Hi everyone: I have looked at others posts and still haven't gleaned the information I am looking for so I thought I would start here. If we go to New Zealand it would be in August. We have planned nothing yet because this trip is contingent upon our daughter getting accepted into her study abroad program which has not happened yet. If she does get accepted, we want to visit (although have never thought about going to NZ before and know absolutely nothing about it, but it seems like a once in a lifetime experience). She will be in Auckland and therefore we will want to start there and spend time with her (ideally on both ends of our trip). Here lies the problem, so much of what people indicate is special to do is in the South (I read the north has amazing stuff too). We do in fact have enough time, that we could probably do both north and south, but it will be winter and I am not sure if hiking, and the natural beauty I understand the south to have is readily accessed in the winter (I remember being in the grand canyon one winter and half the park was closed due to inaccessibility). So looking for thoughts? Is the South worth exploring in the winter? Can you be in the North and then go to the south and then back to the north easily (I think we would rent a car and drive? we have done this in Ireland)? Maybe it's more like flying our daughter to meet us in the south one weekend so she meets up with us there. Not really sure at all, but we are going there to visit her, so that needs to be part of the trip. My husband is not much of a hiker and we are not adventure sports people so not sure if this is exactly what people love about NZ (I read about this stuff as what people love to do), but this is just a part of our picture. Any ideas of the feasibility of travel in the winter, being able to be in the north and the south and then back in the north again. What are must dos at this time of year? We have 2-3 weeks, so are flexible. I want to reiterate that I know the North has plenty to see, but it seems like if we are in NZ we shouldn't miss the South. I just don't know how to manage the logistics given we have to/want to be in Auckland with our kid. Any guidance would be so much appreciated. I feel very stuck.
Posted by
Green Bay
21417 posts
I was there 23 years ago for a skiing trip. Snow was only present at high elevations. Otherwise, weather was quite mild, even on the South Island. Lots to do in their winter without skiing.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
442 posts
We visited our son in February 2012 when he had a post-doc in Wellington. NZ is great. We thoroughly enjoyed it, even if we missed a lot in the two weeks we spent there.
Auckland has some of the cosmopolitan feel that I associate with San Francisco. We did not get north of there, though it looks mighty scenic. We did take a ferry out to Whaiheke (fa-heck-eh; wh is like ph) Island which was gorgeous and we enjoyed lunch at a winery there.
We stayed a few days on the Coromandel Peninsula, just steps from the beach and drop dead gorgeous. We drove to Coromandel from Wellington via Tongariro NP, Huka Falls and Rotorua. All pretty spectacular. Some of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot at Tongariro. Easily driveable across the north island.
I think you should try to understand Māori culture and history as part of experiencing NZ. Rotorua was part of that for us, as were museums in Auckland and Wellington. Auckland Museum and Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.
Wellington is a great city. Like a cross between Berkeley and San Francisco but without the worst aspects a homelessness and negative street life that those California cities now have. True, we were in NZ back in 2012, but even if it has changed for the worse, it can’t be close to what we’re suffering.
We were only briefly on the South Island: Queenstown, Wanaka and Milford Sound. The southern Alps are spectacular. We flew to Queenstown from Wellington.
I suspect weather in August will be similar to US west coast states (starting north of Southern California) in January or February. I would expect snow to be an issue only at higher elevations … so driving to Milford Sound could be a serious issue/question. And a boat ride on Milford Sound could be a challenge in bad winter weather, though I see you can go year-round.
When we visited our son, it was the middle of the school year for him but he was able to take some time off, anyway.
In your case, maybe you want to visit your daughter on Christmas Break, or on what we would call spring break here (Easter or Passover), or at the end of her school year. The advantage to seeing her later, and not when she starts, is that she will have a good feel for Auckland and environs and what she wants to see of the rest of the country. Also, she won’t be chomping at the bit for you to just leave so she can settle in. But I don’t know your daughter or your family dynamics.
Posted by
OP
89 posts
I appreciate your responses. Our daughter will arrive in July and leaves in November so Christmas/Spring break are out. I work in a school so August seems like the ideal time as it is when I will have the most time, and she will have been there for a month and hopefully settled in. It sounds like the North has a lot to enjoy, so maybe forgoing the south makes the most sense, although if she were able to get away with us, it might be the best opportunity for her to see South Island. So many what ifs and I am a planner so want to have a clear plan and see if it is feasible to both north and south in the time frame we have. Again, I know so little about NZ I don't know what to prioritize to see. I think I need to do some more research to decide what it is we would like to do there.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
3057 posts
We've traveled to NZ quite a lot over the years - including a couple of extended stays of 90 days each - and I can tell you that there is no bad time to visit the country ... particularly the South Island. Though you'll still see snow in the higher elevations of the Southern Alps in August, daytime temps in Queenstown will be in the 60's. Te Anau is gorgeous, with an assortment of great hikes, and is the gateway to Milford Sound.
I'd put in a plug too for the northern coast of the South Island. Abel Tasman Park is terrific, as is the Marlborough wine country a few miles away.
Connecting the various cities is best done by air if you're pinched for time, and renting a car upon arrival is the best way to see the beautiful country.
There is indeed plenty to see on the North Island, and you really can't go wrong no matter how you organize your itinerary, but it would be a shame to miss the scenic wonders of the South Island if you can manage it.
Any good guidebook can give you plenty of ideas, but my particular favorite is the one from DK publishing. You can find used copies for a few dollars on Amazon.