Buy local.

Ravin opened Hunt n Cast in Te Aroha, last October, for the passionate hunters and gatherers in our district. 

Head over to Hunt n Cast check out the kayaks, life jackets, fishing rods, fishing gear, archery, bags, clothing, gun safes and assortment of little gadgets that will make buying for your bloke a little easier. 

The shop is also home to Mt Te Aroha Bike Hire & Tours, so if you’re looking to hit the new Te Aroha to Matamata leg of the Hauraki Rail Trail this summer – head on over to hire e-bikes, standard bikes and accessories.

With fast fashion all around us, it’s a pleasure to step inside the Matamata studio of Judith Challis - a fashion designer whose passionate about sustainability, quality-made clothing, re-purposing and altering past pieces to suit modern tastes.

Clients seek Judith out for her made-to-measure and custom design expertise for dresses, pants, men’s shirts, tops and special occasion wear, particularly mothers of the bride who engage her to create their one-off, perfectly fitted designs. Judith, who was trained in Wellington and has a passion for vintage design, has an extensive fabric collection to choose from or clients are welcome to source their own.

To check out her off-the-rack items or for a personal piece, made with love and time, drop local designer Judith Challis a line to see how she can help.

Janice at Health Zone 2000 Morrinsville is full of knowledge about natural health and how her products can help you feel your very best whatever the season. If you’re looking to improve your gut health, detox, lose weight or combat those pesky hay fever symptoms, Janice and her 2ic Carolyn will expertly guide you to the perfect remedy.

Pop by to this Thames Street store (between Chances and Village Kitchen) for skincare Christmas gift packs, natural tanning lotions/oils, natural sun-care for the whole family, Dr Organic bio-certified organic skincare, Zuii organic make up, organic hair colour, essential oils and diffusers and an extensive protein powder selection.

If you’re going travelling, they stock natural anti-nausea remedies and the Artemis organic tea range will help you detox, de-stress and help with your digestive system in this delicious festive season. If you know someone who’s just had a baby, they stock plenty of natural treatments to calm and soothe precious little ones.  

If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, head to Kay's Way in Te Aroha where you’ll find two fully qualified, senior hair stylists with years of experience behind them.

Popular with the over 50s who enjoy regular colour appointments with these colour experts, Kay says their Gold Card special is particularly with Auckland migrants who are familiar with the sought-after senior discounts. However they cater to everyone from children up - so if you’ve got hair, they’re there!

They’re pros at perming too - don’t look now but the 80s trend is making a comeback - even guys are throwing curls in to complement their undercuts. Treat your loved one to a gift voucher and see if they’re bold enough to try out a new style for 2021.

Bob, a qualified Shimano mechanic and avid cyclist, sold up shop in Hamilton but wasn’t ready to retire yet. Luckily for us he had friends in Matamata who suggested he try their neck of the woods instead. So in March he opened up at 60 Firth Street and, lockdown aside, has been busy serving customers far and wide ever since.

With his range of adult bikes, e-bikes, kids bikes and scooters, Bob stocks bikes for the whole family and is passionate about passing on his extensive knowledge - gained from years of competitive road cycling - to fellow riders. As well as selling bikes, the 2011 and 2012 New Zealand Time Trial Champs winner enjoys coaching/mentoring several young riders and helping a number of triathletes with their cycling discipline.

Of course behind every good cyclist is a great mechanic and Bob’s Bikes is no different. If your bike is giving you trouble, mechanic Brydone is your man. Bob will get you on a bike and Brydone will help with any repairs or punctures to make sure you can stay on it.

If you’re planning on hitting the Hauraki Rail Trail, Te Miro Mountain Bike Park or just want to make your kid’s day, check out Bob’s Bikes for all your biking needs including a bunch of accessories like gloves, helmets, clothing and gadgets. COVID has wreaked havoc on the supply chain worldwide, so if you see a bike you like, make sure you grab it!  Stop by to visit Bob and Brydone to check out their fantastic selection and glean whatever gems you can from these cycling enthusiasts.

At just 21, Sue was struck off her motorbike, sending her into ICU on full life support for seven days, followed by months in hospital then a wheelchair for five years.  With years of recovery ahead of her, the former registered nurse redirected her duty of care from people to her beloved pets. It was during this time she met the love of her life and fellow animal-lover Craig and together, they discovered the joy of tropical fish. 

The hobby gave Sue a focus and passion and she was able to breed, grow and tend to her increasing number of tropical fish from a modified chair. After a lot of operations and hard work, Sue regained her ability to walk. When Craig wanted to open a motorbike supplies store she insisted on having a pet corner at the back of the shop.

