My wife and I are thinking about visiting New Zealand and would like to hear from others about the best months of the year to visit. Any suggestions on places and things that you think we must see while there are also greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We went in early fall (mid-April) the first time and late May-early June last year. I don't I'd want to visit in winter unless you're into winter sports.

What are your interests? What about New Zealand has made you think you'd like to go there? If you can give us a little more information, we can give you better suggestions.

Lee Ann

It's a bit vague - what would you like to do? There must be something that attracted you to NZ.
A quick answer for timing your holiday - late February to March.
January - good but really busy as we all take our annual holidays then and overseas tourists come too.
February - Chinese New Year has a big impact here so better to avoid the first 2 weeks if possible.
March - all the uni students have gone back by now things are back to normal. Weather should be settled.
April is good but we have school holidays, Anzac Day and Easter all at the same time so it's busier than normal.
November is pretty quiet but you may not get that lovely summer day for the beach. December is good as well but as soon as Boxing Day comes the holiday rush starts.
Weatherwise this year has not been great so far. it might end up like last year when the best months were March and April. However I live in Auckland so it is not so cold here and will be different in the South Island.

FWIW, our last three visits all fell between late Feb. and mid-April, and while not every day was gloriously warm and sunny, overall it is a time I can recommend. Plan your moves around the peak times like Easter and such, but as far as the weather goes, chances are that you'll luck out (fingers crossed, it's Mother Nature after all).

We like to visit in the autumn/winter/spring, but we tend to do the opposite of most folks.

"Best" can mean many things - best weather for you may be too hot for me for example.

So, it comes down to what you want to do and how flexible you are.

If you have limited time, as most visitors do, you'll probably want to visit when the weather is in your favor (summer). If you want to visit when it's quiet and you have walking tracks entirely to yourselves, the shoulder season is better.

NZ has very long summer days, and very short winter days, which should be taken into consideration as well.

As pointed out, school holidays could also affect your plans.

I'd avoid Easter at all costs - too busy, too many people on the roads and higher prices.

We went early Jan and mid Feb and loved both times for the summer weather and longer days. We didn't feel excessive crowds were an issue, especially compared to the holiday season in many other parts of the world. Feb was most crowded due to Chinese New Year, but as long as you book well in advance, it shouldn't be an issue.

We have been in JulyAugust and August/September - campervans both times. Yeas we did get short days and cold weather. Loved it both times! A huge mixture of weather, but as long as you are prepared, no problems. We return this year in sept October. On every of the major advantages is the lack of crowds.

Thanks for the responses and for noting the need for additional information. I am 65 and my wife is 62. We are both in good shape for our ages. However, we are only into moderate physical activity. We like to hike and we love museums. We enjoy visiting cities with interesting architecture and interesting histories. We are interested in NZ because of its amazing animal and plant life and its incredible scenery. Thanks again for your input.

Here are my NZ trip reports, if you think they might help you plan. We visited the South Island in May 2016 and the North Island in 2004(!). Though the second report is old, the museum information should still be useful.

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...-june-2016.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...april-2004.cfm

Lee Ann