In search of the perfect souvenir
An object or piece of jewelry featuring one (or more) of the endemic species. Kiwis are very proud of their endemic flora and fauna, and it shows! Stores are overflowing with products representing the country's fetish species. Kiwi, kereru, pukeko, piwakawaka, tui, ferns, pohutukawa... you name it, and the designs are by turns comical, pretty, poetic and always incredibly charming. The tricky part is choosing..
A Buzzy Bee. Its name is a play on words between "buzzy", which means "buzzing" in a word that evokes the "bzzz bzzz" of bees in flight, and the expression "busy bee", which designates someone who is very busy, by analogy with bees that never stop foraging. The Buzzy Bee is a bit like our own Sophie the Giraffe. Few Kiwi children haven't had one growing up. This wooden toy is one of the prides and icons of New Zealand culture.
A tattoo. The most imperishable of souvenirs! Central to Kiwi culture, if you've always thought about it but never dared, this could be the right place to take the plunge..
A curiosity unearthed in an op shop. "Op shop", short for "Opportunity shop", is the local name for second-hand stores. They're very widespread, and there are some real Ali-Baba caves for those who like to bargain-hunt! It's very common to find merino (or even possum-merino) clothing, and not at all impossible to find pounamu, among other potential finds.
The most common branches are Salvation Army Family Shop, SPCA shops, City Mission, Mary Potter Hospice Shop, Saint Vincent de Paul and Save Mart. In Wellington, Opportunity for Animals is probably the best place to find clothes.
Dressed for winter
Merino wool clothing. New Zealand is famous for its sheep farms, and there's one species that makes the country a little prouder than the rest: the merino sheep. Its wool has excellent thermo-regulating properties, and merino garments are a staple of New Zealand clothing. Given the changeable nature of the weather, it's often advisable to dress in "layers", which can be taken off and put back on as the temperature changes throughout the day. In winter, merino garments provide the "base layer" for staying warm. In summer, the anti-odour properties of this miraculous wool make it the ideal ally for hikers and other outdoor adventurers!
The undisputed market leader in New Zealand is the Ice-Breaker brand, which produces comfortable, high-quality 100% merino wool garments.
Possum-merino clothing. Possums were originally introduced to New Zealand for the fur trade. Since then, they have been hunted relentlessly because of their catastrophic impact on local biodiversity. Their fur, combined with merino wool, produces a wool with a texture similar to cashmere. It makes extremely soft and warm garments. The great classics, which can be found in most souvenir stores, are gloves, hats and scarves, ideal allies to bring back with you in the European winter if you travel here in summer!
Gourmet products
Beers. New Zealanders are justifiably proud of their beers! The country (and Wellington in particular) is teeming with microbreweries vying with each other to create original, tasty beers. In some cases, the cans are veritable objets d'art, so carefully crafted are the graphics that accompany the beers. A perfect gift for any lover of hoppy beverages.
Chocolate. You won't find chocolate here of the quality of Swiss chocolates or the "gourmet" chocolateries of our capital cities, but there are a few very good local brands that are the pride of the locals and can be found in every cupboard and hiking bag!
Whittakers is the absolute must, offering bars with local flavours: Hawke's Bay pears, Kerikeri oranges, Malbourough caramel and salt... Other slightly higher-range brands: Hogarth Chocolate, Foundry Chocolate, Solomon's Gold, Wellington Chocolate factory.
Peanut butter (and other oilseeds). A true culinary institution, peanut butter is a must-have that adapts to every taste and mood.
Some prefer it "smooth", while others swear by "crunchy" (with chunks) or even "super crunchy" (with lots of chunks). There are many "proudly New Zealand made" brands, the most famous (and best) of which are Fix and Fogg (Wellington), Pic's (Nelson), Nut brothers (Auckland) and Forty Thieves (Whangaparaoa). The flavors vary according to the brand, but Fix and Fogg clearly has the most varied and original range.
Feijoa products. Feijoa is a typically New Zealand autumn fruit, totally unknown in our latitudes. Perfect, then, to bring back in your suitcases for a bit of exoticism. The fruit itself may not make it through customs, but jams, chutneys, sweets and other feijoa-based products are perfect export candidates!
The pounamu, a local treasure
A pounamu. "Pounamu" is the name given here to the jade stone. Of great cultural importance to the Māori, it is considered a "taonga" (treasure), often passed down from generation to generation. Often worn as a pendant by both men and women, it is carved with a variety of traditional symbols and can represent ancestors, a connection with Nature, or confer virtues such as strength, prosperity, love, fertility, protection, fortune or harmony on its wearer.
Among the most common symbols are the toki, a kind of traditional māori"club", symbolizing determination, strength and hope; the koru, a spiral depicting a young fern shoot unfurling to become a leaf and representing a new beginning; or the hei matau, Maui's giant fishhook symbolizing a connection with the ocean and conferring good fortune and protection on sea voyages.
