To help you find the perfect gift this Valentine’s Day, we’ve narrowed in on the creative community of Ōhinehau Lyttelton, which is chock full of artisans and artists
This Valentine’s Day, find a little bit of luxury in natural and handmade gifts - from a health-giving houseplant to a luxury candle to - of course, the sustainable comfort of a cosy pair of glerups.
With all eyes on the port town of Ōhinehau Lyttelton for the global SailGP contest in mid-March, we’re turning our gift-inspiration sights to some of the fantastic businesses that call the Whakaraupō harbour home.
Lyttelton Lights
What started with melting wax over the stove in Laura’s kitchen back in 2015 has grown into one of New Zealand’s most recognised home fragrance brands. Based on the principles of sustainability, authenticity and meticulous craftsmanship, Lyttelton Lights donates 1% of online sales to charities that protect our oceans, endangered species and rainforests.
The range has grown from natural soy wax candles to include room spray and hand wash. A scented candle is a small, natural luxury that anyone can appreciate.
Henry Trading
“Connected and a little bit interesting,” is how Maree Henry describes the Lyttelton community and her shop, Henry Trading, which has been a fixture on London Street since 2007. Carefully curated with a focus on locally made, the shop is a drop-in space for locals and a shop front for the Lyttelton’s ceramicists, jewellers, musicians, artists and makers. This valentines day, check out Maree’s collection of hand-crafted jewellery, delicious smelling soaps and balms, garden supplies and locally made knives.
Node
Indoor plants became all the rage in lockdown when we turned our attention to the quality of our experience indoors. “Plants make people happy” is the mantra of Lyttelton-based NODE, a plant shop set up by lifestyle and travel writer Liz Carlson of Young Adventuress. “To nurture an indoor garden is to nurture ourselves,” she says. The London Street shop is a beautiful space to drop into but her plants are also available online to be shipped around New Zealand, along with her new book, Houseplants and Design: A New Zealand Guide, which is a complete guide to growing, propagating, designing and caring for indoor plants.
Lyttel Kiwi Gift Shop
This eclectic shop is packed to the rafters with hand-made and locally made gifts. A collective of more than 35 local makers and small businesses, Lyttel Kiwi rambles through six rooms of this historic 1970s Lyttelton building on London Street. Jewellery, ceramics, baby clothes and more - Lyttel Kiwi really has something for every taste. The staff are always warm and friendly.
She Universe Chocolate
She Chocolate started as a cafe in Whakaroupō Lyttelton Harbour. Now the chocolate company is stocked around the country in cafes and has a chocolaterie in the city near Riverside Market. In Lyttelton, you can visit the She’s Cacao Pod on Saturdays between 9.30am and 1pm. These locally-made, full-bean delights are also available online as a tasty Valentine’s treat.
So go on - treat your loved ones to something extra special this Valentine's and wander around the cool streets of Lyttelton this weekend and find the perfect gift!
