Auckland Travel Forum

We'll bein Australia in July and were wondering whether it would be worthwhile to hop over to New Zealand for several days of sightseeing, or would the weather there at that time of year make it less than pleasant? Any advice will be appreciated.

Depends where you would be going: the North of the North Island - e.g. Bay of Islands - is tropical so fine, in fact it should also be OK if you want to go to, say, Rotorua; if you are flying in to Auckland this would take up all your few days anyway. In the South Island it is skiing season, so probably not the best time for the fjords - although, I note the boats still operate during the NZ winter, see http://www.redboats.co.nz/Milford-Sound-cruises/405/Prices+and+Bookings.aspx.
Also http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/weather-and-climate.html
Be aware that it's not that small a "hop" from Australia to NZ.

Those months are certainly the worst winter months in NZ. However, it does not get really cold in the Far North/Bay of Islands, if you are lucky you can walk around in t-shirt. The further south you go, the colder and more wintery it gets, and you could encounter bad driving conditions, especially on the pass roads which in the worst case would be closed or you have to use snow chains. As we do not have winter tyres in NZ traffic gets messy as soon as the first snow flakes fall. However, in most winters only some few days are chaotic, and if you are lucky you will not encounter any problem at all. In certain parts of the North Island winter is the most probable season for lots of rain and floodings. So you should not travel with a fixed schedule but be flexible enough to adjust your route to the weather conditions.

Winter is the best season for the West Coast (on the South Island) as there it is the season with a lot less rain. So it is perfect for walking on the glaciers. Also the climate is rather mild over there.

Personally I would not necessarily travel to NZ in winter but I have noticed a lot more tourists in this season in the past two years, and they are not deterred by the sometimes harsh conditions. You just have to be prepared to freeze a bit, so bring appropriate clothes. In this time of year I would surely prefer to stay in motels or similar accommodation and not in a campervan ;-)


Sissi

Hi,

I wouldn't be put off by the weather. However, as your posting this question in the Auckland forum in particular it's worth noting that July and August can see a LOT of rain in this area. How about hoping over and flying into somewhere like Queenstown for a few days and making the most of proper wintry weather? It will be colder by far, but your far more likely to be met with blue winter skies.

Hi,

I wouldn't be put off by the weather. However, as your posting this question in the Auckland forum in particular it's worth noting that July and August can see a LOT of rain in this area. How about hoping over and flying into somewhere like Queenstown for a few days and making the most of proper wintry weather? It will be colder by far, but your far more likely to be met with blue winter skies.

Of course, we went there at the South Island of NZ and we had fun, even if we didn't ski or do anything much adventurous.

Drive from Christchurch to Queenstown and you will be rewarded with the most amazing views!Don't miss Lake Tekapo and the gondola and hagglund rides.

Australia is also cold July & August so it is the same in NZ, though much colder.

Happy trip and stay safe!

OK, I'm hugely biased because I live here but I'd have to say NZ is worth a visit any time. However, since these are the coldest months, I think the South Island is the best area to visit in winter as the scenery is absolutely majestic. If you're into skiing, there are heaps of places to choose from. My favourite activity the last time I was down south was walking on the Franz Josef glacier, absolutely awesome !