Travel To New Zealand

When is the best time to travel to New Zealand? What’s the weather like? The answers may vary if your interests lie in different activities.

Before you visit New Zealand, decide what activities you want to participate in. Once you know your plans, you can decide when to take your trip.

New Zealand is a great country to visit year round. The climate is mild. Each season has its own attractiveness. December to February is very warm and beautiful if the weather cooperates.

Winter is a wet time of the year for the North Island of New Zealand. You will find it drier in the South Island. You can find many sunny days in the wintertime. Rainfall is generally more in the Fiordland and West Coast regions of the South Island, but Nelson and Marlborough have an abundance of sunshine. In North Island, Hawkes Bay and the Bay of Plenty experience plenty of sunshine.

Dress Right:

Come prepared in all seasons for cool and wet weather, dressing in layers. Bring warm layers of thin clothing, as well as a waterproof jacket. You can adjust to the climate changes throughout the day by adding and removing layers. You can prepare for sunny days by bringing sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.

Summertime:

December through February has the warmest and best summer weather. This is the peak time for tourists, so book ahead for your transport and activities. Prices are much higher during the summer months.

Autumn:

March to May has beautiful colorful tree leaves. Wanaka and Otago in the South Island and Hawkes Bay in the North Island have gorgeous leaves. Autumn is one of the best times to travel to New Zealand.

Wintertime:

In the winter, you will find skiers playing on snow covered mountains. Turoa and Whakapapa in Tongariro National Park are popular with skiers in the North Island. In the South Island, you can ski in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Mt Huff. Though Whakapapa’s ski season lasts longer, the ski season usually lasts from June to early October.

You can rent a car to go skiing. There is not much traffic, and the roads are generally clear. Snow falls in the mountains, but sometimes the valley can get snow too.

In winter, the North Island tends to be wet and cold, but the South Island is drier.

Springtime:

From September to November, the mountains are covered in snow. When the snow melts, you can go white water rafting. The buds are starting to flower. You can travel to the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay to see the pretty flowers, or go to Taranaki in the North Island for the Rhododendron and Garden Festival.

Christchurch in the South Island is called the “Garden City.” The parks and gardens abound in vibrant color, so a visit to the Botanic Gardens is due. You can see many historic gardens in Dunedin. Alexandra has an annual spring festival.

Take a Drive:

If you go to New Zealand, you can take a relaxing drive through the beautiful countryside. Rental companies offer low rates and specials between May and September.

My name is Mark Gwilliam and I’m an adventurer who loves to write. I have lived, worked and traveled all over the world…from Changi to the Cook Islands, from Hamburg to Hawaii, and from Agra to Auckland, where I have now “settled” down as a freelance writer.