Hello,

We are planning a trip to beautiful NZ but am uncertain of the date. We will be celebrating a very special anniversary in the beginning of October and thought it would be wonderful to spend it in NZ. On the other hand, we have an opportunity to spend 2 free days in Fiji, if we take the trip in August, Free is always nice, but......................... Are either of these months a good choice? If not, when is the best time to visit? Understand NZ's weather is very unpredictable, but would really hope for the best chance of good weather.

Visited Poland in early October, and we had atrocious weather. While visiting the mountains of Zakopane and the city of Krakow, we saw nothing because of the cold, wet, blizzard conditions. In the two weeks, we never saw the sun. This is all just too fresh in my mind and would hope not to repeat this experience.

While traveling, you can never count on the weather, but I would really appreciate any advice as when would be the best month to see NZ. Am looking for all the expert help I can get. Thanks!

Hi Corryn -

Generally speaking, the summer months (Dec-March) have the warmest weather, but as you've pointed out yourself, NZ weather is unpredictible. October is warmer than August, but don't expect summer temps.

I love the SI of NZ in August, but I like things on the cold side. My favorite time to visit the SI is Aug-Sept, but I'm in the minority. It's winter time, so there's always the chance of bad weather, but there's also the chance of clear, crisp, cold days.

The further south you go, the colder it will be, so you'd do best to plan your trip with that in mind.

Do you ski?

If weather is a huge concern, you'll probably want to choose October over August. Both are off season (other than in ski areas). The good news is that you can get some good deals on accommodation. The bad news is that the weather can be iffy.

Although days will be a bit longer in October, it can be one of the worst months for rain and wind on the south and west coast of the South Island. However if you stick to the rain shadow areas on the east sides of the islands, such as Napier, or even Queenstown, October is springtime vs, dead of winter...baby lambs & rhododedrons!

The best month to visit weather-wise is February, it is normally very settled and warm temperatures. Out of the two months you are suggesting I would go with October, there is likely to be snow in August especially down south.

Of the two, October would be by far the better choice.

Generally, the weather here is usually settled in the late summer/autumn months of February to May, but it can vary a lot from one year to the next.

Rob.