I'm a teacher, so this is the best time for us to go. Will New Zealand look as beautiful at this time of the year? Will there be leaves on the trees or could everything be covered in snow??? Will the roads be icy?

Should we bring "winter" coats/boots etc.?

We could wait until I retire, but are anxious to go soon!!

All of the above. Depends where - south, north, in the middle, elevated, on the coast, east, west - N.Z. is several climates rolled into one.

Hit the books and make a plan.

I agree with the last poster. NZ is a country with varied climates, depending on where you are in that beautiful country.
You could be up the mountain skiing, or down on the lake fishing.

Obviously, the higher elevations will be cold and snowy. The North Island and the costal areas will be a little warmer, but bring some warm clothes. I was in Auckland on Dec. 22, and my feet were freezing because I had sandals on. Look for wind speeds in the forecast. Avoid the coast if the wind is too strong.

Look, depends where you choose to go. It is a larger place than you think. As you are a teacher I would have thought you could work that out with the help of a map and all of those weather sites on the net.

Doubt if it ever snows in Northland, but can be quite parky in Auckland after dark in October - which is, after all, late spring rather than the mid-winter you are thinking of. As for the South Island - check that map and see how far south you are!!

Woolly hat weather away from the coast and surprise, surprise, at the glaciers.

Forgive me, but you do know that it will be winter in the southern hemisphere? And "will NZ look as beautiful at this time of the year?"- as beautiful as what?

Brilliant place to visit - enjoy finding out about it.

We would be in BOTH the north and south islands. We live in Michigan, so we are used to severe winters. I DID look up the weather---highs of 50, lows in 30's. In Michigan, that would mean possible icy roads and bare trees.

I know that the mountains are beautiful covered with snow. So, can I assume the rest of the trees will be bare, except for the deciduous ones? I am trying to get a picture in my mind---if this is going to be a vacation, with scenes typical of that in northern Michigan or Canada?

Hi lindam -

I've not been to NZ in July, but have visited the SI in late August and September several times. Yes, it can be chilly and wet, but with the exception of a few mountain passes, the road to Milford Sound and the roads to ski areas, we've never had a problem with icy roads and/or snow.

IMO you can't go wrong in NZ regardless of the time of year. The Southern Alps will be covered in snow, making the incredible NZ scenery even more spectacular.

I just looked at some of my photos from a trip to the SI in September and they are unbelieveably green - the rainforests are lush, the water glacial blue, the mountain tops covered in snow and yes, some bare deciduous trees, but definitely not the brown of winter you'd see in your neck of the woods.

I'm from Colorado and nothing I've experienced in NZ during the winter/spring months compares to the winters I'm accustomed to. You should have no issues coming from the icebox of Michigan.

Suggest you dress in layers - we usually take a waterproof/windproof layer that fits over a fleece jacket so we can wear them separately or together. We also take a fleece hat, silk long underwear that fits under waterproof hiking pants, hiking boots and gloves, although I don't recall ever needing to wear the gloves.

If you don't plan on hiking, you can get by with even less - just be prepared for rain.

Don't hesitate - go!

I spent July 2003 in NZ. It was also the only time of year for me to go as I work as a college counselor. I won't lie-it was cold. Very, very cold. HOWEVER, it was also the most stunning place I've ever been. I also love to ski so I spent a week at Treble Cone so that was a plus for me for going during July. There were some issues about the roads and ice, but there is also excellent public transportation. We drove the NI but for the SI I took a train and a bus and it was fine. It did not look like autumn in Vermont at all. The scenery is spectacular and I had many sunny days. Go now while you are younger and more active and have a blast!!! Just bring a warm jacket and some woolly socks!

Hi Lindam

While you will see many bare trees in the middle of winter, the rain forests will still be bright green, even if in parts they may have a dusting of snow here or there. Remembering of course they are temperate rain forests, beech trees, rimu and the like, not palm trees and broad leaf tropicals like Queensland. The majority of New Zealand native tress are evergreens, meaning of course it is only the introduced stands that will be dropping their leaves, Given that the native bush is just that, native, there is plenty of greenery to see.

In the North Island it only snows in the higher areas over 3500 feet (generally, except for a few rare exceptional days). This is with the exception of the desert road area south of Turangi, then there are mountains here up to around 9,000 feet high with a couple of darn good ski fields on them.

In the North of the North Island (Auckland north) it can be a bit bitter on occassions, but pack a jacket, some good socks, and sunglasses. Because winter has some of the most piercing sunlight here.

As far as icy roads are concerned, yes there will be a few about. Listen to locals advice, log onto AAroadwatch and also check out the radio road reports for the local area. Chains are only required when in snow, they are no use on ice.

Don't wait until you retire as you will ptentially not be able to appreciate it as much.

Since we are residents of Ontario, right next door to you, we might have a few valuable insights for you. We travelled to NZ in July 2004 for 3 weeks, before continuing on the Australia for another 3 weeks. My wife and I are both teachers.
On the north island, you will face daytime highs of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but nighttime lows vary. We spent one cool night in Taupo with a low of near freezing, but this did not keep us out of the hottub at the caravan park. Generally, lows on NI will be in the 40's Fahrenheit.
On the South Island, temperature highs were about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows were near freezing many nights. We were cozy in our Campervan and had little trouble with South Island driving. Don't expect the NZ winters to be as bleak as those in Michigan or Ontario. You will see little snow, and lots of green, with great scenery even in the winter. If you rent a campervan, your rates will be far cheaper than in the NZ summer. Do not drive to Milford Sound (take a coach tour) and take any mountain passes carefully, and you'll be fine. In NZ they spread "grit" (crushed stone) on the roads to add winter grip in icy conditions rather than the salt that we use. This is much better for the environment.
You should expect to travel between 45-50 miles in an average NZ travel hour, since Interstate highways and equivalent roads are not common. Plan your trip accordingly.
I encourage you to travel to NZ in their winter -- you will see many wonderful and unique natural wonders, and a terrain that can drastically change in only an hours drive. Take layers of clothing to add flexibility.

Good luck with travel planning.

My husband and I did a 3 week trip in late July and early August last year and it was FANTASTIC. We are from New England so we are quite used to the cold and we loved every minute of it. It really only got quite cold once we got down to Queenstown. We were even sweating and shedding layers on our glacier heli-hike! We had great weather, only one day of rain in Christchurch and one day of foggy mist in Q-town. Otherwise we had crystal blue skies and sunshine. Have a great time - don't like the winter season there deter you at all.