Breadcrumb
Faq view

What sort of weather can I expect on my tour?

New Zealand does experience the four distinctive seasons. Officially these are:

  • Summer: December, January and February
  • Autumn: March, April and May
  • Winter: June, July and August
  • Spring: September, October and November

What sort of temperatures and conditions does each season produce?

  • Summer: Expect an average high of 25 C (76 F) in the north to around 22 C (72 F) in the south. Average lows (evening time) are 13 C (55 F) in the north to 12 C (54 F) in the south.
  • Autumn: Expect an average high of 20 C (68 F) in the north to around 17 C (63 F) in the south. Average lows (evening time) are 11 C (52 F) in the north to 7 C (45 F) in the south.
  • Winter: Expect an average high of 15 C (59 F) in the north to around 10 C (50 F) in the south.
    Average lows (evening time) are 6 C (43 F) in the north to 2 C (35 F) in the south.
  • Spring: Expect an average high of 18 C (65 F) in the north to around 16 C (61 F) in the south.
    Average lows (evening time) are 9 C (48 F) in the north to 7 C (45 F) in the south.
  Spring Summer Autumn Winter
  Sep, Oct, Nov Dec, Jan, Feb Mar, Apr, May Jun, Jul, Aug
  High Low High Low High Low High Low
Bay of Islands                
Temperature (C) 19 9 25 14 21 11 16 7
Temperature (F) 67 48 76 56 70 52 61 45
Rain Days/Season 11 7 11 16
Auckland                
Temperature (C) 18 11 24 12 20 13 15 9
Temperature (F) 65 52 75 54 68 55 59 48
Rain Days/Season 12 8 11 15
Rotorua                
Temperature (C) 17 7 24 12 18 9 13 4
Temperature (F) 63 45 75 54 68 55 59 48
Rain Days/Season 11 9 9 13
Wellington                
Temperature (C) 15 9 20 13 17 11 12 6
Temperature (F) 59 48 68 55 63 52 54 43
Rain Days/Season 11 7 10 13
Christchurch                
Temperature (C) 17 7 22 12 18 8 12 3
Temperature (F) 63 45 72 54 65 46 54 37
Rain Days/Season 7 7 7 7
Queenstown                
Temperature (C) 16 5 22 10 16 6 10 1
Temperature (F) 61 41 72 50 61 43 50 34
Rain Days/Season 9 8 8 7

 

Rainfall

Generally speaking, rainfall days are consistent throughout the year at between 7 and 11 days per month but regions such as the West Coast and Fiordland do get drier during the winter months.

Snow

The North Island only gets snow on the high central plateau around Tongariro National Park (the Whakapapa and Turoa Ski fields) and on a few other high peaks such as Mt Egmont/Taranaki. In the South Island almost everywhere can experience snow. Stewart Island also gets snow in winter but not often. Canterbury, Otago and Southland generally get the most snow and this is why most of the ski resorts are based here. 

You can check long range forecasts for weather on the New Zealand Metservice Website here.

 

Check out our blogs

Take a look through our blogs for some great ideas on touring around New Zealand.

Why choose New Zealand self drive tours?

At NZSD we have built a business based on one simple belief - that every customer deserves excellent service and honest, accurate advice. Since 2004 we have been creating New Zealand holidays for visitors from all over the world. In fact that's all we do. We are the absolute experts at creating great touring experiences across the North & South Islands.
So how does it work? Well our site contains over 200 great self drive itinerary ideas. You can see exactly where you are going, where you will stay and how much it will cost. But we also know that even with 200 great ideas such as these most visitors want something slightly different or something to suit them specifically. Our team of travel specialists are absolute experts at designing great New Zealand touring holidays. All you need to do is get in touch with us and one of the team will make contact and chat with you about the kind of experience you are looking for. We tailor make a proposed itinerary for you which you can tweak and adjust as much as you wish. When you are happy with the plans you go ahead and book using our secure systems. A deposit payment is needed to book with the balance payment due before you travel. We ensure everything is booked accurately, we ensure that all your timings work, and your itinerary is uploaded to our custom APP so you get lots of great information and features as you travel. While you are here we also provide in country support and help if you need it.
So why work with us? Because we are dedicated to ensuring your New Zealand holiday experience is the best holiday experience you will ever have.