Back to work (January 2015)Famed NZ designed-and-manufactured clothing and outdoors equipment company Cactus are opening a new store at 241 Thorndon Quay this weekend. It’s something of a homecoming – the company started in Wellington before relocating south many years ago to be closer to larger mountains and more convenient snow.

But they’ve remained a favourite of Wellingtonians and so we get to host their second shop after their HQ in Christchurch. So on Saturday from 10am there’ll be free L’Affare coffee, and on both Saturday and Sunday there will be “specials on gear […] and a chance to win $1000 worth of Cactus kit”, they say.

What I like about Cactus, apart from the fact they make their gear in New Zealand, is the no-nonsense toughness and practicality of what they make. It has a style all of its own; one maybe not to everyone’s taste but at least you don’t have to buy a replacement in two years time. Which is something I value highly.

Oh yeah, and did I mention the lifetime warranty on the things they make? Or their pretty good blog?

I can’t think of another local clothing company whose products are so loved equally by rural folk, tradies, and outdoorsy types. For example, imagine the happy scenes at Christmastime when you give:

  • your Dad the daddest of dad hats for those times when he’s fishing in the rain, all alone, because who likes that really? And at least this way you’ll still be in his good books even if you stay at home instead
  • your sister, who’s just started her building apprenticeship, a pair of the world’s toughest work trousers – they’ll last for years even if the breaking-in period might take a while
  • your lycra-lout brother a mountain-biking back-pack, ironically of course (you can claim it back from him if he doesn’t take it very well – after all, the Velominati‘s loss is your gain)
  • your Mum a nice thick merino shirt because she and her friends insist that spring is the best time for the Tongariro Crossing (“fewer tourists, dear”) – Cactus sell mountain-climbing stuff too – perhaps drop a hint about this
  • your cow-cockie cousin a super-rugged down jacket that won’t rip when his prize bull tosses him over a barbed wire fence (at least the jacket should survive OK)

And so on and so on.

Well maybe you wouldn’t buy all that at once, because Cactus stuff ain’t cheap. But it’s good and it lasts. You won’t have to buy another replacement thing for a loooong time.

In fact, on second thought maybe you should just buy for yourself. You’ll appreciate it more.

As for me, I already have what some have said is a little too much stuff from Cactus, but even so, I really like the look of this hat. And these trousers.

I may need an intervention.

Where: 241 Thornton Quay
When: 10am – 5pm Saturday / 10am – 2pm Sunday