3 Best Shopping in Wellington and the Wairarapa, New Zealand

For any Wellingtonian's trip "over-the-hill," C'est Cheese is their first essential stop. The shelves are stocked with soft and hard cheeses, all made in-house from nearby milk supplies. Above all, C'est prioritizes matchmaking; they make the cheese, then they'll help you match it with their range of locally sourced goods that will complete your platter.

This shopping village is a 10-minute walk from central Masterton. Among the cafés and bars, you'll find a local jewelry designer, a high-fashion clothing and perfume boutique, and a book shop.

Just off the main highway in Carterton, Paua World is an interesting diversion. Akin to abalone, paua has been collected by the Māori since ancient times (they used it to represent eyes in their statues). The highly prized, rainbow-color shell interiors are polished, processed, then turned into jewelry and the like.