Our Suppliers

The woman creating the Manuka infused oils (Manu) is Annabel. In the past Annabel has worked hard in the professional world, first as an architect, then as a business manager. All to achieve her own dream lifestyle in Russell with her husband of 30 years and a boat moored off the beach. As her own everyday staple, and as a gift to family and friends, she has perfected her Manuka infused oil over the last 8 years. And now, lucky for us, she is ready to share it with visitors, travellers, everybody really…

Fran was born in Northland to an artistic family and began making her own recycled jewellery at a young age. After running an overseas company with her partner she returned to NZ to live a creative existence in rural Russell and she started Bluetopia. Fran strives to make jewellery that is both sustainable and elegant, and is inspired by smooth curves and the subtle colours of nature. Which is evident in her use of recycled glass with gold & silver to create simple, beautiful earrings to bring joy to their wearers!

Bronwyn Harford lives in Opua, is from Ngaiterangi/Nga Potiki/Pakeha descent, and has been weaving harakeke - flax - for over 20 years now. She grew up with the kete and its use on a daily base, for collecting kai moana - seafood like pipi and kina- or for carrying babies. For her the kete was just part of life in Northland. Bronwyn now grows her own harakeke, and uses other natives and more common items like feathers, beads and beautiful old jewellery, to adorn her kete. And to make some gorgeous upcycled jewellery on he side. All her kete, and jewellery, are one of a kind and made with lots of AROHA.

Dylan and Mirka Jelsma are the couple behind Burnzilla’s Pyrography. Their passion for woodwork and pyrography came about with their wedding in 2018. Wanting to give their guests something personal and to remember the day, they decided on giving them unique handmade wooden spoons. Dylan made the spoons, and with her first pyrography machine Mirka drew on the designs: a Dutch windmill and some Slovak folkloric art, reflecting both of their cultures. And the rest is history. Their lives now revolve around wood and design daily, creating beautiful, high quality, personalised natural products like cheese boards, signs, spoons and many more one-off custom made pieces.

With a lifelong passion for making & creating, and a degree in Product & Furniture Design, Cornelia is one half of Crafty Weka Designs, a husband and wife team based in Russell. They work in different media: Adrian is an oil painter while Cornelia loves her textiles, slow stitching and embroidery. A few years ago she started learning Te Reo, and she now loves incorporating this language in her funky and colorful goodies.

Dagmar Sporleder lives right here in Russell, where she has worked with fibres and colours for over 30 years now, and she even had her own fashion boutique for a while. She started knitting when she was 6, in Germany where she was born. When she bought her first knitting machine, she started knitting professionally. In 1982 she moved to New Zealand. You can imagine her happiness, sharing her new ‘home’ with about 60 million sheep. Running out of wool was just not an option anymore. At Wood2water we sell Dagmar’s woolen hats, possum-merino diva head bands and knitted baby socks.

The fragrant and luxurious candles of Downlights NZ are lovingly hand poured using artisanal techniques. The entire manufacturing process supports the development of a variety of workplace skills for people with Down syndrome and intellectual or learning disabilities.
Literally made with love, the candles result in a superior New Zealand hand crafted candle range that empower people with disabilities. 

As soon as she could hold a pencil, Elsy Verbist was always drawing. Having finished her Communications studies in Belgium, she started working for Dutch television, producing mainly nature programs, nurturing her love for wildlife. In 2011 she moved to Opua, to join her kiwi partner and started working in a Paihia gift shop. Frequently asked about original t-shirts featuring the Bay of islands, she started drawing again to design her own. Resulting a few years later in her ‘One Line of a Kind’ tea-towels and t-shirts, which combine her love for drawing, wildlife and her new home.

Eva Stumpf always liked jewellery. Her first pair of earrings she made as a little girl. After that she made many more, using anything she had lying around: wooden beads, gem stones... Then she discovered leather. She now creates the most beautiful statement earrings from leftover pieces of burnt leather, nurturing her passion for style and colours. Eva lives with her young family in Kerikeri where she sells her earrings at local markets.

