pictures-of-newzealand.com » Tips for Self-Supporters

Tips for Self-Supporters

Shopping Facilities

In every town you'll find at least one of these big supermarkets: Pak 'n Save, Foodtown, Woolworth or Big Fresh. In villages you'll find a Four Square store, often with a petrol station. In addition to this they have dairies in New Zealand, little corner stores where one can buy nearly everything (except alcohol). Beer and wine can be bought at the supermarket. If you want something high in alcohol you can buy in a liquor store. If you should need further trekking equipment, the outdoor shops offer a wide range of – after all you are in New Zealand! As you see, you can travel through New Zealand completely free of any shopping worries ;-)

Contrary to our expectations it wasn't always easy to buy fresh fish. I guess the Kiwi prefer fishing on their own. At a campground I asked a fisherman if I could buy some fish from his catch of the day, whereupon he gave me the fish as a present :-) Mostly there are cooking facilities and BBQs at the campgrounds. Often there are BBQs at resting places as well. The Kiwi love BBQ.

Yummy things in New Zealand

Food is always matter of taste, but I describe some of my impressions. New Zealand apples are really delicious. I wallowed in the taste of creamy avocados and golden kiwifruits which were sweet like honey. The Kumara is very popular in New Zealand, especially on the North Island. It's a red (also gold or orange) sweet potato which you often find on restaurant and bar menues as kumara mash or kumara wedges. And the fish. The fish! At home (in Germany) I rather eat some, because you don't know which fish breeding farm it comes from and what's been pumped in. Here, where no place is farther than 130 km apart from the sea and where they catch their dinner on their own, I couldn't get enough of it. In seafood matters the Green-lipped Mussels are a popular delicacy. I tried and loved them in an extraordinary combination with really hot chili sauce. They cook lamb in all delicious variations one can think of. If you want to eat tasty and tender New Zealand lamb, you really should go out for dining – the Kiwi are real experts. If you don't like it rare you should tell the waiter.

Actually I'm not too fond of cake, but it always came over me when I saw this nutty carrot cake. I immediately wanted to eat a slice or at least buy one for take away. I guess I just didn't put on weight because we were walking and hiking so much ;-)

Grocery tips

Our favoured products:

Carrot cake to go and everywhere
Sushi from Foodtown
Basics Pasta Sauce Garlic & Herb from Foodtown - this one is quite hot!
Colby Cheese (orange pack), Foodtown
Hummus Dip, diverse flavours
origincoffee.com medium / dark roast
Charlie's Orange Juice
Steinlager beer

First Grocery List

Coffee and / or tea
Beer and / or wine
Mineral water
Milk
Cheese
Marg
Spread
Bread
Rice
Noodles
Noodle sauces
Fruits
Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Canned food
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Sunscreen
Toilet tissue
Washing powder
Dish soap