The A to Z of a well-spent day in Greytown.
AN alluring archipelago of shops awaits…
BUT there’s a problem - blood glucose has bottomed-out, battling the steering wheel over the Rimutakas.
CHOCOLATE curtails crisis. Congratulate self on coming to Schoc Chocolates. Commence with cardamom, and consider choice of nearly 90 other tastes. Juliette Binoche used Schoc’s book to research her role in Chocolat. Close eyes & contemplate co-star.
DISCOVER the world in one shop at Mondo, where designs with attitude dominate. Dazzling Italian & Spanish jewellery and homewares. Plain or printed nesting storage boxes in sets of ten. Dismiss winter gloom with scented candles.ENDLESS versatility is possible with clothes from Verandah, which stocks Paula Ryan’s merino Essentials range, & knitwear by Facade & Anne Mardell – all NZ labels. Stylish long-line knitwear can be worn as a dress or open as a coat over leggings or trousers. Team with suede gloves & statement necklace. Then paint town.
FLOWING water soothes the spirit outside Michael Nalder Greytown, while peaceful Buddhas look on sagely. A visit to River East Gallery opposite is another treat.
GUMBOOTS that don’t weigh a ton are a great find, in the Crocs range. Also at The Pot Shop are pots, planters & garden ornaments in new colours, to brighten up bleak winter gardens. Must send overseas friends some funky luggage labels, tea towels & tote bags from NZ Identity range.
HURRY on along sun-dappled main street…
INTERNATIONAL objects of desire, with immediate impact describes Mango Interior. I’m finding the Chinese ceramics irresistible. Exclusive to Mango is the Greytown Cushion Collection by leading designer Fiona Bassant. Reverse the covers to change the theme of your room. Inspired. NZ-made interior accessories, & imported objects. A constantly changing array of ‘one off’ pieces.
JUST Just lie back and let the team at Essentially You smooth over jagged edges and jettison stress with gentle hands and fragrant products from Decleor. Emerge Junoesque.
KALEIDOSCOPIC colours in luxurious velvet cushions & bed throws… Must resist impulse to divest and dive in. (At least till same are purchased and carried out of Flax). The Moth range, which includes merino and velvet scarves, is hand-painted with NZ and Pacific-inspired designs. Flax features ceramics, glass, paintings and other engaging objects by NZ artists.
LATERAL thinkers love Left-Field, run by Jeannie Hancock and Greytown artist Sandra Wong. Just north of Greytown, Left-Field features NZ artists exclusively. Loving the painted cats on round river stones. Eclectic wall art, copper pieces & mosaic mirrors to pottery and jewelry. Guaranteed to find something unusual here.MOTHER knows best at Cloth, the new shop on the block. Roze & Jenni knew that other mums needed plastic coated bibs, kid’s aprons, beach bags, & more, in nicely nostalgic fabrics.
NOTE to self: immerse self in town’s culinary cornucopia. Personal favourites: pain au chocolat from The French Baker. Heart warming winter meals from Peter Icke at Café Trends. Harira soup under trees at Saluté. Kereru pizza under chandelier at Cuckoo (no birds are harmed during the making of this dish). Moroccan flatbread & haloumi from Main Street Deli. And two-for-one meals at The White Swan.
ORGANIC meat is not outrageously priced, considering obvious benefits. Observed at Greytown Butchery, which stocks Dan’s Organics certified organic meat & smallgoods. Pesticides, herbicides, & additives are obsolete. Butchery also sells Texel Lamb, voted New Zealand’s tastiest and farmed down the road at Wharekauhau.
PERFECT pies at Cahoots. Polish off a fresh-baked neenish tart.
QUEST continues at quickening pace. Quality wares abound behind quaint facades at Wakefield Antiques, Emporos, The Village Art Shop, Imperial Productions & Affinity, with its glorious vintage fabrics and wallpapers. Here, a carved beauty looks down from the wooden façade, a prime example of High Victorian style. Wherefore does she gaze? Why, across to the Stilh Shop, specialists in lawn mowers, chainsaws & brush cutters. Quick, my skills are needed elsewhere.
RESIDENT artists Lisa Matthys & Salvi Frika live the dream at Harvest, their gallery & home. Reflections of Wairarapa land, seasons & moods revealed in their paintings & photographs. Also, sublime jewelry.SILVER, charcoal & black are pivotal colours in winter collections by NZ designers this year at Invest. And the statement piece for 2008? Tunics. Wear over trousers or ‘Nobody’ skinny jeans. Check out cute Nicola Martin felted wool bags & hats. Invest showcases emerging & established labels such as Obi, Catalyst, Mild Red, Nyne & Ricochet.
TEXTILES from travels along ancient Eastern trade routes are transported to Finishing Touches. Silk paisley shawls & luxurious bed covers from the Anami range add colour & texture to wardrobe & room. And for tots: Mokopuna’s winter range of merino clothing is just in.
UNDOUBTEDLY the place to find a unique birthday card for great Aunt Una. Finishing Touches stocks gallery & museum cards imported from the UK & USA.
VINE has elegant hats & berets in velvet, merino & wools by NZ designer Lynsey Champion. Veer away from black – think plum, chartreuse & chocolate. A little bird told me that a certain large-headed former prime minister was successfully kitted out in a Champion hat, which can also be made to your size. 
But my lips are sealed. Occurs to me that attention could also be steered away from large head with a Briarwood bag, & Vine’s vibrant Italian scarves & gloves.
But my lips are sealed. Occurs to me that attention could also be steered away from large head with a Briarwood bag, & Vine’s vibrant Italian scarves & gloves.WHY not stop a moment, to smell the geraniums, keeping up a cheerful show outside The Grey Fox cottage (anno 1863). Nearby is another spry old dame, Kouka Cottage (built in 1868), now home to Sally’s Antiques.
XTRAORDINARY service at Greytown Computer Solutions, where staff are used to coming to the rescue. This friendly PC & Mac sales / service centre even has its own ‘Computer Ambulance Service’.YORRICK, alas, did little shopping. Which may be regretted now, however…
ZERO available funds is a phrase no one likes to hear, so gather reserves for the zig zag back over the hills. Final word to shopping zealots: Greytown is highly recommended.
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