Helme Heine is a Kiwi-German author, philosopher, sculptor and artist. He is best known for his children’s books which have been translated and published into 36 languages worldwide. His paintings, illustrations and sculptures for both adults and children have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world and he has won many international prizes. Together with his wife Gisela Kiki von Radowitz Helme also writes novels and film scripts for adults. Helme Heine was born in Berlin, Germany, and has travelled the world. He has lived in Russell since 1990. Besides his art he loves his wife, sailing, fishing, golfing, his studio, his garden and New Zealand.

The honeys from Honey Paihia are all beautiful local honeys from the far north of New Zealand, which is home to a wide variety of native trees like Manuka, kanuka and pohutukawa, and also some beautiful sub tropical nectars. They have 20 years of beekeeping experience and are also involved volunteering for and supporting Bay Bush Action, a local biodiversity protection group which does pest control in the Opua State Forrest near Paihia.

For 30 years Jeremy Bowen made the most wonderful and high quality leather shoes from his work shop in Russell. To this day people still approach us in the shop, either telling us about the shoes they bought from him, or enquiring to buy some new ones. Unfortunately Jeremy had to give up his shoe making, due to an allergy he developed. The past 10 years he has been honing his bag making skills with the same honesty and attention to detail, always keeping an eye on style and durability.  And now he is as famous for his bags and wallets as for his shoes!!

Joanne Anson has always loved to bake, especially Christmas cakes. Each Christmas she would end up with so many Christmas cakes that she would give them away to family and friends. For over 30 years she has lived in Russell and has worked in many places as a chef. She also has combined running a successful property maintenance company with catering private dinner companies. Having built a licensed production kitchen in her house, she now creates her wonderful Christmas cakes and beautiful range of marmalade’s, chutneys and jellies for lots more people to embrace and enjoy.

For about 30 years New Zealand born author and adventurer Jon Tucker and his wife Barbara - both originally teachers - have lived on their home built traditional ketch, raising their family of 5 boys and spending time sailing Australia, New Zealand and pacific waters. Inspired by the many expeditions they shared- their sons had their own small fleet of black sailing dinghies with their own pirate names - Jon started writing books. The Those Kids series is a mixture of true and imaginary stories full with sailing, camping, fishing, environmental issues and problem solving. He is currently working on book 5 in this series, Those Seal Rock Kids, which will be based on Urupukapuka island, in the Bay of Islands.

For Judith and John Bradley we were happy to make an exception. They visited our shop a little while ago, all the way from Fielding, showed us their jewellery which we were happy to add to our range. Both in their seventies and having always worked with their hands Judith and John couldn’t imagine themselves not creating things. So, as a retired engineer John started working with old cutlery, creating some of his own tools to manipulate the silverware in beautiful rings, pendants and earrings. Judith carried on making colourful jewellery with beads and paua, something she had started doing 10 years before retiring. Together they are Giuditta jewellery, loving their new lifestyle, travelling to find old silverware and meeting people on the way.

As an artist and painter living in the Bay of Islands, surrounded by coastal environments, Judy Hunter doesn’t have to go far to find inspiration. Walking the beaches, watching the light, the tides and boats, it offers endless material for her acrylic paintings, and since recently oils as well. On top of that, it is experiences like sailing the earth’s oceans, which Judy has done for nearly 3 decades, that bring her paintings to life. Judy has largely been self taught, honing her skills in Painting groups and joining art courses. Having come back home from the sea, she now regularly paints in her home studio in Kerikeri.

Carole and Frank are together L’Artisan Honey, a small  family business located in sunny Kerikeri. Frank is the beekeeper, Carole the woman behind the scenes. Once a pearl diver, Frank became fascinated by bees more than 15 years ago, learning everything about how to best care for them and keep them super happy year-round. Resulting in a beautiful and very pure range of honeys. With honey having so many benefits - and their bees almost producing too much - Carole and Frank recently expanded their business, creating a beautiful and organic skincare range, with their honeys as the principal ingredients!

