Country guide

New Zealand

Fiordland, glowworm caves and Queenstown's adventure menu, two islands built for the road trip.

Currency

NZD

Language

English

+ Māori

English

Everywhere

Payment

Cards everywhere

Power

Type I

230 V, 50 Hz

Dialing

+64

Destinations

New Zealand

Abel Tasman (Nelson)

A Great Walk along golden coves and granite headlands that you can walk, paddle or join by water taxi.

✓ best Sep-Nov, Jan-Apr

New Zealand

Auckland

A harbour city built on some fifty volcanoes, with island ferries leaving from the foot of the Sky Tower.

✓ best Sep-Apr

New Zealand

Christchurch

A city rebuilt after the 2011 earthquake, with the Avon, a vast park and the Southern Alps on its doorstep.

✓ best Sep-May

New Zealand

Franz Josef

A glacier that pours out of the Southern Alps into temperate rainforest, a short drive from the village where you sleep.

✓ best Jan-Feb

New Zealand

Kaikoura

Snow-capped mountains straight above the sea, and sperm whales a short boat ride from the beach all year round.

✓ best Sep-May

New Zealand

Milford Sound (Te Anau)

The most famous fiord in the southern hemisphere, at the end of the country's greatest road.

✓ best Jan-Mar

New Zealand

Mount Cook (Twizel)

New Zealand's highest mountain, reached by an easy walk to an iceberg lake at its foot.

✓ best Sep-Apr

New Zealand

Queenstown

The adventure capital of the world, wrapped around a lake nobody can photograph badly.

✓ best Jun-Aug, Oct-Apr

New Zealand

Rotorua

New Zealand's geothermal and Maori cultural heartland, where geysers erupt a short walk from the town centre.

✓ best Sep-May

New Zealand

Taupo

A town on the shore of a lake that is really a supervolcano, with Huka Falls on the doorstep.

✓ best Sep-May

New Zealand

Wellington

A walkable harbour capital where Te Papa, the cable car and the country's best coffee sit within a few blocks.

✓ best Sep-May

The sweet-spot windows

Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.

Where	When	Why it works	Watch out for
North Island	Dec-Mar, Oct-Nov	Summer beaches or spring shoulder. Warm and settled	Jun-Aug cool + wet
South Island	Dec-Feb or Jul-Aug	Summer for Fiordland/hiking. Winter for Queenstown skiing	Shoulder = unpredictable

Climate zones, month by month

New Zealand has 11 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.

Abel Tasman (Nelson) South Island →

Jan

23°

14°

46mm

11d rain

Feb

23°

14°

92mm

9d rain

Mar

21°

12°

74mm

11d rain

Apr

18°

9°

76mm

13d rain

May

16°

6°

116mm

14d rain

Jun

13°

4°

119mm

15d rain

Jul

13°

3°

132mm

15d rain

Aug

14°

4°

137mm

15d rain

Sep

15°

6°

97mm

15d rain

Oct

17°

8°

88mm

15d rain

Nov

19°

10°

99mm

13d rain

Dec

21°

13°

101mm

14d rain

✓ Best Sep-Nov, Jan-Apr

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Auckland North Island →

Jan

24°

16°

70mm

7d rain

Feb

25°

16°

65mm

8d rain

Mar

23°

15°

85mm

8d rain

Apr

21°

13°

100mm

10d rain

May

18°

11°

115mm

13d rain

Jun

16°

9°

135mm

14d rain

Jul

15°

8°

145mm

14d rain

Aug

16°

8°

120mm

15d rain

Sep

17°

10°

100mm

13d rain

Oct

19°

11°

100mm

12d rain

Nov

21°

13°

85mm

10d rain

Dec

23°

15°

80mm

10d rain

✓ Best Sep-Apr

Conditions Mar Mild autumn · Apr Cool autumn · May Cool · Jun Cool & wet · Jul Coolest · Aug Cool & wet · Sep-Oct Spring · Nov Mild

