Hawke's Bay	Waipukurau
Upper Hutt	1 min	Wellington	Upper Hutt
Thames	1 min	Waikato	Thames
Te Kūiti	1 min	Waikato	Te Kūiti
Te Awamutu	1 min	Waikato	Te Awamutu
Taupō	1 min	Waikato	Taupō
Rotorua	1 min	Bay of Plenty	Rotorua
Rangiora	1 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Rangiora
Pukekohe	1 min	Auckland	Pukekohe
Picton	1 min	Marlborough	Picton
Palmerston North	1 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Palmerston North
Paeroa	1 min	Waikato	Paeroa
Oamaru	1 min	Dunedin & Otago	Oamaru
Morrinsville	1 min	Waikato	Morrinsville
Matamata	1 min	Waikato	Matamata
Lower Hutt	1 min	Wellington	Lower Hutt
Levin	1 min	Manawatū-Whanganui	Levin
Kaitāia	1 min	Northland	Kaitāia
Kaiapoi	1 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Kaiapoi
Huntly	1 min	Waikato	Huntly
Hastings	1 min	Hawke's Bay	Hastings
Gore	1 min	Invercargill & Southland	Gore
Cambridge	1 min	Waikato	Cambridge
Westport	Under 1 min	West Coast	Westport
Timaru	Under 1 min	Christchurch & Canterbury	Timaru
Napier	Under 1 min	Hawke's Bay	Napier
Mosgiel	Under 1 min	Dunedin & Otago	Mosgiel
Inglewood	Under 1 min	Taranaki	Inglewood
Hāwera	Under 1 min	Taranaki	Hāwera
Dargaville	Under 1 min	Northland	Dargaville

Drive times are by road from each town's centre to the nearest walk-in adult shop or counter we could verify. How we measured it

How far do Kiwis have to drive to reach a walk-in adult shop? We measured it for every town and locality in New Zealand, using public data and road routing.

Most people are close: half of New Zealanders live within about 6 minutes of one. But 10.5% live more than 30 minutes away, and 4.0%, about 201,000 people, live more than an hour away from one we could verify. Counting places we couldn’t fully confirm, it’s 8.5% and 3.0% (about 149,000 people).

The gaps are real places. In 14 towns, home to about 51,000 people, nobody lives within an hour's drive of an adult shop we know of, even counting places we couldn't fully confirm. Four are in Otago and four are in the central North Island.

Use the data

The Aotearoa Adult Shop Access Index 2026 is free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Please credit “Aotearoa Adult Shop Access Index 2026, Naughty Hut” and link to www.naughtyhut.co.nz/pages/adult-shop-access-index. Read the licence

Know a shop we missed? Tell us

Data sources

LINZ NZ Gazetteer (place names) (CC BY 4.0)
Stats NZ 2023 Census, population by small area (CC BY 4.0)
OpenStreetMap road data, routed with OSRM (ODbL) (ODbL)
Google Trends, interest by region, past 12 months (Google terms)

Version 1.0. Updated 1 October 2026.