🐚 5 Unique Souvenirs That Celebrate Waiheke’s Coastline

🐚 5 Unique Souvenirs That Celebrate Waiheke’s Coastline

Take home more than just photos—bring back something that tells a story.

There’s something about Waiheke that stays with you.

Maybe it’s the first dip at Palm Beach.
The long lunch overlooking Man O’ War Bay.
That ferry ride where the ocean shimmered just right.

Whatever it is, Waiheke leaves a mark—and when it’s time to leave, many visitors (and even locals) go looking for a way to hold onto it. That’s where souvenirs come in—but not the mass-produced kind.

Here are 5 Waiheke-inspired keepsakes that celebrate the island's unique coastline, created with care and made to last.

1. 🗺️ A Custom Ocean Map of the Island You Fell in Love With

Let’s start with the most personal.

Our handcrafted Waiheke Island depth maps turn marine data into beautiful, tactile art. Using real seabed contours and layered wood, each map captures the island’s curves and coastlines—Palm Beach, Onetangi, Surfdale, and all the special spots in between.

What makes it a souvenir worth framing?
You can personalise it with:

  • Your family’s bach name

  • A special date or message

  • A marker for where your boat is moored

  • A memory that deserves a place on the wall

🎁 Perfect for: First-timers, repeat visitors, hosts, weddings, or gifts for yourself.
👉 Explore Waiheke Island maps

2. 💍 Locally Made Sea-Inspired Jewellery

Waiheke has an incredible community of makers, and many of them draw direct inspiration from the ocean. You’ll find:

  • Earrings made from polished sea glass

  • Necklaces shaped like surf breaks or shells

  • Rings set with beach-collected stones

Look for artists selling at Oneroa’s galleries or weekend markets—especially those who work with locally sourced materials.

3. 🧴 Small-Batch Coastal Scents

Smell is memory—and Waiheke’s air has its own signature.
Some local soapmakers and perfumers have bottled it beautifully.

You’ll find Waiheke-made:

  • Salted rosemary + citrus soaps

  • Sandalwood and driftwood candles

  • Room sprays and diffusers that smell like low tide in the best way

These are ideal for:

  • Lightweight travel gifts

  • Airbnb thank-you tokens

  • Pairing with a handwritten note or postcard

4. 🎨 Prints, Photography & Local Art

What better way to remember that view than to hang it on the wall?

Waiheke galleries feature plenty of art that celebrates its bays, vineyards, and sea. Look out for:

  • Watercolour prints of the coastline

  • Abstract aerial shots of the island

  • Line drawings of ferry routes and island maps

  • Paintings of the tides and swell patterns

Tip: Buy direct from the artist when you can. It supports the local creative economy and often means a better story to go with the gift.

👉 Read: Where to Buy Local Art in Waiheke (and What to Look For)

5. 🛶 A Book, Chart, or Keepsake That Connects to the Water

Great souvenirs don’t always have to hang or wear—they can also be read, browsed, or kept close.

Some under-the-radar Waiheke keepsakes include:

  • Vintage marine charts of the Hauraki Gulf

  • Books by Waiheke authors about coastal living

  • Children’s picture books about life by the sea

  • Sketchbooks or journals to start your own record of island visits

And of course—if you’re still torn, a mini map or gift voucher from Tides Out Maps is a great “I thought of you” gesture that lets them choose the spot that means the most.

🌊 Souvenirs That Feel Like Home

Waiheke is full of beauty. The trick is finding something that doesn’t just show where you went—but says why it mattered.

From custom maps to scent memories and local art, these souvenirs will last long after the ferry ride ends.

📦 Order a map online
🛍️ Or visit us at the next show to see the full collection in person.

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