Shopping in Rotorua

Rotorua in the North Island region of New Zealand is the center for Maori culture. Rotorua has large number of tourist oriented shops, selling the traditional wood carvings from native timber, natural fiber, sculptured greenstone, bone and other natural material. Each piece of art in Rotorua tells the story of the area immensely gifted by nature. Shopping in Rotorua is a unique experience, there are souvenirs and gift shops scattered all around the city.

There are carving and weaving schools in some of the villages of Rotorua, teaching the traditional craft to the new generation for ages. You would see traditional craftsmen at work in various places. Tourists often visit shops in Rotorua selling genuine black pearls and abalone (paua) pearls. Blueberry wine and other blue berry products can also be found at the shops in Blue Berry Winery.

Rotorua is one of the most popular tourism destinations of the world; there is an abundance of shopping opportunities to get yourself indulge in. Rotorua Central Mall has over 500 stores and has a splendid collection of small boutiques, specialty retail shops and international chain stores, all under one roof.

Shopping in Rotorua is incomplete without visiting the popular Jade Factory, the ultimate shopper’s paradise. Jade Factory has the widest range of jade carvings in New Zealand. Jade Factory specializes in high quality, high priced, handcrafted greenstone jewellery and carvings. The shop offer simple pieces to elaborate items, some even costing a fortune. All the jade carvings are individually hand carved by artisans and the sculptured pieces are all unique.

Rotorua being the center of Maori culture has many shops around the city offering souvenir and exquisite pieces of Maori arts and crafts. Some pieces are carved from native timber, other woven from natural fibers, bone, shell or other natural materials. Hand blown glass is another specialty in Rotorua; you can buy amazing gift items for your family.

Comvita Visitor Center is a fascinating place for shopping in Rotorua. Comvita Visitor Center is home to the natural health and bee products. It is situated halfway between Tauranga and Rotorua. Besides shopping for pure natural honey and other great products you can discover the magic of watching honey bees at work, which is open to general public.