Shopping in New Zealand: What to Buy in New Zealand and the Best Markets to Shop at for Some Amazing Souvenirs (2019)

New Zealand is a very beautiful small country you will surely love to visit and stay in. It doesn’t matter if you are visiting to stay for a few days or weeks, just calm down and enjoy. There are so many things to see! After your visit you want to take something back for your friends and family, something that evokes the beauty of New Zealand.

So, share your memorable New Zealand experience with them by going back home with these amazing suggestions.

It is often believed that New Zealand has more sheep than humans. The population of New Zealand is estimated below 5 million people while the sheep in the country is estimated at around 30 million. So if there is anything that is common in the country, it is the merino wool which is obtained from the sheep. This wool is of high texture and quality and one you should buy for your loved ones when going back to India. You can use this merino wool for clothing or knitting.

Whittaker is a private company in New Zealand well-known for producing chocolate that the country boasts of for so many years. It is the second largest chocolate brand in the country after Cadbury. This company was founded by James Henry Whittaker together with his sons in 1913. This chocolate is a must buy because of its rich taste and quality. If you have loved ones especially kids awaiting your return, buy Whittaker’s chocolate from any of the markets selling it and put a smile on your loved ones back home in India. Your visit to New Zealand without taking this chocolate back would be considered incomplete by many.

Kiwi a flightless breed of bird is the country’s national bird and deeply associated. Kiwi birds are nocturnal animals i.e. they are only active during the night and as such are difficult to see in the wild. Nevertheless, there are many soft toy Kiwis to select from. Get yourself a soft toy kiwi to show your family and friends back home in India of your knowledge of New Zealand's national bird.

Another thing you should buy in New Zealand is jade necklaces which are available for sale in Maori inspired feminine and designs greenstone jewellery. There are a lot of Maori designs available such as the Toki, fish hook, koru, hei tiki, twist and manaia. This necklace is very beautiful and of simple design with gold and silver. This is a great souvenir gift you can give to people back home.

Take some of New Zealand legendary wines back to your country as one of the gifts for your family and friends, especially the wine connoisseurs. This country is known for having many award-winning and quality wines. They are also blessed with Kiwi grapes that grow well during winter, autumn and cool seasons. One of the internationally renowned wines you should try and buy before going back home is the Sauvignon wine from the Marlborough region of the country. Luckily enough, there are many wine stores from where you can buy this wine along with many other wines. Other regions which are popular with wines that you can visit to buy it is at Hawk Bay, Auckland, Nelson, Canterbury and Northland.

New Zealand is known for Rugby and the country’s legendary Rugby team has an easy to recognize T-shirt. The all-blacks tee is instantly recognized and buying it for your loved ones in India is something worth doing. Think of a family member or friend that is madly in love with sports and buy it for them. Buy one for yourself as well as it's a cool clothing item to keep and wear.

Mānuka honey is manufactured from European honey bees that forage on the tea tree called the mānuka. This tree only grows in New Zealand so it is expensive and very famous. It is believed to have some antibacterial properties due to which it's also undergoing different studies.

If you have a friend or family member that is not feeling well, this is the best gift you can buy for them. Other reasons why you should try as much as possible to buy this honey is because of the effectiveness in curing sore throats and different digestive problems.

Many New Zealanders have benefited from the rich content of this manuka honey. According to many celebrities, this honey plays a prominent role in their great complexion. Apart from the above-mentioned health benefits of this honey, manuka honey heals wounds and treat skin infections too. You don’t need to worry where to buy this honey as it is available for sale in different tourist shops, supermarkets and health stores. It is sold in different strengths and sizes.

If you have gardening-loving friends, then the best gift to buy for them is gumboots. This is very popular and crucial to farmers in New Zealand as it helps in doing farm work without their feet getting dirty. The canvas lining and rubber base can keep everything out such as mud, water and loose stones. You can buy these boots from various market places in New Zealand and they come in different sizes and colours, so you will always find your size and preference.

The wooden Buzzy Bee is one of the favourite toys in homes of New Zealanders for years. All children in the country grow up with a painted wooden bee. This toy has been in existence since the 1930s. Add many wooden buzzy bees in your bag when you are leaving New Zealand to go back to India and gift them to your nieces and nephews. They will love this wonderful gift with all their hearts. Locating where to buy a wooden buzzy bee is easy as they are available at almost every toy shops in Auckland.

The last gift that made it to our list is sheepskin rugs. Just as earlier stated, there are said to be more sheep than people in New Zealand. Sheepskin is very soft, a warm shade of cream and natural! The softness of this rug surprise people. It can be added to any room for a distinctive touch. They come in different sizes, depending on how you want to use it.

Some of the best places to shop in New Zealand are:

Many artists from different places especially from the south island visit this market every week to sell their creations. This creative event takes place every Saturday in Queenstown’s dynamic park. It is a place to go to if you love or have a friend who is a lover of artistic affinities to buy things like photography, jewellery, metal works, paintings, pottery, carvings, artisan soaps and other valuable items as such.

Another place where you can buy some of the unique products of New Zealand is the Nelson market. This market runs mainly on weekends and there are many things you can shop for. It is very easy to see many types of products here from jewellery, clothing, pottery and candles. If you are looking for a place to buy jade necklaces, come to Nelson market. Nelson market is also regarded as a part of both craft market as well as local art.

This is one of the favourite stopovers in the country where you can buy different products to give your friends and family members on your return. Some of the common products you can buy in this market are Manuka honey and other different Kiwi delicacies. This market is populated with people on every Saturday with many stage performers and food stalls.

This is one of the oldest markets in New Zealand which opens on weekends. This market has been in existence since the 20th century. You can get many eye-catching products from this market. It is located close to a popular museum so it usually attracts tourists and visitors. It is a market you should visit before going back to India. The mood in this market is very cheerful and you will see many live performances and palpable food items to buy.

Another place where you can buy some of the products to take home with you is the La Cigale French Market. You can travel to Auckland and go beyond to a village called Parnell. This market is very occupied and a gala event is usually organised on every weekend for the people to enjoy. Many visitors and tourists are always attracted to this market. The food stalls available in this market have delicious food that you would love to eat before you continue your shopping.

This market is very easy to locate and to go. You can find many great products at affordable prices. There is enough space for parking and enjoying your shopping at this place is guaranteed. This market runs mostly on Sundays. One of the attracting features of this market is the availability of a few second-hand products and items.

In the Rotorua market, you can shop in the night. Shopping in this market at night is super fun! There are multiple stalls for boutique shopping, stalls of food, craft, arts and many other things.

New Zealand is a small but beautiful country you will certainly love to visit. The country has a lot of fun to offer especially if you are visiting for the first time. It does not matter if your duration of coming is short or long, just take your time and enjoy as many things as you can. Fun is limitless here and there are many beautiful things to see. So, explore everything while in New Zealand!

New Zealand is one of the lesser inhabited countries in the world. While in the country, you may not see any other car while you drive around for ages, you certainly can find beautiful beaches and pristine that are totally isolated. While some prefer the quietness and peacefulness, others may not. So, be prepared for this before coming to this beautiful country.

Although citizens speak English here, they also have many accent and slangs that makes them unique. So while in the country, you need to be conversant with some of the most used slangs like 'kiwi' which is used for referring to themselves and also a name of their native bird. The slang 'sweet as' is mostly used for 'awesome or Ok', 'jandals' stands for flip flops while 'togs' stands for bathing suit or swimsuit.