Not sure what to buy in New Zealand souvenir wise?
You’ve come to the right place.
You’ll find most articles about New Zealand souvenirs have the same ideas. I’ve got these in this post BUT I have tried to include a few different ideas you won’t see in every article.
You can click on the links below to jump straight to the relevant area for you:
1. Buzzy Bee
2. Paua Jewellery
3. Jade Necklace
4. All Blacks Jersey
5. Ice Breaker
6. Gumboots
7. Stubbies
8. Swanndri
9. Wine and/or Beer
10. SNACKS!
11. Fridge Magnets
11 OF THE BEST NZ GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS
1. BUZZY BEE
Photos by Hikosaemom via Flickr
This is a great gift if you’ve been to New Zealand for kids. I was lucky enough to have a buzzy bee as a kid, as have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Kiwi kids.
It’s a simple toy, you pull it along, and the wings click. But that’s the beauty of it. The design has changed since the 1930s, but the core function remains unchanged. Pure Kiwiana!
You can find them sold in lots of places online including Amazon, but when you’re in NZ, the best place to buy one is at The Warehouse.
2. PAUA JEWELLERY
Some beautiful paua and jade.
This is one of the unique New Zealand souvenirs that wows people one the first time they see it. The blues, greens, and purples of the shell look amazing, but you’d never know what magic they can produce when they’re live, underwater. The paua clings onto rocks, with its white shell on the outside.
The paua (the food part) is black with a strong taste, it’s something you should eat while you’re in the country, but it’s an acquired taste. The shiny part of the shell is on the inside of the shell. People who go out to collect paua to eat at home will often keep the shell as they look good, even before they’re made into jewelry.
You’ll have no problem finding paua jewelly all over NZ. There’s even a place called Paua World not too far from Martinborough (here’s how to get to Martinborough).
There is some pieces available on Amazon, but it’s tricky to figure out if they’re genuine or not.
3. POUNAMU/JADE NECKLACE
You’ll no doubt experience the Maori culture in New Zealand.
Getting a pounamu (a.k.a. jade and greenstone) necklace is one of the most popular New Zealand gifts which is a tribute to Maori culture But it’s important to know that it’s not a norm to buy one for yourself. It’s usually gifted, or earned. The one above is what I earned for completing the Tarawera Ultra 100 miler in Feb 2023.
With the different Maori carvings having different meanings, you can get personal with this making it one of your gifts from New Zealand with real meaning.
4. ALL BLACKS JERSEY
My All Blacks jersey (worn in this photo) is 8 years old and going strong. Durable!
If you or someone you want to buy a New Zealand souvenir for wears sports jerseys, then you’ve probably already penciled in the All Blacks jersey as your gift from New Zealand.
It’s one that people all over the world will recognise and makes a good conversation starter.
I’ve seen plenty of fakes too, particularly in where I find it funny as when I ask them where they got it, they have no idea (they’re fake).
You can buy one Amazon via the official adidas listing.
5. ICEBREAKER PRODUCTS
Merino wool is famous to buy in NZ. One NZ company that has stuck around for over 20 years and produces high-quality adventure gear made from Merino wool is Icebreaker. They’re big on technical gear that works, not just one time, but for years.
They admit the products are not high-fashion, so you need to know that either you or the person you want to buy the products for appreciates a high-quality product over being Instagram worthy. Or just get them some Icebreaker underwear. Whatever works.
You can find the Icebreaker Amazon listings here.
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6. GUMBOOTS
While you’re unlikely to stumble across people in the city running around in their gumboots, the footwear is a staple in rural New Zealand and most kiwi homes will have at least one pair of gumboots hiding in the house.
They’re essentially Wellington’s which were worn in Britain in the early 19th-century. In New Zealand, we take our gumboots seriously. You can tell from the tribute song to gumboots from Fred Dagg above. But also, Taihape is the gumboot capital of the world and celebrates Gumboot Day every year.
The most popular gumboot Kiwi’s wear is the one produced by Skellerup, known as the red band gumboot. Fortunately, you can buy them in over 500 places in NZ so you’ll be able to pick up a pair easy. Or six.
They’re one of the most practical and interesting NZ souvenirs.
7. STUBBIES
Stubbies a.k.a. short shorts went big in NZ and Australia in the 1970s, especially for tradies. Fast forward to today and they’re still going strong in both countries and it’s something I definitely notice when first arriving back home.
They’ve expanded as casual summer wear now and make for a good pair of sportswear.
Head on into any sports shop like Rebel Sports, and you’ll find plenty to choose from. It’s acceptable for girls to wear stubbies too FYI.
If you’re looking on Amazon, these are what you’re looking for.
8. SWAMNDRI
Ah, the Swanndri. Another brilliant piece of fashion that kiwi males have adopted for decades. The Swanndri is a heavy woolen shirt with long sleeves and a hood. There are lots of different designs, but the most popular one is black and red with a checkered-like pattern.
Mostly seen on farmers, you will see them worn in the cities on a cold day. You could get the man in your life the ultimate kiwi getup! A Swanndri, stubbies, and a pair of gumboots.
