When you're in New Zealand there are a few things you may want to pick up along the way as they are unique, they're made here in New Zealand, and you probably won't find anything else that comes close. Our picks would be:

Maori handicrafts including bone, jade (greenstone = pounamu) and wooden carvings, as well as woven bags and accessories made from the native flax grass, sometimes interwoven with our beautiful paua (abalone) shell with its stunning nacre of crimson, green and blue hues.

Other handicrafts include woolen clothing, mainly knitted from merino wool and also a new mix made from merino and possum fur called 'merinomink' - amazingly soft and so very warm.

Chocolate - yes, our chocolate rocks (probably due to all that green green grass our dairy cows get to graze on). If you want to take a small morsel home, try some from the Seriously Good Chocolate Company, you won't find any better than this! Also while you're here, try our ice cream, you won't find any better elsewhere and it's so cheap.

Wine - New Zealand wines are well known throughout the world and regularly win many top awards. There are a number of different wine regions scattered around New Zealand, with each region usually focusing on one or two types of grapes. Our best wines are probably the whites including sauvignon blancs, rieslings, chardonnays and pinots. Check out Gibbston Valley Wines for an excellent selection.

Duty-free goods: because of the exchange rate, our duty free goods are some of the cheapest in the world, so go wild!