Whangārei's Great New Zealand Book Sale locked in for July 28-29

Last year's Zonta book sale at Forum North. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The annual Great New Zealand Book Sale bonanza that is the brainchild of Whangārei's two Zonta clubs will stay in its banana boxes for another few weeks.

This will be the 25th annual book sale, where thousands of books will be unpacked from banana boxes and put out for the willing public to peruse.

Over those 25 years the event has raised nearly $500,000 to put back into the community in scholarships, donations to Women's Refuge and other support for women, education and promoting equal opportunities.

The Hatea and Whangārei Zonta Clubs' combined team collects, sorts and packs books into hundreds of boxes in categories including rare and valuable books, gardening, cooking, languages, science, home handyperson, travel and sports - to name just some.

DVDs, CDs and jigsaw puzzles are also up for sale but donated magazines are handed on to help local charity groups fundraise.

The doors will open on the secondhand book sale that draws thousands of booklovers each year at 7am on Saturday, July 28 at Forum North, Whangārei, closing at 5pm, and again on Sunday, July 29, from 7am-3pm.

Zonta collectors are still accepting books for the sale, with drop-off points at Discovery Settlers Hotel (Hatea Dr), Cowley's Hire Centre (Commerce St) and Trimac Services (Kioreroa Rd), all in Whangārei.