The Custard Square Bookshop

The Custard Square Bookshop is a tiny but delightful second-hand bookshop housed in a cheerful custard-coloured caravan at Christchurch’s Arts Centre. Despite its compact size, the shelves are packed with carefully chosen reads, particularly literary fiction, alongside cookbooks, gardening titles and children’s books. With around 2,000 books to browse and an inviting little reading nook for children, it is an ideal place to find an affordable holiday read or an unexpected treasure. Books are typically priced at just $5, making it especially easy to leave with more than one. The bookshop is usually open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am–4pm. As the caravan is weather-dependent, it may close when it rains, so it is worth checking ahead before making a special trip.