Pounamu - An Endless Choice

Wherever you travel within New Zealand, you're seldom short of an opportunity to buy a pounamu (greenstone) souvenir. The choice is endless. It does pay to be aware though, that not all pounamu souvenirs are handcrafted in New Zealand by Maori craftsmen; a good number of the cheaper works are mass produced in places like China and Taiwan. So if you're after an authentic Maori carving, make sure you check its source - and be prepared to pay a decent sum of money for a collectors piece and a potential family heirloom.