Welcome Santas! Thanks for taking the time to take a gander at our FAQs. If there’s a question we haven’t addressed, leave a comment below or tweet us at @NZSecretSanta.
How do I sign up?
Head on over to nzsecretsanta.co.nz and hit the ‘sign up to play’ button!
How long are registrations open for?
Currently, 6 November until 22 November, but the elves reserve the right to change the closing date as needed.
When do I find out who I’m Santa for?
23 November!
I didn’t get a confirmation email?
We don’t send confirmation emails when you sign up. You’ll be emailed on 23 November with details on who you’ve been matched with.
I didn’t get a match email?!
If it’s after the 23th and you didn’t get an email from us, we’ve sent it! Log into your dashboard at nzsecretsanta.co.nz and you’ll be able to see who you’re playing Santa for.
Can I start tweeting hints?
For sure! Be sure to use the hashtag ‘#NZSecretSanta’ to make it easier for your Santa to find your hints.
Pro tip: You can find someone’s hints easily by searching their username and the hashtag #NZSecretSanta in Twitter’s search bar.
Wasn’t there a dashboard that showed Santa signups?
There sure is! It’s right here. You’ll also be able to see stats about gifts when the time comes.
Can I have Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern/Hilary Barry/[other specific player]?
In the nicest possible way, no and please stop asking. Who you’re assigned is random, and once you’re assigned someone it can’t be changed. And please be a good Santa even if you’re not assigned someone you hoped to be assigned to. The algorithm is random and we can’t make any promises. 🙂
Who’s the charity this year?
Our friends at CanTeen are! Again! You can find them here on Twitter.
What are you doing for CanTeen?
As in previous years, we’ll be donating presents (after elf-appropriateness-inspection) intended for Bad Santas.
What can I do for them?
You can get them a present! If you’re getting a present for CanTeen, we ask that you send it separately and clearly label it (To: CanTeenNZ, from [Your Username], C/- Santa Storehouse, 7 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011).
Why can’t I bundle in the presents together?
As a rule, we generally don’t repack the presents (barring ones intended for Bad Santas), we just change the shipping address so it goes to your recipient. There’s only a few elves in the storehouse, so we don’t have the capacity to repack them. You’ll be saving us a whole bunch of elf-time and elf-labour, so thank you in advance. ❤
Good question! Here’s the wishlist CanTeen provided us:
- DVDs
- Snacks: chocolate (Christmas-themed is a winner!), tinned shortbread, candy canes
- Cosmetics: eyebrow pencil, nail polish, hair products, anything beauty-related
- Craft, art and DIY kits
- Coffee cups
- Beading and bracelet sets
- Vouchers/gift cards: iTunes, Google Play, Cotton On, JB HIFI, mobile phone top-ups
- Movie tickets
- Headphones
- Wheat bags
- Headwear: caps, hats, beanies
- Bed socks/socks
- Toiletries: moisturiser, soap, hand creams
- Sun cream
- Beach towels
- Magazines
- Small motivational wall Art pieces
- Magnet holders for photos etc.
- Candles
- Portable speakers
- T-Shirts
- Mindfulness (art therapy) colouring books (not ones for kids, please!) and felt-pens/pencils
- Wallets / Card holders
- Cool stationery (e.g. fluffy pens)
- Photo frames
- Key rings
- Posters (gaming, boy bands)
- Playing cards
Do I wrap my present for CanTeen?
Good question! Ideally not, we need to vet the presents for appropriateness, but in the end it’s up to you! We enjoy unwrapping presents as much as anyone. 🙂
My assigned Santa has requested I donate to charity, how do I do that?
So the thing is, you need to send something to the Storehouse, even if it’s just a card. Don’t just donate on your Santa’s behalf and presume we’ll know what you’ve done, we’re not omniscient like Santa Claus. So please, send something so we can mark you as a good Santa!
How can I help the elves?
In a few different ways.
- Spread the word! Retweet our tweets, write your own tweets and use the #NZSecretSanta hashtag
- Be a good Santa!
- Tweet your own personal NZ Secret Santa journey – what’s going on in your mind while you’re sleuthing, whether or not you’ve bought your gift, if you’ve wrapped it, if you’ve sent it, etc.
- (Optional) Sign up to be a Super Secret Santa!
What’s a Super Secret Santa?
A Super Secret Santa is someone who goes above and beyond for us! Occasionally we have less presents than players because of Bad Santas, so we like to ask our Santas to step up to be Super Secret Santas before delving into the NZ Secret Santa Bad Santa Gift Stash (provided by sponsors). Please note that this is essentially an on call situation, we will need you to be prepared to buy a present for someone on very short notice, so we understand if not everyone can be a Super Secret Santa.
I want to help in person! Can I help send the presents?
Since the storehouse is no longer behind the Customs Bonded Area red line, we *might* put out a call for volunteers to help sort on dispatch day (December 18).
Please remember this is a *might* and we make no promises. We’re short on space this season, so it might be too tricky to have more people involved. We’ll do what we can!
Where is Santa’s Storehouse?
7 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea, Wellington (6011) – New Zealand Post House; once dubbed the ugliest building in Wellington is not short on Christmas Cheer and Reindeer Parking.
