New Zealand in the Winter
 

Hi All,
My boyfriend and I are going to be in NZ from May 31-June16...short notice for this trip planning! I am reading all I can to get ideas of what our itinerary should look like and would appreciate any tips.

I feel like the South Island is mentioned more as the place to go, but know that it has harsher winters and we may miss out on some of the things that make it so popular. We like are semi-outdoorsy (ie love day hikes, kayaking, etc but aren't big into skiing) wine tasting, appreciate beautiful scenery and sightseeing. Any input on what is doable in the cold winter months would be greatly appreciated. Should we stick to the north or include the South?

I want to set a leisurly pace, no need to "see it all".

Thanks for the help!

We are experiencing a rather nice Autunm in the South Island at present, and the weather prediction is for it to continue until the middle of June, or thereabouts. Nothing is ever certain with weather at this time of year, but it looks like you should be able to plan your trip without too much fear of severe weather causing disruption.

Rob.

Don't let the time of year stop you! On the two occasions I've been to the South Island it was winter (July-Aug). We had mostly lovely, cool and crisp weather - excellent for taking in gorgeous scenery with snow-covered mountains. There was no snow in the valleys and low lying areas. So there were plenty of opportunities for nice walks, for example, at the Mt Cook Village where we did a couple mile loop to a lookout with a wonderful view.

Both times we went to Milford Sound. On the first occasion, the road to Milford was blocked by snow on a high pass so we took a scenic (!) flight to there from Queenstown. The second time the Milford road was open, so we drove - one of the most beautiful drives on the planet as I keep saying.

Returning to NZ again this November to hike the Milford and Routeburn Tracks. Can't wait!

The dates you are traveling should avoid the real cold weather. The big snow falls down south normally hit July/August. You will have a great time and be able to all the things you want to do. With the time you have I would concentrate on one island only, preferably the south!!

Wespent two months in NZ in June and July and had a great time. We rented a camper van and stayed a mixture of DOC and commercial campsites.yes it was cold (take some thermal underwear!)but this method of travel provided us with much greater flexibility than would have been the case had we used hostels or hotels. We preferred the South to the north island but that is a matter of personal preference and if you want to travel at a leisurely pace then I would be inclened to limit yourself to one island.

More info on our blog - http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...ai/1/tpod.html -Entries #38-54 cover our time there

Thanks everyone for the great advice! It is great to know the weather won't limit us too much. We are going to stick to one island only, but now need to decide which one!!

I love NZ in the winter, and I'm a hiker, not a skier.

I have several detailed trip reports posted here on Fodors from our autumn and winter trips.

My advice...plan to layer your clothing, expect rain as well as some beautiful cold crisp days, and plan well, as you will invariably run into reduced operating schedules, shorter opening hours, and possibly the odd weather related temporary closure (water taxis, Milford Road, etc).

GO. Winter time is beautiful in NZ.

Melnq8 - REALLY enjoyed the trip reports. Thanks for the advice, I am set with my ticket and have stretched my vacation to 14 nights. Currently trying to convince my bf to tour the South Island instead of the North but may be fighting a losing battle. He is currently working a winery harvest in Blenheim and is going to travel around the South before I arrive. I will just have to return to see it all!

Have a great trip ag123...please let us know how it went.

one word -

we have been to NZ twoce in almost the exact same timeframe as the OP - the first trip was glorious, crisp, clear., one day of heavy rain and a few sprinkles but that was it.

The alst trip was rainy almost the whole trip; some flooding and heavy snow in the SI south areas. If you're not touring the south maybe not a big deal but you really never know.

My DH also just brought up the idea of going to NZ in June, but I have reservation about it. So, with just 1 week, what do you recommend us to do? Fly into north or south island?

I've heard more about the south island, but what to do in the north?

Thanks!

JC98 -

You've heard more about the South Island for good reason...go!

Hi, the flight is to Auckland and we have only 1 week. Should we stay in North Island or take off to the South? We have to buy another domestic flight to the South though, but is it good in the winter?

Thanks!

Hi JC98 -

I personally love the South Island during the winter months, but I like cool/cold weather so take that with a grain of salt. If getting to the SI is an issue, by all means stay on the NI...you'll find plenty to do there and it will warmer than the SI. There's so much to see and do in NZ that you'll be spoiled for choice. The SI is gorgeous and incredibly diverse. It's well worth a visit anytime of year, but the NI has a lot to offer as well, so do what makes sense for you.

Thanks, Melnq8, for trying to persuading us to go. We're gettng very close, but is 1 week enough in SI? We like the outdoors--hiking, rafting, etc., and don't want to miss out on the sights and we don't like to rush about too much either. We could just go for 1 week in NI this time, and come back to NZ for the SI later?

Or just hold off until we could travel in the spring or summer for 2 weeks or more?

Oh, I can't decide....

More time is always better JC98, so if you know you'll be coming back, you could certainly hold off on the SI for when you have more time. You'll definitely want more than one week on the SI - we spent over a month there on one trip and still wanted to see more.