With 2021 on its way out and the countdown to Christmas picking up pace, we’ve done the research for last minute gift buyers who are feeling the panic. 

Trees That count
With Trees That Count, you can gift a loved one a native tree for just $10. Choose where you'd like your tree planted with plenty of projects around the country to select from. Trees That Count is managed by Project Crimson, a conservation charity with a vision of planting 200 million native trees across New Zealand. They help connect funders with planters, who together have planted over 32 million native trees since launching in November 2016.

27Seconds
Who can say no to a bottle of good wine, particularly when there’s a great cause behind it? 27Seconds donates 100% of its profits to Hagar New Zealand, an organisation which supports survivors of human trafficking, slavery and severe abuse in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Vietnam. With corporate gifting options as well as a number of stockists across the North and South Island, it’s easy to give a gift that counts this year.

Little Biddy Gin
We haven’t been very subtle about our bias for the West Coast and neither are we about our gin preference. Little Biddy Gin hails from this great region and each bottle carries clear notes of native West Coast botanicals. Reefton Distilling Co produces a bunch of other premium, hand-crafted spirits and they’ve picked up a handful of awards here and abroad if our word isn’t enough to go by. 

Anything from Frances Nation
Tucked away in the Arts Centre (but also online), you’ll find the most beautiful gift options at Frances Nation Home and Frances Nation Grocer. Focused entirely on New Zealand made goods, Tessa has curated an exceptional range of quality and useful homewares and artisanal local produce. This is secretly our lazy, foolproof option as literally anything here would make a fantastic gift.

Sonder Leather / Indigo & Provisions
This one may be a little late for last minute shoppers but we’re throwing it on the list anyway. Sonder Leather produces beautiful saddle-stitched leather wallets and key fobs which are hand made right here in Christchurch. Using vegetable-tanned leather, every product is designed to develop a patina of its own as it ages. The option to add embossed initials to your wallet (free of charge) makes this an even better personalised gift.

Sonder Leather Driving Wallet (Photo: Julie Gursha)

Waxed Canvas Lunch Bag
Last but not least, we’ll drop a self-plug here too - everybody loves lunch so you can’t go wrong with a Common Goods Lunch Bag.