Where is elf HQ?
All of our elves this year are housed at NZ Post House in Wellington.
Can I drop my present off to the Storehouse instead of posting it?
Yes, if you’re in Wellington you can drop it to reception at NZPost House, 7 Waterloo Quay. Let the lovely reception folks know it’s for Aj on Level 5, or drop us a DM when you’re on your way and we can come down and take it off your hands 🙂 (time dependent).
And that’s all from us for now!
Love,
The Elves
[…] And if you feel like getting something for CanTeen, their list of requests can be found here. […]
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[…] Podcaster Sam Elton-Walters founded the project in 2010 and it’s now run by self-described holiday elves, also known as’s New Zealand’s state-owned postal service. […]
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[…] Podcaster Sam Elton-Walters founded the project in 2010 and it’s now run by self-described holiday elves, also known as’s New Zealand’s state-owned postal service. […]
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[…] Podcaster Sam Elton-Walters founded the project in 2010 and it’s now run by self-described holiday elves, also known as’s New Zealand’s state-owned postal service. […]
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[…] taking part in a Secret Santa gift exchange run by the country’s postal service. When they sign up, participants include their Twitter […]
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[…] taking part in a Secret Santa gift exchange run by the country’s postal service. When they sign up, participants include their Twitter […]
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[…] Podcaster Sam Elton-Walters founded the project in 2010 and it’s now run by self-described holiday elves, also known as’s New Zealand’s state-owned postal service. […]
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[…] Podcaster Sam Elton-Walters founded the project in 2010 and it’s now run by self-described holiday elves, also known as’s New Zealand’s state-owned postal service. […]
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Are we charged to send the gift and if so how much?
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Hey Liam – You cover the cost of getting the gift to the storehouse, we make sure it gets to your giftee. You can see rates estimates here: https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/rate-finder/sending-nz/parcels
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Does dropping off the present make it harder for you to track etc?
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Not at all – If you drop it off, we’ll check it in as soon as we return to the NZ Secret Santa Grotto.
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Hey just wondering. If you changd your twitter handle after you have signed up. Does that affect it at all? Like would you have to sign up again.
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Hey Celeste! Nope, as long as your Twitter ID stays the same, we’ll get your updated Twitter handle automatically. If you want to double check, drop us a DM on Twitter. 🙂
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How can I find out who’s my Santa? Thank you.
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We’ll email you this Thursday to let you know who you’re Santa for and you’ll also be able to check your dashboard at nzsecretsanta.nzpost.co.nz which will give you all the details! 🙂
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Thank you for your reply. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. What I asked was who’s Santa for me not who I am Santa for? Or Is that gonna be a “secret” unless they choose to follow my twitter? Thanks again.
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Hi!
You won’t find out who is Santa for you unless they reveal themselves in the card, gift or online 🙂
Have a great night!
Aj
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Help! Trying to link my twitter to NZ Post account, but I keep getting this message: “Ooops. The email address you supplied has previously been used to create a New Zealand Post online account, only it doesn’t match your username. Please contact us and we will find your username so that you can finish registering.” And trying to contact NZ Post through normal channels is infuriatingly restrictive, meaning I don’t think I can get it sorted (and don’t even really know what I’m sorting) to be able to sign up today. I have no idea what to do next to fix this!
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Hey! I’ve fixed up your account and you should be good to register now 🙂
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THANK YOU!! This is literally the best thing that’s happened to me all day. ❤
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If you are a secret santa.. does someone get my name for a secret santa ? Or its a one way thing?
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Kia ora Soph, it’s a two way thing! But who gets you and who you get won’t likely be the same person if that makes sense. 🙂
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Hi, I signed up again this year but nothing updated ? Did before the 22/11 ????
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Hi Kimberley! I can’t find *this* email address on the registered list. Can you DM us on Twitter or try logging into the dashboard at nzsecretsanta.co.nz? Thanks! Aj
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Is there a cost limit or just whatever?
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Hi Rachel!
We recommend $10, however what you spend is totally up to you 🙂
Have a wonderful day!
Aj
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Hi, I have found out who I am buying my secret santa gift for from my dashboard – but I never received an email. Is there any info that would have been in the email that I am missing? I don’t understand the tracking number comment. Thanks, H.
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Hey Harriet! The email doesn’t have anything that’s not available elsewhere – if you’d like to DM us on Twitter, we can answer any questions you might have there 🙂
Thanks!
Aj
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Hi there. What happens if the person who has you doesn’t send anything you anything?
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We’ll take care of as many folks who get a Bad Santa as possible, but our back-up gifts are a finite amount so we need as many people as possible to play the game they signed up for 🙂
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I sent two packages in for my secret Santa. Both will be sent to them right?
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They sure will!
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I had sent my present. The website said ‘gift received and delivered’
However I did not get any return gift! When I checked just prior to Christmas, it said, ‘the elves are looking into it’
Now I can’t sign in and can’t see what happened to my supposed gift. What is the problem? Has this happened to any one else too?
Cheers,
Clem
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Hey Clem – DM us on Twitter and we’ll have a look into your situation!
Thanks!
Aj
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