The Best Places to Shop in New Zealand
Some of New Zealand's best souvenir shopping is found at art and craft galleries around the country. Locally-made crafts include Maori woven pieces and wood carvings. One color you're sure to see all over the place: green, the color of pounamu, the Maori name for greenstone. But the country's shops don't just stop at souvenirs, of course. You'll find local designer labels at shopping centers, including Auckland's High Street. Watch for pieces by Karen Walker, one of the country's best-known designers. Living in a camper van during your stay? Stop at the many farmers markets around the country to restock your cooler.
16 Kahu Rd, Fendalton, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
Across New Zealand you'll find weekend farmers' markets packed with vendors of artisanal products and organic fruit and vegetables, as well as innovative food trucks providing tasty options for breakfast or lunch. Held in the leafy surrounds of...
1234 Fenton St, Cbd, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Known to New Zealand's indigenous Maori people as pounamu, jade or greenstone is treasured throughout the country, and in the North Island city of Rotorua, Rakai Jade provides travelers with the opportunity to craft a special memento of their...
2662 Coast Rd, Barrytown 7873, New Zealand
There's plenty to see along the rugged and wild West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, but an interesting contrast to the spectacular Punakaiki Pancake Rocks or the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers is a day spent making a knife by hand in the...
19 High Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Unity is what all bookstores should be: a good collection of global newspapers by the door, a room stacked to the gills with curated books and magazines, and an extremely well-read staff. Three people is a crowd here; 30 is a very civilized riot....
35 High St, Auckland CBD, CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Hmmm, what to buy when you want a New Zealand souvenir that's not a tacky plastic tiki or kiwi-shaped ashtray? That’s when you head to Pauanesia (pron. Pah-wah-nesia). Named after the Maori word for abalone, this High St. Auckland store has unique...
Newbury Street, Manukau, Auckland 2023, New Zealand
Saturday morning and this is the place to be to get a true slice of the Pacific. The Otara Flea Markets have rows and rows of fresh fruit, clothing, bric-a-brac and of course food, but it's the Polynesian colour and music that makes it so special....
3, Maritime Building 130 Quay St, Auckland, 1140, New Zealand
World is probably the most eclectic shop in Auckland, a "Factory of Ideas and Experiments" specializing in women, men, and beauty. Last time I was in one of the stores I spied everything from Fornasetti candles to stuffed animals to...
18, Te Ara Tahuhu Walkway, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
Karen Walker started off as a local clothes designer, and is now recognised as a bona fide fashion icon. With three stores in Britomart, Grey Lynn and Newmarket, her eponymous label has branched out to include eyewear, footwear, gold and silver...
Cuba St, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
The cultural heart of Wellington is right downtown on Cuba Street. Here art galleries rub shoulders with boutique cafes, and there's more than an enough independent bookshops, thrift stores, and quirky bars to keep even the most alternative...
Matakana 0985, New Zealand
Have time to explore beyond Auckland’s CBD? 45min north is the village of Matakana that gets inundated ever Saturday morning by Aucklanders going to its Farmers Markets. Fresh organic produce, whitebait fritters (a local delicacy), hand-made...
103 Victoria St, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Like a Kiwi Etsy shop come to life, Made It is the home of homemade. Shop for clothing, jewelry, artwork and ceramics all made in Wellington or around New Zealand. The stock changes with the seasons and output of the artists, so you could find...
Christchurch, New Zealand
Christchurch excels at reinvention, whether in creative solutions such as the Cardboard Cathedral, or in the use of shipping containers to house shops and restaurants. So it's no surprise to find a thriving vintage-and-antiques-shopping scene as...
