New Zealand Gifts to Send Overseas

When it's Christmas at the beach here, it's the middle of winter for family in London, Toronto or Boston. Someone over there is scraping ice off a windscreen before work. A gift from New Zealand that keeps them warm is a good way of closing the distance.

Knitwear also travels well. It's light, it doesn't break, and it arrives looking the way it left, whether it goes in the post or in your own suitcase. This guide covers what to choose when you can't check their size, and how to get it there.

Choose something that doesn't need a size

Sending a jumper overseas means guessing someone's size from the other side of the world, and an exchange from abroad takes weeks. Scarves, beanies, gloves and wraps avoid the problem altogether.

The silver fern

Black with a silver fern is the combination most people overseas already know, from the jerseys New Zealand's national teams wear. For someone who follows New Zealand rugby from the other side of the world, it's the one they'll recognise straight away.

Koru knits the fern in grey on black across a scarf, beanie and gloves. The beanie is double-layered, with a band of ferns around the turned-back brim, and the gloves carry a single fern on the back of each hand. The Fern Possum Merino Set brings all three together, knitted in New Zealand from 50% merino lambswool, 40% possum fur and 10% mulberry silk.

A kiwi, or a flock of sheep

Koru's kiwi and sheep pieces are knitted in the same blend, and both come as a scarf, a beanie and gloves.

The Kiwi Scarf has a kiwi and fern panel at each end above a fringe, and the Kiwi Beanie has a row of kiwi birds around the brim. The Sheep Scarf has a row of sheep above the fringe at each end and turns over to a plainer contrast side. The Sheep Gloves carry a cream sheep on the back of each hand.

Long White Cloud

The McDonald New Zealand Long White Cloud Scarf carries the country's name. "Land of the Long White Cloud. Aotearoa, N.Z." runs along its length. The lettering is knitted into the fabric rather than printed, so it shows on the reverse too, reading as a mirror image with the two colours swapped. At 170cm x 15cm (67" x 6"), it wraps twice under a winter coat.

Made here, without saying so

Not everyone wants a fern or a kiwi. Woolline's accessories carry no motif at all; the New Zealand part is on the label. Woolline is a young brand from a small, family-owned maker in Ōtautahi Christchurch, and everything is knitted from 65% fine merino wool, 25% possum fur and 10% mulberry silk.

For a northern winter, the Wave Scarf is a loop scarf with no loose ends, so it stays put in the wind. The Two Colours Scarf is a large two-colour check that shows on both sides, long enough at 170cm (67") to wear as a wrap over the shoulders.

For hands, the Rib Hand Warmers leave the fingers free, and the Long Cable Glovelets run up the forearm under a coat sleeve. Neither needs a size.

For grandchildren overseas

Children's mittens only need an age, not a size. McDonald New Zealand's new mittens fit ages 5 to 10 and carry a little of New Zealand on the back of each hand. The sheep mittens have a sheep's face with ears that stand out from the sides. The kākāpō mittens are forest green with a mustard-gold kākāpō, a flightless native parrot and one of New Zealand's rarest birds.

For a new baby on the other side of the world, a MyBlanket merino baby blanket arrives wrapped in tissue in a cotton drawstring bag, ready to give. See our pēpē gift guide for more.

If you're flying home with it

Plenty of gifts never go in the post. They go in a suitcase, on the way to spend Christmas with family overseas. Knitwear is light, it doesn't break, and a scarf or a pair of gloves takes up almost no room. There's no need to declare knitwear at the border either; our shipping questions cover fur trims and pom poms. Order early enough for it to reach you in New Zealand before you fly; our shipping page has delivery times within New Zealand.

If you do send a jumper

Each brand sizes a little differently, and none of them size like fast fashion. Check how our brands size against something they already own, and see our sizing guide for measurements.

Or send a gift card

If you're unsure, a gift card lets them choose for themselves. Gift cards start at $100, never expire, and arrive by email, so they're the fastest gift to send anywhere, including on Christmas Eve.

Getting it there for Christmas

Our Christmas order-by dates are on the shipping page, by country, along with current rates and delivery times.

If your deadline is tight, get in touch before you order and we'll check whether it can be done. Earlier is always better: postal services everywhere slow down in December under the volume of Christmas mail.

A note on what you're sending

Possum merino is a fibre found only in New Zealand. The possum fur comes from the pest control that protects native forests and birds, which gives the gift a story worth telling when it's unwrapped. Our guide to possum merino explains what it is, and our conservation page explains where the possum fur comes from.

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