Over time, as demand for her tropical fish and all the paraphernalia that comes with it grew, the pet store took up more space. The tables soon turned, with Craig’s motorbike gear (gloves, helmets and parts) now taking up a corner of Sue’s fish and pet store, lovingly named Demitry Pet Supplies after their family Doberman.   

With over 70 tanks, they are the largest tropical fish store in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and King Country with people travelling far and wide to purchase the exotic fish. Sue also couriers her fish and products nationwide and has a good supply of other small animal products in stock too, including pet cages, bird food, dog collars, pet toys as well as fish tanks, pumps, fish food, fish tank ornaments, oxygen weed and live mealworms. Sue says she works in with local vets to avoid double stocking and they happily refer to each other’s stores for customer’s needs.

If you’re after tropical fish, cold fish, axolotls, pet supplies, small animal toys, pet food or polyboxes, head to Demitry Pet Supplies at 148 Thames Street - tucked in behind Stretton Group – where a water feature filled with little critters will greet you at the door.  

If you haven’t tasted batch made, hand crafted gelato made from the creamy Jersey milk of Ben and Sarah’s biologically farmed herd nourished by the lush green pastures of Matamata – have you really lived?

Tucked away at the end of Haig Road you will find a destination boutique gelato and sorbet parlour, open Friday-Sunday, where you can experience the divine flavours of Kowhai Creamery.

Gelato, which simply means ice cream in Italian but has less sugar and fat, is the perfect summer treat for the whole family. Kowhai Creamery gelato - made from creamy whole jersey milk churned with less air to a dense and silky velvety texture - is gluten free, made with no nuts and made from a herd that is grass fed and PKE (palm kernel expeller) free.

From Velluto Blueberry, Jersey Cow Caramel, Ginger and Turmeric and Vanilla Bean – Kowhai Creamery have a divine array of flavours on offer. If you can’t wait for the weekend, you can purchase tubs at their stockists nationwide, including Café 77 in Manawaru, or keep an eye out for them at Papamoa where they’ll be nestled on the beach serving melt-in-your mouth treats this summer. If you need a dessert option at your next event, you can even hire the charming Kowhai Creamery events truck to serve delicious morsels to your guests.

 

 

On the lush plains of Morrinsville sits the Essenza (Italian for essence), a coffee roasting company run by roast masters Mike and Chris. Coffee enthusiasts for over two decades, the couple are passionate about creating perfectly roasted beans, every time, and love seeing customers enjoy their special blends Divalo, Nero, Velluto, Diva, Santos, Decaf, Organic Fairtrade and delicious hot chocolate range.

The couple fell in love with coffee when they entered the hospitality industry, setting up Blue Cat Café in Morrinsville in 1998. After working with coffee, Mike wanted more, so he threw himself into learning all there was to know about creating the perfect brew. In 2002 the Essenza Coffee Company was born and they set up a roastery and café on the road to Cambridge. After a few busy years, the desire to focus solely on roasting was as strong as a good morning cuppa, so they sold up and moved to their current location on Settlement Road where they’ve been happily roasting, grinding, packaging and distributing Essenza coffee for about 14 years.

Popular in cafes across the Waikato and delivered to homes nationwide, you can also catch the retro Essenza caravan at the Waikato Farmers Market on Sundays - where they serve up their delicious coffees and sell their packaged products for you to take home.

For professional coffee drinkers, you can sign up to their three month subscriptions – where they send you out a 250gm bag of coffee once a week, or you can purchase single 250g bags from $12.50 or 1kg bags online from $40.00. They also sell hot chocolate, coffee makers, a range of barista accessories, JoCo cups and undertake barista training and the installation and servicing of espresso machines.

If you’re after a good coffee delivered straight to your door, the Essenza Coffee Company may be just the brew you’re looking for.

Locally grown, Kelvin spent many years abroad seeing what the world had to offer and had a ball being a tourist and working in tourism in NZ and overseas. More than once he thought, why not bring some of that magic back and make the most of the lovely Waihou River, with its wide variety of birdlife and majestic views of the Kaimai Range. So he gathered up all the skills and knowledge he’d gained in the industry, set up family life in his hometown Te Aroha, and turned his pipe dream into a reality.

This will be Kelvin’s fourth summer offering kayak tours and last year he added SUP to the menu. He also offers beginner kayak and SUP lessons for the newly bold and advanced lessons for those who want hit the seas or try kayak fishing. At just $45 per adult and $30 per child, an Adventure Te Aroha voucher would make the perfect gift. As Kelvin knows from all his travels, chocolate’s yum but nothing beats a new experience!