Check out Swanndri gear on Amazon here.
9. WINE AND/OR BEER
If possible, buy wine straight from the vineyard.
New Zealand doesn’t have the capacity (or location) to expand anyone locally made beer and wine on a global scale. But that doesn’t mean we have good stuff. The craft beer scene has exploded since 2015, and the wine scene has started to pick up recognition globally.
With wine, grab a pinot noir if you can, and grab any craft beer from the supermarket that looks good. Here’s a book about NZ wine you may like.
Or you could always go with the classic kiwi beer, Tui. It’s not a craft beer, but definitely kiwi!
RELATED: QUEENSTOWN BREWERIES AND CRAFT BEER BARS
10. SNACKS MAKE AWESOME NEW ZEALAND SOUVENIRS
With mukbangs becoming popular all over the worldwide, you might just have to have a private mukbang with friends and family trying all the New Zealand food at home.
There are lots of classic kiwi snacks, and as many are unique so make for some of the best things to buy in New Zealand.
- Hokey pokey ice cream: This is a simple one. It’s regular vanilla ice cream with little balls of honeycomb toffee throughout the tub. It’s delicious!
- Jaffas: Jaffas have been around the 1930s and are still found in New Zealand supermarkets. They’re little orange balls with a soft centre. Beware: on a hot day, they melt super quick and your hands will be orange in no time.
- Lemon & Paeroa: Better known as L&P, this lemon flavoured carbonated drink is one of the must-try drinks in New Zealand. The original L&P was made in Paeroa (hence the name) with lemon and carbonated water. It’s now manufactured by Coca-Cola, but the legend lives on in Paeroa with a large L&P sculpture.
- Manuka Honey: Manuka Honey has a superfood trend going for it at the moment, with the supposed antibacterial properties a driving force (not scientifically proven as of early 2019). The nectar comes from the manuka tree, with a specific flavour profile. Make sure to source genuine manuka honey. There are plenty of people trying to take advantage of its popularity.
- Whittakers Chocolate: Grab a big block of this chocolate from the supermarket to take home. It’s way better than any Cadbury chocolate. I recommend the dark ghana peppermint flavour. Another option is to get Whittaker’s peanut slabs, a classic. Cholocate is also a great hiking snack idea.
- Pineapple Lumps: A kiwi lolly (candy/sweet) seen on shops shelves around the country. They’re made with a thin chocolate shell with a pineapple flavoured inside (they’re said to be soft on the inside but I find them tough and chewy). This is one that gets lots of people who aren’t a fan of this one.
- Chocolate Fish: Like the pineapple lump, this has a thin layer of milk chocolate on the outside but with a soft marshmallow center. They aren’t massive, and there does seem to be good and bad chocolate fish out there. But it has always been a feel good kiwi snack for kids.
- Marmite: This is almost guaranteed to be the most disliked of the New Zealand products in this section. Marmite is a spread that initially gained popularity in NZ before Santitirum bought the rights to it in NZ and Australia. They altered the yeasty spread recipe. With a strong taste of salt, it’s definitely an acquired taste. Definitely try and convince your friends to eat a spoonful at first if you’re feeling mean.
- Cookie Time: Since the 1980s, the Cookie Time cookie has been a constant on dairy counters around the country. Best eaten after 30 seconds in the microwave!
- Griffins Biscuits: Griffins is a kiwi-based brand you’ll start to recognise when you browse through the kiwi supermarkets. Way back in 1890 when local John Griffin started the company, he wanted to make sure there was a variety of biscuits so there was something for everyone. That continues today with a variety of biscuits available at any time. Grab a few (the logo is easy to identify on shelves), and see what happens.
- Get The Traditional Kiwi Dip: This is a cool mix of two products, which when combined make a dip that Kiwis love, preferably with Bluebird chips. The two official ingredients are a Maggi Onion soup packet, and reduced cream. Both products are marked as the official ingredients! And don’t worry about knowing how to make it, you’ll see the recipe on the back of the packets.
Unfortunately, as I was making this list I noticed many of the products have moved their production overseas (usually China).
While I wouldn’t let that rule out buying a buzzy bee or Swanddri for example, it’s something to consider if you’re one who likes to buy locally made products.
11. FRIDGE MAGNETS
These are a super cool idea and are more of an NZ souvenir for you rather than anyone else where the names won’t mean so much.
If you happen to be passing through Methven, you can get some of these magnets from Feliz.co.nz which also has a physical presence online.
They’re a great conversation starter for when you have guests over, and if you’ve got kids they’ll be able to recall memories from these places which is fun.
What gift and or kiwi souvenirs do you plan on getting?
These make for great NZ gift ideas for overseas friends and family too.
If you’ve got other suggestuons about famous things to buy in New Zealand, leave a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com 🙂
RECOMMENDED READING
The Best Things to do in New Zealand (mostly the best anyway)
There’s no shortage of new ideas for you here.
The Crazy Fly by Wire Experience
This is certainly a unique attraction to New Zealand! There’s a video too.
6 Things to do on the Kapiti Coast
Discover why so many Wellingtonians flock to Kapiti for their weekends.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.