When to Go

Dunedin gets more visitors in summer, but during the university vacations it's quieter. Inland Otago remains dry year-round, and you can expect crisp, sunny days in winter, but the coast gets more rain, and Dunedin can have day after day of clouds and showers. Southland in winter isn't any colder, but it is wetter.

It's often said of New Zealand that you may experience all four seasons in one day; on Stewart Island you may experience them all in an hour. In winter, there's a better chance of seeing the aurora australis, but some of the island's walking trails may be closed.