When is Winter in New Zealand?

What and Where’s All the Fun at?

When you hear the word winter and the string of holidays that come with it, most likely, you will also be thinking of a long vacation. And if it’s a nice winter vacation that you’re up for, New Zealand will surely be at the top of your list. So if those thoughts already make you feel giddy, when is winter in New Zealand, really? And what’s there for fun?

The Winter season in New Zealand officially runs from June to August. Both the North and the South Islands have high class ski resorts which have magnificent scenery as backdrops. You will know that it is the best time to ski or do snow sports because these resorts will start to fill up and the royal blue skies start to show up. The winter festivals color the country as well, while the steam pools heat up the cold atmosphere. Feeling very excited already? Wait until you hear what’s waiting for you every winter---the New Zealand way.

The two most famous adventure activities during winter are skiing and snowboarding. In fact, New Zealand makes it a point to maintain and continue promoting their ski resorts and their natural landscape. If you are not very much into skiing and snowboarding, they also host many exciting activities such as bungee jumping, canyoning, helicopter tours, natural hot baths, wine tasting and the like.

Now, since New Zealand is one tourist favorite, there are a lot of accommodation options for all kinds of budgets and preferences. There are luxury mountain lodges and high class hotels. There are also motels with outstanding facilities, bed-and-breakfast lodgings, backpacker hostels, campsites, homestays and even secured motorparks. These accommodation areas are well-placed as well, as there are ones which are near the shopping centers and high class restaurants, those which are near cafes, near the bars and the clubs, and even those which are near the art galleries and museums. When you get there, especially in Queenstown, you will find it hard answering the question “When is winter in New Zealand?” because the place seems to brim with activities and guests all year long. It just seems to dense up massively during winter.

Here are some places which are worthy of your winter New Zealand vacation visit:


Tongariro National Park

One of the biggest and most famous national parks in New Zealand s the Tongariro National Park. It is made up of three volcanoes namely Ngaurahoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu. This is one very special park since it even has dual World Heritage status because of its rich significance in the Maori culture and because of its amazing physical volcanic features.

Most of the visitors who go to Tongariro stay at the Whakapapa Village. Aside from skiing and snowboarding, many tourists come here for the bungee jumping, mountain biking, horseback riding and sky diving. Guess they’re pretty much into extreme sports, aren’t they?


Christchurch/ Canterbury

Way down south is one sensual treasure - Christchuch/Canterbury. Canterbury runs from the Pacific up to the Arthur’s Pass and then over Mt. Cook in the Southern Alps. Its third largest city is Christchurch and it is a vineyard paradise. Those who visit this place go white water rafting, ballooning, whale watching, swimming with the dolphins and parasailing. It’s a little bit more mellow than Tongariro but it’s just as fun!


Mackenzie Country

The Mackenzie Country is an inland basin that sits at the back of the Southern Alps and Mount cook. It is popular for its sheep stations and lakes which hold beautiful glaciers. People who come here love to go fishing or go to safaris. If you want a grand flora-and-fauna tour, the Mackenzie country is the place to be. There are amazing views of their insect and bird life, their native virgin forests and their exotic plants.  Many also come here for boating, kayaking, golf and ranch visits.


Queenstown

Then there’s Queenstown. Dubbed as the “adventure capital of the world”. You’ll surely never run out of things to do when you’re in Queenstown. Make sure to visit The Remarkables and Coronet Peak when you come here.

Aside from their fancy name, it’s also regarded as the home of bungee jumping. Heli-skiing is also a well-known activity here. So enjoy Queenstown’s majestic view of the Lake Wakatipu and don’t miss their winter festival. It’s the most famous and legendary winter party, they say.

With great choices such as these, you’ll never get tired of asking “when is winter in New Zealand?” Perhaps all you need to ask yourself is about your pick of adventure-for-the-day and how much you have to shell out for the vacation that you want. Good luck and have fun!