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Christchurch Canterbury →

Jan

23°

12°

42mm

6d rain

Feb

22°

12°

40mm

5d rain

Mar

20°

10°

45mm

6d rain

Apr

17°

7°

58mm

8d rain

May

15°

4°

58mm

7d rain

Jun

12°

1°

68mm

9d rain

Jul

11°

1°

64mm

8d rain

Aug

13°

2°

58mm

7d rain

Sep

15°

4°

42mm

6d rain

Oct

17°

6°

49mm

7d rain

Nov

19°

8°

45mm

7d rain

Dec

21°

10°

48mm

7d rain

✓ Best Sep-May

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Franz Josef West Coast →

Jan

15°

10°

141mm

15d rain

Feb

15°

10°

174mm

13d rain

Mar

14°

8°

153mm

15d rain

Apr

11°

7°

177mm

15d rain

May

9°

5°

179mm

18d rain

Jun

8°

4°

156mm

17d rain

Jul

6°

2°

190mm

16d rain

Aug

7°

3°

206mm

18d rain

Sep

8°

3°

233mm

18d rain

Oct

10°

5°

208mm

19d rain

Nov

12°

7°

163mm

16d rain

Dec

14°

9°

193mm

18d rain

✓ Best Jan-Feb · ✗ Avoid Jul-Aug

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Kaikoura South Island →

Jan

20°

13°

47mm

7d rain

Feb

20°

13°

39mm

6d rain

Mar

19°

12°

66mm

7d rain

Apr

16°

10°

67mm

7d rain

May

15°

8°

51mm

6d rain

Jun

12°

6°

73mm

8d rain

Jul

11°

6°

87mm

8d rain

Aug

12°

6°

59mm

7d rain

Sep

14°

7°

54mm

6d rain

Oct

16°

8°

64mm

8d rain

Nov

17°

10°

59mm

7d rain

Dec

19°

12°

49mm

7d rain

✓ Best Sep-May

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Milford Sound (Te Anau) Fiordland →

Jan

20°

10°

196mm

19d rain

Feb

20°

9°

206mm

17d rain

Mar

18°

7°

183mm

18d rain

Apr

15°

6°

226mm

20d rain

May

12°

4°

233mm

23d rain

Jun

9°

2°

192mm

22d rain

Jul

8°

1°

212mm

21d rain

Aug

10°

2°

226mm

22d rain

Sep

13°

3°

270mm

21d rain

Oct

15°

5°

248mm

23d rain

Nov

17°

6°

219mm

20d rain

Dec

19°

8°

254mm

20d rain

September Wettest month. 270mm · 21 rainy days

✓ Best Jan-Mar · ✗ Avoid Sep, Dec

Watch for Sep, Dec monsoon flooding risk

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Mount Cook (Twizel) South Island →

Jan

23°

9°

45mm

6d rain

Feb

24°

9°

38mm

5d rain

Mar

21°

6°

36mm

5d rain

Apr

16°

3°

35mm

6d rain

May

12°

1°

45mm

7d rain

Jun

8°

-2°

38mm

7d rain

Jul

8°

-3°

39mm

5d rain

Aug

10°

-1°

35mm

6d rain

Sep

14°

1°

38mm

7d rain

Oct

16°

4°

42mm

8d rain

Nov

19°

5°

46mm

6d rain

Dec

22°

8°

54mm

7d rain

✓ Best Sep-Apr

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Queenstown South Island →

Jan

23°

11°

70mm

17d rain

Feb

23°

11°

65mm

15d rain

Mar

20°

8°

75mm

16d rain

Apr

16°

5°

70mm

17d rain

May

12°

2°

75mm

20d rain

Jun

8°

-1°

65mm

19d rain

Jul

8°

-2°

60mm

18d rain

Aug

10°

0°

65mm

19d rain

Sep

14°

3°

70mm

18d rain

Oct

16°

5°

85mm

20d rain

Nov

18°

7°

80mm

18d rain

Dec

21°

9°

80mm

19d rain

✓ Best Jun-Aug, Oct-Apr

Conditions Mar Autumn · Apr Autumn color · May Cool · Jun Ski starts · Jul-Aug Ski season · Sep Spring thaw · Oct Spring · Nov Mild spring

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Rotorua North Island →

Jan

23°

12°

73mm

7d rain

Feb

23°

12°

65mm

6d rain

Mar

21°

10°

66mm

7d rain

Apr

17°

7°

77mm

8d rain

May

14°

5°

79mm

9d rain

Jun

12°

3°

93mm

10d rain

Jul

11°

3°

100mm

11d rain

Aug

12°

3°

89mm

12d rain

Sep

14°

5°

79mm

11d rain

Oct

16°

6°

74mm

10d rain

Nov

18°

8°

65mm

9d rain

Dec

21°

11°

88mm

10d rain

✓ Best Sep-May

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Taupo North Island →

Jan

23°

12°

73mm

7d rain

Feb

23°

12°

65mm

6d rain

Mar

21°

10°

66mm

7d rain

Apr

17°

7°

77mm

8d rain

May

14°

5°

79mm

9d rain

Jun

12°

3°

93mm

10d rain

Jul

11°

3°

100mm

11d rain

Aug

12°

3°

89mm

12d rain

Sep

14°

5°

79mm

11d rain

Oct

16°

6°

74mm

10d rain

Nov

18°

8°

65mm

9d rain

Dec

21°

11°

88mm

10d rain

✓ Best Sep-May

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Wellington North Island →

Jan

21°

15°

60mm

6d rain

Feb

21°

15°

60mm

6d rain

Mar

20°

14°

66mm

7d rain

Apr

17°

12°

80mm

9d rain

May

15°

10°

88mm

10d rain

Jun

13°

8°

103mm

12d rain

Jul

13°

7°

110mm

11d rain

Aug

13°

8°

94mm

11d rain

Sep

14°

9°

80mm

10d rain

Oct

16°

10°

91mm

10d rain

Nov

17°

11°

75mm

8d rain

Dec

20°

14°

67mm

8d rain

✓ Best Sep-May

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions