New Zealand lies between 34 and 47 degrees south, so seasons are the reverse of the northern hemisphere: summer runs from December to February, winter from June to August. The country is long and narrow and surrounded by ocean, which means no extremes of temperature but rapid changes — four seasons in one day is a cliche because it is accurate.
Summer, December to February
Warm, long days with light until nine in the evening, the whole country open, and every Great Walk running its booked season. It is also when New Zealanders themselves take holidays: from Boxing Day to mid-January campgrounds, holiday homes and popular tracks are effectively full. Book accommodation and hut nights months ahead for this period, or travel in February, which has the same weather and fewer people.
Autumn, March to May
Arguably the best time to travel. Settled weather often continues through March and April, sea temperatures are at their highest in early March, prices fall and the roads empty. Central Otago and the Mackenzie turn gold in late April, and Arrowtown holds its autumn festival. By May the days shorten noticeably and alpine passes may see early snow.
Winter, June to August
Ski season on the Southern Alps and around Ruapehu, running roughly from June to early October. Queenstown and Wanaka are busy; almost everywhere else is quiet and cheap. The far north stays mild — Northland rarely drops below 10 degrees — while inland Otago can fall to minus 10 at night. Some walking tracks and alpine roads close, and the Tongariro Crossing becomes a mountaineering route.
Spring, September to November
Changeable and windy, with the highest rainfall in some regions, but also lambing, waterfalls at full volume and blossom. November is excellent value: warm enough for most activities, before the summer crowds, with lupins flowering in the Mackenzie.
Regional differences
The West Coast of the South Island receives up to five metres of rain a year; Central Otago, two hours east across the mountains, receives less than 400 mm. Nelson and the Bay of Plenty are the sunniest regions. Auckland is subtropical and humid in summer. Wellington is windy in every season. Whatever the region, ultraviolet levels are severe because of the thin ozone layer and clean air — sunburn in twenty minutes is normal, and sunscreen matters more than temperature suggests.
Events
Waitangi Day on 6 February. The Marlborough Wine Festival in February. Matariki, the Maori new year marked by the rising of the Pleiades, is a public holiday in June or July. Anzac Day on 25 April, when dawn services are held nationwide.