A Kiwiana Holiday in New Zealand

‘Kiwiana’ is a word used to describe the things that define New Zealand’s popular culture. As time passes, more things get added to the list. One of the oldest examples of kiwiana is the Cardrona Hotel in Central Otago, which was established in 1863. One of the newest would be the music of Split Enz, which is quintessentially ‘New Zild’.


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Kiwiana places to visit

Buzzy-bee toy - a New Zealand Icon New Zealand’s small towns embrace kiwiana more than big cities. In fact the North Island town of Otorohanga has made kiwiana its special point of difference. The main street has 24 permanent modular displays featuring New Zealand's colourful history, events and heroes. You can even go on a self-guided kiwiana walk. To cap it all off, Otorohanga has a Kiwi House where you can watch New Zealand’s most famous symbol digging for dinner with its beak.

Not far from Otorohanga is Taihape. You’ll know you’re there when you see the giant gumboot icon. Every couple of years this town celebrates its New Zealandness with a Gumboot Day, which includes an unforgettable gumboot throwing event.

The town of Tirau, between Hamilton and Rotorua, has turned New Zealand icons into buildings. Fashioned from corrugated iron, there’s a sheepdog building (the information centre) and a sheep building (a wool products gallery). In fact, the whole town’s festooned with corrugated iron art. Tirau is a great place to shop for kiwiana antiques and souvenirs.

New Zealand’s quintessential kiwiana hotel can be found in the Cardrona Valley, about 30 minutes drive from Wanaka. In the old days, patrons who were about to drive the Crown Range Road (the highest public road in the country) were only allowed one glass of beer, but those who were heading for Wanaka were allowed two.

Kiwiana exhibitions


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The paua (abalone) has always had a special place in New Zealand culture, and not just because it makes a tasty fritter. The brilliant green/blue pearl interior of paua shell has featured in knick knacks and jewellery for as long as anyone can remember. One Southland couple, now deceased, were so obsessed with these shells that they made paua the theme for their house. You can see their paua-encrusted living room, which includes more than 4000 shells, at the Canterbury Museum.

Te Papa, the national museum in Wellington, is another place to seek kiwiana. Its walk-in theatre exhibition ‘Golden Days’ lets you explore a cluttered ‘junkshop’ that tells the story of New Zealand.

At the Rugby Museum in Palmerston North, our country’s romance with the oval ball is honoured with displays, stories and audio visuals. This museum contains some of the world's rarest rugby artefacts, including a pair of size 16 rugby boots (13"/33cm) as worn by Wellington lock Adrian McKenzie.

Kiwiana to eat

Unique New Zealand foods add flavour and character to your holiday. Make sure you try these specialities:
Whitebait fritters. Made with hundreds of teeny, tiny fish. Look closely and you can see their eyes!
Hokey pokey icecream. Creamy vanilla icecream full of crunchy chunks of toffee. On a hot day, say "okey dokey" (means "yes") to hokey pokey.
Pavlova. While the Australians might claim they made it first, it was our moment of fame. This delicious meringue dessert is usually swathed with whipped cream and topped with slices of kiwifruit.
Watties tomato sauce. The big bottle of red stuff that sits proudly in the middle of the typical New Zealand dinner table. Goes with absolutely everything, except ice cream.
Crayfish. You’d call this lobster anywhere else in the world. Buy it from roadside stalls near Kaikoura, where it’s cooked and ready for you to tear apart with your bare hands.
Kiwiburger. MacDonalds created this especially for the New Zealand market. It’s different because it includes egg and beetroot.
Lemon & Paeroa. Traditionally made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, L & P is now made by Coca Cola. It is only available in New Zealand.

Kiwiana to buy


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A Kiwi childhood wouldn’t be complete without a ‘buzzy bee’, a brightly coloured wooden bee on wheels that clicks as it’s pulled along. If there are toddlers on your gift-buying list, catch a bee to take home.

The Swanndri 100% wool bush shirt has kept more New Zealand farmers from hypothermia than any other form of clothing. Go for the classic blue & black or red & black check and you’ll look like you were born here

There are millions of sheep in New Zealand, so don’t feel bad about taking a nice fluffy sheepskin home to grace your bedroom floor.

On his first visit to New Zealand Captain Cook took a fancy to the hei-tiki. Greenstone ‘tiki’ were rare at the time, but his interest sparked the birth of the greenstone souvenir market. By the time he arrived back, hei-tiki were plentiful and freely offered for barter. Today you’ll find greenstone hei-tiki in quality souvenir stories throughout the country.

If you want to take home some real New Zealand music, look for an album by Split Enz. Active during the 1970s and 80s, this group established a distinct progressive-rock-meets-punk musical style that still has a cult following throughout the world.

Kiwiana celebrations

The Bay of Plenty town of Te Puke, the centre of kiwifruit growing in New Zealand, hosts a grand kiwifruit celebration every September. The event features a competition to find the Kiwifruit Queen and a Kiwifruit Expo.
The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival has become an iconic annual event in New Zealand. New and unusual wild foods are introduced every year; anyone for wasp larvae ice cream?
Towards the end of May, the Southland town of Bluff celebrates what many believe to be the best oyster in the world. The Bluff Oyster & Seafood Festival delivers fantastic local entertainment, gourmet delicacies and, of course, truckloads of Bluff oysters.