Find New Zealand's hidden gems by shopping local

This article is written by Lara Saliège - She backpacked through New Zealand in 2020 and never managed to leave our beautiful shores - now residing here with her partner. Lara's profile

Coming from France, we do have food trucks, markets, and small boutiques like a butchery, a bakery, etc. However, nothing in comparison to New Zealand. The concept of honesty boxes, or finding someone selling fresh food on the side of the road, would not even be considered. Probably due to all the regulations which make it more complicated. I will let you imagine how surprised I was when I first came across a small stall selling avocados while I was driving around New Zealand. Since that day, shopping from roadside stalls and directly from the locals has become one of my hobbies. Is shopping small convenient? It's another topic. However, here are three reasons why buying directly from the locals is the best idea to find New Zealand's hidden gems.

Reduce your grocery budget

Grocery shopping in Aotearoa is expensive. Especially everything related to the food: vegetables and fruits are on top of the list. $5 a capsicum (no, I am not kidding!) or almost $10 a kilo of kiwis, it is just insane.  Eating healthy should be affordable for everyone. My first month in New Zealand, I was mostly eating carrots as it was one of the cheapest veggies I could find. I started to look for more affordable supermarkets. Soon enough, I noticed that I could save so much money from shopping directly from the locals. I managed to reduce my weekly grocery budget from between 30% to 50%. Of course, I buy what I can find, which means eating seasonal products. Do I enjoy my meals less? Not at all! Quality is still here!

Then, there are skincare products. I am a big fan of natural products when it comes to beauty. New Zealand is the perfect place to find creams made locally with native plants. Guess what? It's the first time that I found a skincare routine that actually works.

Buy unique gifts

When you visit a country, there is always a time when you have to think about getting souvenir gifts for your loved ones who have stayed at home. Wine, skincare or treats, the list is long. There are plenty of souvenir shops in every big city. But how many of them are unique? Like anywhere in the world, we usually end up buying things that are not even made in the country itself. What a shame! You cross the planet to find another culture, and you bring home something that was made 5000 km away.

If you want to keep experiencing a taste of New Zealand at home and support the local businesses, your best option is to shop from them. Time to look for some home-made souvenirs.

Experience New Zealand as a Kiwi

I remember when one of my friends mentioned “Real fruit ice cream” You are probably not going to believe me, but I had no clue what it was. Once they explained it to me, my first question was how could I find some? “Oh, you have to keep your eyes open as they’re often just on the side of the road, you may see some orchards selling some, too!” You can be assured that within a week I had spent much time researching, and I knew about all the places that were close enough to my house. These casual stores are such a wonderful part of New Zealand culture.

If you want to experience Kiwi life, you have to stop and shop at these places. Get a real fruit ice cream, some coffee or find a place to pick your own berries for the rest of your trip.

Now, you may wonder:  how to find the best of these roadside stalls, sellers of handmade wares and coffees, berries and ice-cream in New Zealand?

How to find the best roadside stall in New Zealand?

We all know it, road trips are the number one choice, when visiting New Zealand. Easy, convenient and breathtaking as you experience New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes first-hand.  While travelling, no doubt, you will lay eyes on a few of the types of places I have talked about.  However, you will probably pass and miss them. Concentrating on the road means you often see these goods and services too late.

That's where Passmebuy comes into the game. When Alex explained her project to me, I completely stuck to it. Finally, I was going to be able to find New Zealand's hidden gems way easier—and you can too! At Passmebuy, we display for you all these great places all over New Zealand. All you need to do is grab your phone and check out our map (www.passmebuy.co.nz). Free to use, we have close to 150 sellers all over New Zealand. All you have to do is download the web app (from the website) to add it to your home screen. You will find some happiness for sure!

From cheap and fresh home-grown vegetables and flowers to home-made candles or local honey, the best New Zealand products come from the locals themselves. Follow us on social media to stay updated.