Benzito Posted November 2, 2010 Hi peeps. Long time, no post. I'm travelling to the south island of New Zealand in a week and a half. Being a bit out of touch with ethnobotany these days I'm not sure what is still legal over there. I'm looking for people to recommend any ethnobotanical-type products I should try while there, that I can't try here in aus. Aswell as anything cool I can view at the Bot. gardens, or even the location of a good 'head-shop' type place to procure any interesting herbs. Even beautiful hiking spots, or anything cool they don't mention in normal tourist literature. Please do not suggest anything illegal. I don't want to rot in a 3rd world, foreign gaol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
solomon Posted November 2, 2010 hope you enjoy your time here, you should definitely check out fiordland, malborough sound/nelson area, the west coast and the caitlins. they are pretty wild areas. the caitlins and the west coast would probably be the less touristy destinations. oh and stewart island is well worth the visit. there are photos of the christchuch botanical gardens that someone posted on the forums not too long ago, i havent been there myself though. i dont know much about the head shops but there is a chain called cosmic corner. oh, and they have salvia extracts, if thats your cup of tea. i'm not sure what else is available here that isnt in aus tho. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inpsyght Posted November 2, 2010 (edited) sounds awesome! as mentioned, salvia divinorum is still legal along with the spice/kronic/aroma type products. and dont forget kava! lots of various types to pick from and you could bring back the 2kg per person tourist allowance too. Edited November 2, 2010 by inpsyght Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
solomon Posted November 2, 2010 i might be wrong but i think spice got banned when it was found out that the ingredients were different than what was on the packet. and yeah, kavakava at the supermarket ;p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benzito Posted November 2, 2010 Thanks for the input so far peeps. Fiordland was definitely on my list, but I was thinking mainly east coast for my travels. Maybe west is the way to go? So can anyone confirm that it is definitely still 2kg of kava you can bring back, and especially from NZ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herbal_hindsight Posted November 2, 2010 kava at the supermarket!!! omg! thats not insane the australian government is insane for not doing the same here!!! GRrrrr 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kindness Posted November 2, 2010 I would also like to know about the kava limit as I'm venturing across the ditch at end of the year also 5 htp is legal there also isn't it? Is their any truth in being allowed to bring back / import amounts for personal use? cheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
solomon Posted November 3, 2010 (edited) yeah 5htp is legal wow i didnt expect kava to be prohibited in oz, and definitely didnt think that about the 5htp Edited November 3, 2010 by centipede Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tryptamine Posted November 4, 2010 I am in the Nth Island, but have a greenhouse full of Salvia growing if you wanted to try to quid the fresh leaf I could courier some to your hotel, pm me if of interest? Also have quality Kava (Supermarket Kava is crap) and synthetic Cannabinoids on a herbal base. That's the big three really, theres a few obscure species (Ake Ake, Pukatea etc) but I have not tried nor do I have a supply. Cacti, Aya analogues etc are likely more widely available in Aus. Personal consumption of weed is pretty tolerated as long as you use common sense. You wont end up in a third world jail unless importing or selling / cultivating. There is a Cannabis consumers club in Auckland: http://thedaktory.org.nz/ You can purchase commercial stimulant pills, sex pills, poppers, salvia extracts etc in any headshop, try Cosmic Corner in Chch, Dunedin, Wellington, Auckland or MindFuel in New Plymouth, or The Hempstore in Auckland. To view products online just add .co.nz to these shop names. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted November 5, 2010 Benzito! Long time since you've been seen around these parts my old friend, its good to see your still alive and kicking. Make sure to remember your mates back in OZ if you find anything special :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benzito Posted November 10, 2010 Thankyou all for the great tips. Tryptamine, you are a true legend. That offer sounds great but probably alot of effort for both of us considering I will only be in the Sth island, and moving around from town to town each day. I will check out the headshop though. AndyAmine: it has been too long brother. I couldn't ever forget you. Kat and I were talking about you just last week. If I find anything I can bring back I will keep you in mind. So, any confirmation on bringing Kava back into Aus? I have always loved Kava, and really miss it. I think Torsten might know a bit more about legalities??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inpsyght Posted November 13, 2010 to the letter of the law customs - kava info A passenger, on a ship or aircraft, aged 18 years or more, may import up to two (2) kilograms of kava in either root or dried powder form in their accompanied baggage without a permit. This exemption does not apply to kava being imported via post, courier services or unaccompanied baggage. In these cases an import permit is required to be presented to Customs. and also gov. health dept. kava info people i know have had no issues bringing in the 2kg allowance from fiji, samoa and vanuatu. cant see why NZ, esp. with its large islander population, would be treated any differently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kindness Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) Just to further the conversation on kava a little more.. I didn't realise kava was quite so expensive :/ is $70 - $120 a fair price for 1kg of good quality kava? Are the links on this page good suppliers in the opinions of NZ residents? If not are there any others that you could recommend. thanks in advance. edit: also does anyone know of any kava bars around lake taupo? cheers Edited November 30, 2010 by kindness Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tryptamine Posted December 4, 2010 (edited) Just to further the conversation on kava a little more.. I didn't realise kava was quite so expensive :/ is $70 - $120 a fair price for 1kg of good quality kava? Are the links on this page good suppliers in the opinions of NZ residents? If not are there any others that you could recommend. thanks in advance. edit: also does anyone know of any kava bars around lake taupo? cheers No Kava bars in NZ, let alone Taupo. There is a place in Waihi called the Kava cafe and a place in Auckland called the Kava bar, but they do not serve Kava, only alcohol. Prices range from $35 - $120 / kilo - you get what you pay for as far as quality goes. Supermarket kava is $10 / 100 gram. Cheap Fijian Kava often contains the aerial parts of the plant which may be hard on the liver. Prices in NZ are obviously more than in the islands due to shipping and customs / quarantine clearance. Edited December 4, 2010 by tryptamine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kindness Posted December 5, 2010 Hey Tryptamine, Cheers for that. Any recommendations on where to shop for kava? Any online vendors you recommend or anything? Thanks again kz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
