Best time to go to New Zealand for a perfect weather and where to go?

Climate and Weather in New Zealand

On the Pacific Ocean near Australia, New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere and therefore portrays reversed seasons than those found in the northern hemisphere. The latter is determined by latitude and therefore the weather experiences not only a semi-tropical climate, but also a temperate one. Divided into two main islands, New Zealand experiences a varied weather that is greatly influenced by both the ocean and its neighbor, the Antarctic. The northern parts of the island are thus undoubtedly cooler and wetter than its southern neighbors. However remarkably, almost all of the country has more than 2000 hours of sunshine combined per year!

The Climate on the North Island of New Zealand

The northern island, also known as the “smoking island” enjoys a subtropical climate, especially in its farther north. The climate in New Zealand varies widely within the same day, similarly to neighboring Melbourne in Australia, namely due to the influences of the sea and mountains. There is a very large dose of sunshine to the east of the northern island, particularly towards Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.

Around the Auckland area, in the North island, the climate is hot and humid and especially so in summer. Winter in turn enjoys a smooth pleasant climate, despite the general humidity. Overall, the rain falls throughout the most part of the year, just as obliged by a subtropical climate, but they are of a significant importance in the winter.

Climate of the South Island of New Zealand

The south island, also called the “Island of Jade”, has a fairly temperate climate that can become very cold in the extreme south, especially towards the mountains. It is not uncommon to experience all four seasons all in one day in this part of the country. Less humid in this part of New Zealand, it is actually particularly dry in the east, even if there exists a tendency for a little more humidity on the North Island, to the west.

Fresh, this island frequently sees snow falling in the south, with cold winds and high humidity, which make these temperatures even more difficult to bear. In Invercargill in particular, the temperatures reach below freezing very often.

In Christchurch, a tourist attraction on the coast, the climate is in turn quite dry and can benefit from both warm summers and cold winters. Just like on the North Island, rain falls all year long, but more so in the winter.