Lia and Kira are two young and extremely talented twins living in Russell. Their art work is truly amazing, and often inspired by the Bay of Islands. And hugely popular with our customers!

Charlotte started Little Giants NZ when she moved to the Bay of Islands and was struggling to find local eco-friendly products. What began with some crocheted cloths and stainlesss steel bottles has grown into a beautiful range of her own handmade products and a curated range of  plastic-free items. Charlotte also runs workshops on sustainability and is the co-founder of the Ocean Mind Project. All of this she does because she believes small acts can have a big impact, and together we can do amazing things.

Little Paper Hugs is husband and wife team, Laura and Alexander. Living away from family and friends, they wanted to bring back the thrill of finding a card in your letterbox saying ‘we are thinking of you’. So in 2017 they started their own card and print making business. Alexander is the designer and illustrator, having 15 years of experience working in the UK and New Zealand. Laura is - in their own words! - the boss, running their business, following up orders and attending markets. Since a few years they live right here in Russell.

When we asked Lyn to send a bit of info on her she came up with this: “I am a golden oldie and have enjoyed knitting all my life, along with home sewing and other crafts, while raising my family.” She now knits for her “Nana Stash”, and has started knitting beanies for the adult generation in different styles, using only pure wool or high quality yarn.

Metalbird started as a guerrilla street art project in 2009, it is the brainchild of industrial designer Phil Walters. All around the North Island, more than 40 life size stencil metalbirds featuring New Zealand birds appeared, in parks, on fences and posts. People loved it. And now those metal birds are available to everybody.For Phil, the metal birds bring together his 3 passions: tough 3mm thick Corten steel, stencil design and urban street art, with his birds being inspired by the mysterious and satirical Banksy.

A mother of three and daughter to a Maori mum and blue-eyed Yorkshireman, Paitangi Ostick has spent many years practicing traditional Maori art forms and establishing herself as a sought after Ta Moko and multimedia artist. As part of her journey, she has travelled and worked extensively overseas, always returning to her home at Waitangi. When the world went in lockdown she created ‘Tihei Mauri Ora’: ‘The Sneeze of Life’ is a colouring album with 15 hand drawn illustrations. Each image tells the story of Maori mythology within Paitangi’s world, inviting you to explore your own creativity by colouring in each design.

For Cees Romeyn, of Romeyn Woodcrafts, it all began back in The Netherlands: interested in woodwork, he started making a wide range of products from jewellery to salad servers as a hobby. Then in 1965 he moved to New Zealand where he took on a regular job but continued creating wooden products on the side. But a few years later, in 1973, Cees decided to take the plunge, quit his job, instead concentrating on his wood making skills full time and turning his longtime hobby in a business. Almost 50 years later, Romeyn Woodcrafts - located in Haruru - is a well-known family business with son Luke and daughter Anna involved. And even the granddaughters help out sometimes, selling their beautiful products at local artisan markets.

Rose is a self taught artist living in the beautiful Bay of Islands (RosaGArt). Originally from the UK, Rose studied Marine  Biology and now incorporates her passion, love and knowledge of the ocean environment in her art. Rose loves painting on wood but mainly focuses on watercolour paintings, using bold colours and fine lines to create a distinct unique effect.

For every ‘Lucky Charms’ purchase, 10% goes directly to The Ocean Mind Project, supporting ocean education & research in the Bay of Islands through TriOceans Marine Research Institute.

Roze Webster is a woman of many passions: Art, creating, photography, fashion, our natural environment, people and most importantly, family. As a mum of 5, her family is everything to her! For many years she has worked as an educator, in between working on different art projects. And she is studying towards a BA in Education and Sociology. Recently she published her first book, the Adventures of Wee Reggie and Willis the Whale Shark, about the friendship between a little boy and his giant best friend. Set in the Bay of Islands, it is dedicated to her youngest son. It has a strong focus on the unique creatures that call this habitat home, highlighting issues like plastic pollution and how we collectively can make positive changes. She is working on 4 more books, each one dedicated to one of her children. 

