Food & cultureBy Clever Tourists · Published
The best souvenirs from New Zealand are pounamu (greenstone) with a Ngāi Tahu authentication code, pāua shell jewellery, mānuka honey graded by UMF or MGO, and merino or possum-merino knitwear. The catch with the most famous of them is that imported jade from China, Myanmar and Canada is sold alongside real New Zealand pounamu, often in the same towns. Below are eight things worth buying, how to tell the real thing, where to shop and what to know about honey and wood on the way home. Prices are tiers: $ is small change, $$ a considered purchase, $$$ a splurge. For the other 19 countries we cover, see our best souvenirs to buy in 20 countries.
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1. Pounamu (greenstone) ($$ to $$$). New Zealand nephrite jade is a taonga (treasure) to Māori, and ownership of naturally occurring pounamu in the Ngāi Tahu area was returned to the iwi in 1997. Jade imported from China, Myanmar, Canada and elsewhere is sold in New Zealand too, sometimes as "greenstone". Genuine New Zealand pounamu from Ngāi Tahu carries a mark of authenticity and a unique code you can trace online. Ask to see it before you pay; a seller of the real thing will expect the question.
2. Pāua shell jewellery ($ to $$). Pāua is New Zealand's abalone, and its blue-green shell is cut and polished into pendants, earrings and inlay. Small pieces are among the cheapest real New Zealand-made gifts. Look for a maker's name on the card.
3. Mānuka honey ($ to $$$). Graded by a UMF or MGO number on the label; higher numbers cost much more. Check your home country's rules on honey before packing it, and pack the jar in checked luggage, since a large jar is over the liquids limit for carry-on.
4. Chocolate and lollies from the supermarket ($). The cheapest edible souvenirs; our grocery store guide has the list.
5. New Zealand wine ($ to $$). Buy it from a bottle shop or the cellar door, not the airport, and check your home allowance.
6. Merino knitwear ($$). Warm, light and made locally from New Zealand merino.
7. Possum-merino knitwear ($$). Merino blended with possum fibre. The possum is an introduced pest in New Zealand, which is why its fur is used.
8. Wool throws and sheepskin ($$ to $$$). Bulky, so buy them at the end of the trip.
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• Pounamu: carvers and galleries that show the Ngāi Tahu authentication mark and code. Ask where the stone came from and who carved it.
• Honey, chocolate and wine: supermarkets and bottle shops in Christchurch or Queenstown, before you head into the smaller towns.
• Knitwear: specialist wool shops in Queenstown, Christchurch and the South Island tourist towns. Check the label for the merino and possum percentages.
Our New Zealand guide and Lake Pukaki guide cover the South Island stops we made.
• Unmarked "greenstone". With no authentication code, assume it may be imported jade.
• Airport honey. The same brands cost less in a supermarket.
• Anything you cannot get home. Honey, wood and plant products are restricted in some countries; check before you buy the big jar.
New Zealand requires every arrival to declare wooden carvings, masks, woven cane and bamboo, and other plant items, which matters if you come from Bali or the Pacific with souvenirs. Clean, identifiable items are usually allowed after inspection; failing to declare can mean an instant fine. Details in our NZ Traveller Declaration guide.
On the way home the rules are your own country's: honey, meat and wood products are the usual problems.
More planning in things to know before visiting New Zealand, tipping in New Zealand and our 23-day South Island road trip.
Genuine New Zealand pounamu from Ngāi Tahu carries a mark of authenticity and a unique code you can trace online. Jade imported from China, Myanmar and Canada is also sold in New Zealand.
They are grading numbers printed on the label. Higher numbers cost much more.
Knitwear made from merino wool blended with possum fibre. The possum is an introduced pest in New Zealand, so its fur is used for clothing.
Yes for wooden carvings, masks, woven cane and bamboo and other plant items. Clean, identifiable items are usually allowed after inspection; not declaring can mean an instant fine.
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