Trips to New Zealand are always a big adventure and the bigger the holiday, the better the gifts brought home are expected to be! Luckily, there are some great New Zealand souvenirs to choose from and we’ve pulled together this list of our favourites.
We’ve also recommended places where you can find them so you can spend less time shopping and more time holidaying too! Yay!
1. All Blacks Jersey
The ultimate New Zealand gift if there ever was one. We are of course talking about the iconic All Blacks Jersey. If your friends back home know us for anything it is most probably this. It might not fit as snug as they do on the actual All Blacks (unless you’ve got some big mates) but we can guarantee they’ll be received and worn with tremendous pride.
You can buy an All Blacks Jersey at many sports shops across New Zealand including Champions of the World in Auckland’s Queen Street.
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2. Buzzy Bee
If you’ve got little ones to shop for and are after something truly unique then we’ve got the gift for you. The Buzzy Bee, undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s most loved toys that’s been around since the 1930’s! Made from wood and beautifully coloured, the Buzzy Bee also has wings that rotate and click when pulled. A sensory overload!
The Buzzy Bee can be easily found in most shops with toy sections including The Warehouse.
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3. Funny New Zealand T-shirt
Admittedly, we’re not really known for our sense of humour. The Flight of the Conchords have been our most successful humourist exports but there are other LOL Kiwis too. Some of them even make funny T-shirts which make for great gifts for friends who enjoy a good giggle. A lot of them look quite good too which is a bonus!
Although you can shop for these online, shops like Global Culture have stores you can visit too.
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4. Kiwi soft toy
You can’t get more Kiwi than a Kiwi bird! As another well-known icon, you can’t help but bring something Kiwi back from your adventures here. A Kiwi soft toy will win the hearts of both young and old as a fail-safe gift.
You’ll find yourself a cuddly Kiwi in pretty much every souvenir shop in the country.
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5. Lord of the Rings memorabilia
Another thing that has become synonymous with New Zealand is Lord of the Rings. This is thanks to Sir Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies that were filmed right here in New Zealand. LOTR memorabilia can, of course, be purchased all over the world but the best of it is found here.
A great place to buy some is at the Weta Cave in Wellington. This also gives you a chance to do the awesome tour of Weta Workshop!
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6. Manuka honey
Manuka honey. Probably the purest, most perfect product of nature that can be bought. It cures just about every ailment and adds a good 50 years of life onto those who take it. This is why it’s sought the world over and costs about $1000 p/gram in shops overseas. The good news is that it’s much more common here and affordable too!
As a matter of fact, GO Rentals customers can get a great deal on Egmont Manuka Honey using their GO Play card!
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7. Maori art
For your more cultured acquaintances, there’s nothing more appropriate than some beautiful Maori art. There are some amazing artists in New Zealand, many of which produce wall art and prints inspired by Maori design. Unique and interesting, it’s a gift that’ll be greatly appreciated to those who receive.
There are some great pieces available at Art Galleries and Museums across New Zealand. Art shops like Kura in Auckland and Wellington are a good option too.
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8. Merino wool jumper
Merino wool has been taking the world by storm in recent years, the best of which comes from New Zealand. Light, strong, warm and odour resistant, it’s the ideal material for clothing of all types. It’s especially good when yarned into a nice jumper for those who come from cooler climates.
If you want to go for the best then Untouched World is the premium choice as worn by President Barack Obama and Prince Harry!
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9. New Zealand sweets
Who doesn’t like a sweet treat, let’s be honest. Everyone does, and we’ve got some fantastic delicious bite-sized snacks that can’t be found anywhere else. Your sweet box can start with Pineapple Lumps, Jet Planes and Jaffas. If you’ve got more room then throw in some Chocolate Fish, Minties and Milk Shakes.
Every supermarket in New Zealand has at least an entire aisle dedicated to these.
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10. New Zealand wine
New Zealand is a place where the wine is fine. Indeed, we have a well-established reputation for producing a world-class bottle or two. It makes perfect sense then, to take some home with you to share with your nearest and dearest. In terms of varietals, they’re all pretty good but you can’t go wrong with our Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir.
You can buy wine from local supermarkets and liquor stores but nothing beats a trip to one of our many fantastic wineries. For the sake of your friends, you’re really compelled to try before you buy.
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11. New Zealand wood products
As well as fine wine, New Zealand also has some beautiful products made from native wood. Kauri and Rimu are the most popular due to their beautiful grain and can be made into exquisite bowls, frames, coasters, clocks, jewellery boxes etc. These make really nice gifts that will get put to good use in any home in the world.
Craft stores like the Elephant House Craft Gallery are great places to shop for these.
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12. Paua shell gifts
Arguably the most beautiful shell in the world can be found in New Zealand. This is the Paua shell, whose beautiful colours of mix shades of blue and green, catch the eye like no other. The Paua shell is incorporated into all manner of ornaments and jewellery which make lovely New Zealand souvenirs for the special ones in your life.
You’ll be able to find these gifts in most souvenir shops like Simply New Zealand.
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13. Pounamu (greenstone) gifts
From a beautiful shell to a beautiful stone. Pounamu (greenstone) is a type of jade found in New Zealand. It is particularly important in Maori culture and are considered a Taonga (treasure). Pounamu had a variety of different uses from practical (tools, knives, fishing hooks etc) to decorative (pendants and cloak pins).
They make lovely meaningful gifts and can also be purchased in many of the souvenir shops as well as Pounamu specialists like Puawai Jade in Rotorua.
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14. Pukeko Poo
To a slightly less meaningful but still highly enjoyable gift, you can’t look past Pukeko poo. For those who don’t know, a Pukeko is a species of swamphen commonly found in New Zealand. Pukeko Poo isn’t actually their real poo, but chocolate made to look like it. It is orange coated, tasty and worth a good laugh or two as a gift.
You can buy Pukeko Poo at souvenir shops like Aotea Gifts in tourist hotspots across New Zealand.
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15. Sheepskin rug
As a country of many sheep (29 million in fact) there are a lot of sheep related products to enjoy. Clothing, slippers, mittens etc – the list goes on. A sheepskin rug is something a little bit different and is a great one for homeowners with wooden floors. They’re great for families too with young kids who can be kept warm and comfortable.
As well as the souvenir shops mentioned you can also find them in home accessory stores like Briscoes.
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16. Tea towel
You can never have too many tea towels and you can get some great ones with Kiwiana designs when you’re here. They’re good gifts-to-self too as they’ll remind you of fond memories whilst doing mundane chores. For others, it may even inspire them to make that long-overdue trip to our shores!
Living and Giving, commonly found in malls across New Zealand, have a nice range to choose from.
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17. Whittakers Jelly Tip Block
Whittakers are a Kiwi success story who have been around since 1890’s and have flourished even against stiff competition from Cadbury. Their iconic product is the Peanut Slab, a showcase in brilliant simplicity as a chocolate bar with peanuts. In recent times they’ve produced some more adventurous Kiwi flavours. From this bunch, we like Jelly Tip Block, inspired from the iconic jelly tip ice cream!
A unique treat, you’ll find Whittakers Jelly Tip Block at supermarkets throughout the country.
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New Zealand Souvenirs for all!
So that concludes our list of 17 New Zealand souvenirs for your friends and family to enjoy! We hope it’s been helpful and we’re confident that these gifts will bring nothing but happiness to all the lucky recipients back home, wherever that may be!
