Anchor · Kawakawa
Herbal
Green, medicinal, alive. The bush after rain.
The family.
The family that distinguishes NZ candle making globally. Herbal candles here lean hard on rongoā Māori plant material — kawakawa most prominently — and read greener and more medicinal than European herbal blends. Ask the maker where the plant material is sourced from; the answer should be specific.
On Kawakawa.
Kawakawa smells like nothing else: peppery, slightly camphor, with a green-tea-meets-mint edge. The leaf, crushed, is the closest reference. In candle form it's surprisingly clean — bracing, not perfume-y.
Pairs naturally with
- ·Eucalyptus
- ·Sage
- ·Yarrow
- ·Bay leaf
- ·Crushed mint
Feels like
Bushwalk in light rain, ferns underfoot.
4 NZ makers work in this family.
Grey Lynn · Auckland
Hīnaki Candle Co
Mānuka, tōtara, smoked oak — the structural Aotearoa woody
Soy-coconut blend · from $48 →
Onehunga · Auckland
Manuka & Moss
One scent per quarter, fully signed off, no permanent range
Coconut wax · from $62 →
Sydenham · Christchurch
South Light Candles
Wax-blend experimentation, kawakawa-eucalyptus, cold-climate florals
Soy-coconut blend · from $56 →
Kerikeri · Northland
Kerikeri Tree Essence
Tree-essence blends — kahikatea, pūriri, rimu, kawakawa
Soy-coconut blend · from $64 →