Gifting Stories: Real Customers, Real Moments
Sometimes, the best way to explain the magic of a personalised gift is to share the stories behind them.
At Tides Out Maps, we don’t just make maps—we help capture memories, celebrate milestones, and honour the places that matter most. Here are a few real-life moments from our community that remind us why we do what we do.
🎉 A Birthday Gift Like No Other
For Don, finding a meaningful birthday gift for his wife—who had lived in New Zealand for 24 years but still called Cape Breton Island home—meant going beyond ordinary. He commissioned a one-of-a-kind map of her hometown, designed to be a surprise from her Canadian family.
“It’s beyond amazing. She loves it — it’s so personal and so special — the only one in the world.”
Read the full story of how this handcrafted map bridged continents and memories:
👉 Customer Testimonial: A Birthday Gift Like No Other
💍 A Wedding Gift for the Couple Who Met on a Sailing Trip
“We marked the exact bay they first anchored in together. It now hangs in their hallway.”
For one ocean-loving couple, their love story began on the water. A custom map of their first anchorage was the perfect wedding gift—equal parts artwork and memory. Framed and displayed at home, it’s now a daily reminder of where it all began.
🌺 A Slice of Samoa, Framed in Wood
When Renee reached out to us, she had a special place in mind: the islands of Samoa. While many of our maps focus on New Zealand’s coastlines, this custom request gave us the opportunity to explore the Pacific and bring a piece of cultural pride to life.
“Absolutely love my Samoa map! It’s beautifully crafted and brings back so many special memories.”
We worked closely with Renee to mark a location of personal significance and study Samoa’s bathymetry so the map would reflect its depth and geography with care. The result is a stunning piece that honours her roots and her story.
“It looks really cool on the wall and I haven't seen anything like it elsewhere... the colour and layers still look brand new after a year—a nod to the craftsmanship and quality.”
Explore the full story here:
👉 Customer Testimonial – A Slice of Samoa, Framed in Wood
💌 A Love Story Mapped in Wood
For her wedding day, Becki surprised her husband with a personalised XL Coromandel Peninsula map, carefully designed to tell their unique love story. Working closely with our team, she added small icons and meaningful locations to represent key moments in their journey.
“The quality, the detail, the care… It’s such a special piece in our home now and something we’ll treasure forever.”
The result was a heartfelt gift, handcrafted with love and proudly displayed as a symbol of their life together.
👉 Customer Testimonial – A Love Story Mapped in Wood
🌟 Create Your Own Meaningful Moment
Each of these stories began with a simple idea: to give someone a gift that means something. Whether it’s love, loss, or a quiet nod to shared memories, a personalised map can say what words sometimes can’t.
👉 Be inspired to create your own one-of-a-kind gift.
Explore the full range of options in our 2025 gift guide:
Top Personalised Gifts Made in New Zealand (2025 Edition)