Avocados for sale on the side of the road at Pyes Pa.
Avocados for sale on the side of the road at Pyes Pa.
On most road trips, I don't make it far before I have to pull over.
Near Arthur's Pass, I got the freshest farm eggs I've ever tasted from what looked like a mailbox. Outside Dunedin, I found flowers as fancy as anything you'd see at the florist. After a recent week in the Bay of Islands, I returned home with a back seat full of sweet corn. In Golden Bay, I was even once tempted by a chilly bin of homebrewed kombucha in recycled rum bottles.
Whether you need pine cones for your fire or pony poo for your garden, there's not much that you can't buy courtesy of New Zealand's honesty boxes. A system that's ingrained in Kiwi culture, stopping at unmanned roadside stalls is one of the highlights of any road trip. Not only do you get a fruit sugar hit from pulling over, but a burst of dopamine, too.
Fruit for sale in Maungakaramea, south west of Whangarei.
"When you sell me something I want and trust me to pay you even when you're not looking, you've made my life good in two ways: I get something delicious, but I also get a good feeling about myself," American social psychologist Michael Cunningham told NPR in 2012. "It's a win-win."
Although I'm from an agricultural area of Canada, I didn't encounter honesty boxes until I moved to New Zealand. You could argue that Canadians haven't adopted the custom owing to inclement weather eight months of the year. And sure, it's hard to grow produce— let alone sell it — when it's minus 20 degrees. But I don't think it's just a difference in climate; I think there's also a difference in culture.
Research indicates I'm likely on to something. First, New Zealanders are an inherently honest bunch. In a 2019 study of honesty in 40 countries worldwide, Kiwis were the nationality third most likely to hand in a lost wallet with money in it. If the honour system is going to work anywhere, it's here.
Second, Kiwis prefer to support local. A MYOB survey found that more than half of New Zealand consumers would rather shop at New Zealand-owned and operated small businesses. And really, what's more "local" than your neighbourhood honesty box?
Of course, the system isn't without its faults. While the majority of people are honest, one no-good grifter can ruin it all by stealing produce or, worse, profits.
Honesty box, road-side stall selling lemons and limes. Photo: Duncan Brown
And so, every year, there's at least one headline predicting the system's demise. "Is it the end of the honesty box?" a New Zealand Herald article asked back in 2007. Nearly 15 years later, we can confidently say no. Now we know that the real threat to honesty boxes isn't dishonesty, but rather EFTPOS. How many times have you come across perfectly ripe tomatoes or the juiciest-looking watermelon, only to discover that you don't have the correct change or any cash at all?
David Clarke, the developer behind the My Honesty Box app, believes it might take technology to save tradition. At farm stalls registered with his app, buyers can scan a QR code, which allows them to pay for their purchase online. Clarke explains that this also helps to prevent theft, since there's no cash left unattended on-site.
"Honesty boxes are part of New Zealand's DNA. Keeping them alive is part of our objective," says Clarke.
In Wellington's QT Hotel hangs a painting by Dean Proudfoot titled "Billy buys from an honesty box in a New Zealand landscape." Tied up in that title is everything I've grown to understand about honesty boxes — they are as much tied to the land as they are to New Zealand's culture. Their contents are as unique as the regions they're found in, but community is what keeps them going.
Lemons and avocados for sale in a road-side honesty box.
Part of the appeal of honesty boxes is that you never quite know where you're going to find one. Although attempts to have been made to map them, they're often seasonal or temporary in nature. But that's why honesty boxes are part of the thrill of the open road; they're about discovering something unexpected that's deeply rooted in community and place.
Not up for surprises? Here are a few of our favourite mainstays.
Honest to goodness honesty boxes
Clevedon Herbs & Produce: One of the most-used vendors on the My Honesty Box app, this shipping container in Clevedon—about 45 minutes southeast of Auckland—sells seasonal veges, herbs and flower seedlings. Payment can be made using the app or by sending your cash down the chimney. 306 McNicol Rd, Clevedon.
The Lettuce Man: A favourite at the Cambridge and Hamilton farmers' markets, Ian "the Lettuce Man" Kerr grows spray-free hydroponic herbs and lettuce that have his fans raving. If you miss him at the market, you can stop by his roadside fridge down Karapiro School Lane for fresh greens. 9 Karapiro Rd, Karapiro.
Raglan Floral Co: This popular wedding florist and small-scale flower farmer is in high demand for her commissions, but if you want your own unique bunch, you can buy them from her roadside stall along Wainui Rd. 494 Wainui Rd, Raglan.
