I’m already a big fan of all things Kiwi (“kiwi” as in “hailing from New Zealand”). It has one of the lowest population densities on the planet, nature reigns supreme and is regarded as one of the purist places in the world.

So, when Waiwera Water crossed my path, I was excited to try it. The word “waiwera” comes from the indigenous Maori word ‘Te Rata’ or ‘The Doctor.’ Legend has it that New Zealand’s Maori warriors would go to Waiwera to bathe in the waters to recover from the rigors of battle. Scottish-born Robert Graham found Waiwera in 1875, decided to sell this “elixir of health” and the family-owned business still thrives.

According to the company, Waiwera water is carbon dated between 7.6 and 15.3 thousand years old, and pumped directly from one of the largest aquifers in the world. The bore is sunk 400m (1/4 mile) to protect against surface contamination and goes through an advanced filtration process before it is bottled, capped, and shipped out.

Waiwera was voted the world’s best water in 2008 by Decanter Magazine and its bottle won several prestigious design awards including “Best Bottle in Glass” at the Bottledwaterworld Design Awards in Milan and the Gold Medal for “People’s Choice for Package Design” at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards.

What I like about both the still and sparkling versions is that Waiwera is not too salty and has low minerality, so it tastes “clean,” and its alkaline (ph 8.5) is believed to help counter the naturally acidic conditions of the modern human body. Waiwera is available at upscale hotels, restaurants and gourmet stores in California and Hawaii. Plus, after hydrating our bodies with refreshing, pure Kiwi water, reusing the decorative glass bottle is a way to keep our whole planet pure.