When To Go in New Zealand

When planning your New Zealand vacation, you might hear time and again how there really isn't a bad time to go. This is true! You can travel to New Zealand any time of the year and have yourself a blast. Surely weather will come into play for certain pursuits, but for many others, it doesn't matter whether it's December or July. New Zealand's climate is maritime, which means that the weather can change at the drop of a hat, so even if you think you are coming at the right time to enjoy your activity of choice, it may be affected by weather no matter what you do. Good thing that New Zealand tourism is multi-faceted. If the weather on Mount Cook is so bad that you can't go through with your climbing trip, for example, you can always enjoy a long list of other activities closer to sea level, such as mountain biking or hiking. Before you even begin to decide when to travel to New Zealand, it's important to know that since it is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite of what they are in the Northern Hemisphere. If you're sad about the ending of your ski season up north, you can book a ski trip in New Zealand and keep the season going, so to speak.

New Zealand enjoys a pretty favorable climate, with the South Island experiencing more significant seasonal changes. If you're down on the South Island in the winter, you're likely to know that it's winter just by the chill in the air. It can often go below freezing on the South Island in the winter, as well as at the higher altitudes on the North Island. If you are heading to South Island destinations like Christchurch and Queenstown to do some hiking or fishing, you might be better off going when it's warmer out, as the conditions will be much better. December through February is the summertime here, and it's definitely the peak season for New Zealand tourism. Understandably so, this is the best time to visit the New Zealand beaches, as you can generally depend on more sunshiny days, not to mention more favorable temperatures for swimming and things the like. New Zealand is a very mountainous country, so skiing is among the top things to do here. You'll of course want to wait until the winter (June-August) to enjoy your New Zealand getaway if skiing is on the agenda. Queenstown and Christchurch are very much alive during the winter season, as these are two of the New Zealand cities that are found near some of the country's best ski areas. Since the weather in New Zealand tends to be more rough and rugged during the winter, the best time to take your scuba diving New Zealand getaway is during the warmer months. At destinations like the Bay of Islands, the calmer weather in the warmer months leads to better scuba diving conditions.

Many people travel to New Zealand to take advantage of the wealth of outdoor things to do here. With skiing and beach hunting being among the favorite things to do here, it makes sense that both the winter and summer are great times to visit. But, if you haven't thought of taking your New Zealand vacation in the spring or fall, you might be missing out on some things that might interest you. In the fall, the weather is still generally warm in New Zealand, and if you can catch the fall colors at destinations like Christchurch and Queenstown, then you will be treated to a remarkable experience. In the spring, the weather begins to warm up, and this means that you'll find plenty of plants and flowers that are in bloom. It can still snow on the South Island in the spring, and spring skiing in New Zealand can be just as rewarding as winter skiing. Once you've figured out the weather, you might then consider also planning your New Zealand getaway around a certain event or festival.

Rugby and cricket are two of the top sports in New Zealand, and if you can include a match for either during your New Zealand vacation, you will be treated to a most authentic New Zealand sporting event. In Auckland, the famed All Blacks rugby team has some of its matches at the Mount Eden suburb's Eden Park venue. This is also the sight for the majority of festivities that are associated with the 2-day Pasifika Festival. If you had to pick one New Zealand event to plan your trip around, this might be the one. Every year in March, the Pasifika Festival in Auckland celebrates all things Polynesian, and you might be interested to know that Auckland has the world's largest Polynesian population. To say that this event is fun is an understatement. The New Zealand wines have been making a name for themselves in recent decades, so if you love wine, the February Marlborough Wine Festival might be what you plan your New Zealand getaway around. There are so many great things to enjoy year round in New Zealand, so you'll just have to plan a bunch of different New Zealand vacations at different times to figure out when your favorite time to visit is.