Growing up on a farm Ruth Simmonds spent many lovely hours ‘helping’ her dad building all kinds of things. It made her feel confident that she could make and fix most things herself. Over the years she had a few forays in self employment - making shoes, screen printing, and most recent as a varnisher on private launches and yachts in the Bay of Islands. She never had the inclination to work with wood, until her sister - who was turning 60 - mentioned she wanted an end grain chopping board. So Ruth decided to make her sister one! Having absorbed the many skills and knowledge of woodworkers and boat builders over the years, and a bit of investigating, she made her sister a gorgeous maple and walnut 3D patterned board. She also enjoyed the process and result so much that she threw away her varnishing brushes and is now happily making chopping boards in different designs from her home workshop in Opua.

Originally from Belgium Sandrine Vansevenant-Draps moved with her family to New Zealand in 2002. She is a ceramic artist specialising in hand-built forms and slab-work, as well as slip-casting. She has worked with clay for over 20 years and just loves the organic feel of it. Her works is often quirky and colourful, and is inspired by nature and New Zealand wildlife.

Born in the UK, Sandy Wright moved to New Zealand in 2005, where she lives in Opua with her husband and dog Ellie. With no formal art training, and before computers took over, she spent 17 years restoring and retouching photographs. Her artwork is inspired by her daily walks. She has written and  illustrated a novel and 3 children's books. It's these illustrations that have inspired Sandy’s latest drawings, each one telling a little story which hopefully makes you smile. A $10 and $20 donation on small and larger works will go to a local rescue organisation, the BOI Animal Rescue.

Tia Healey-Yellick grew up in the Kaitaia area surrounded by native bush. The forest was her solace, friend and healer. About 19 years ago she put her passion for native plants into a hobby, making balms and creams, with her hobby soon turning into a small business. Tia also runs workshops on how to make balms while teaching people about natural health remedies. All her products are made with passion and the utmost integrity, with Tia wanting to help people in the most natural way, allowing their bodies to heal without chemicals being loaded on the skin.

Trish Clifford is born and bred right here in Russell. Designing and painting on different mediums is what she loves, and a few years back she finished her bachelors in applied art. About 10 years ago she started painting her palm pods, oars and boat paddles followed. Painting them in vibrant colours with traditional Maori designs and taking her inspiration from the place she loves - Kororareka - Trish’s oars and pods become true masterpieces.

In 2015 James and Yasmin Moore sold up everything in Hamilton and moved up north to Taipa. The global financial crisis in 2008-2009, with James losing his business, instigated the bold and life changing move. Back then, being the eternal dreamer, James came up with lots of new ideas, one in particular: making sea salt using nothing but the power of the sun. After a few trial runs with salt collected from Raglan, they decided to move to the far north, known for its many beautiful beaches. While setting up and building the salt farm, James found his perfect source for their salt: Puheke beach on Karikari Peninsula. Since 2019 The Taipa Salt Pig is in business, proving that dreaming is definitely worth it and anything is possible if you really want to make it happen!

Simon and Sarah Peacey are Wairua Wood&Wax, creating  beautiful and distinctive art pieces from NZ wood and beeswax. They live on a bend of the Wairua River, west of Whangarei, and enjoy working together. Sarah has been working on and off with beeswax since 2010. Simon has been turning wood since 2015 and is fascinated by the shapes and designs that come from nature. Currently they are working  on a series of beautiful lamps and light features, using wax, wood, colour and light. Careful design, high quality turning and a very smooth finish make their unique art pieces a delight to look at and enjoy!

Jade Hall lives in Whangarei with her partner and young son. With a background in retail and hospitality, she unfortunately was made redundant due to Covid. Wanting to do something she really loves, Jade started making natural balms to use on her son. Really loving the benefits and different uses of Kawakawa and other dried herbs, she started making her own bath salts. And then soy wax candles, using pretty and reusable jars. At first she gifted most of her products but recently she stepped away from a parttime rol, to now fully focus on her family and her own business venture, WildKawakawaNZ!