New Zealand sits directly in the 'roaring forties' latitude, which means a dominant and recurrent wind blows over the country from the west to the east; this can vary from a calm breeze in the summer to a pounding, roof-stripping wind in the winter. The North and South Island have two distinct patterns of rainfall for example, in the South Island, the Southern Alps act as a barrier for the moisture-laden winds from the Tasman Sea. This creates a wet climate to the west of the mountains and a dry climate to the east. The North Island's precipitation is spread evenly, without a geological feature such as the Alps. Temperatures are normally a few degrees chillier in the South Island, and both islands obtain snow in the winter. Winter falls in the months of June through August and summer from December through February. It is imperative to remember that New Zealand's climate is maritime, instead of continental; this means the weather can change with astonishing quickness and consequence. The busy traveler season lands in the warmer months between November and April, though ski resorts, such as Queenstown, are filled with tourists during winter.
CLIMATE
Weather Averages for Auckland, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Auckland, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 68°f | 68°f | 66°f | 61°f | 57°f | 54°f | 52°f | 54°f | 55°f | 59°f | 63°f | 64°f |
| 20°c | 20°c | 19°c | 16°c | 14°c | 12°c | 11°c | 12°c | 13°c | 15°c | 17°c | 18°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Auckland, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 73°f | 75°f | 72°f | 68°f | 63°f | 59°f | 57°f | 59°f | 61°f | 64°f | 68°f | 72°f |
| 23°c | 24°c | 22°c | 20°c | 17°c | 15°c | 14°c | 15°c | 16°c | 18°c | 20°c | 22°c |
| 61°f | 61°f | 59°f | 54°f | 50°f | 46°f | 45°f | 46°f | 48°f | 52°f | 55°f | 57°f |
| 16°c | 16°c | 15°c | 12°c | 10°c | 8°c | 7°c | 8°c | 9°c | 11°c | 13°c | 14°c |
Average Rainfall for Auckland, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 74mm | 81mm | 86mm | 93mm | 100mm | 116mm | 126mm | 111mm | 93mm | 80mm | 84mm | 91mm |
Weather Averages for Christchurch, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Christchurch, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 59°f | 61°f | 57°f | 52°f | 46°f | 43°f | 41°f | 43°f | 46°f | 50°f | 54°f | 57°f |
| 15°c | 16°c | 14°c | 11°c | 8°c | 6°c | 5°c | 6°c | 8°c | 10°c | 12°c | 14°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Christchurch, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 68°f | 70°f | 66°f | 61°f | 55°f | 52°f | 48°f | 52°f | 55°f | 59°f | 63°f | 66°f |
| 20°c | 21°c | 19°c | 16°c | 13°c | 11°c | 9°c | 11°c | 13°c | 15°c | 17°c | 19°c |
| 50°f | 52°f | 48°f | 43°f | 37°f | 34°f | 32°f | 34°f | 37°f | 41°f | 43°f | 48°f |
| 10°c | 11°c | 9°c | 6°c | 3°c | 1°c | 0°c | 1°c | 3°c | 5°c | 6°c | 9°c |
Weather Averages for Queenstown, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Queenstown, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 61°f | 61°f | 59°f | 52°f | 46°f | 39°f | 39°f | 43°f | 46°f | 52°f | 55°f | 59°f |
| 16°c | 16°c | 15°c | 11°c | 8°c | 4°c | 4°c | 6°c | 8°c | 11°c | 13°c | 15°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Queenstown, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 72°f | 72°f | 68°f | 61°f | 54°f | 46°f | 46°f | 50°f | 55°f | 61°f | 64°f | 70°f |
| 22°c | 22°c | 20°c | 16°c | 12°c | 8°c | 8°c | 10°c | 13°c | 16°c | 18°c | 21°c |
| 50°f | 50°f | 48°f | 43°f | 37°f | 32°f | 32°f | 34°f | 37°f | 43°f | 45°f | 48°f |
| 10°c | 10°c | 9°c | 6°c | 3°c | 0°c | 0°c | 1°c | 3°c | 6°c | 7°c | 9°c |
Average Rainfall for Queenstown, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 75mm | 52mm | 84mm | 67mm | 81mm | 74mm | 58mm | 59mm | 77mm | 90mm | 65mm | 69mm |
Weather Averages for Treble Cone, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Treble Cone, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 61°f | 61°f | 59°f | 52°f | 46°f | 39°f | 39°f | 43°f | 46°f | 52°f | 55°f | 59°f |
| 16°c | 16°c | 15°c | 11°c | 8°c | 4°c | 4°c | 6°c | 8°c | 11°c | 13°c | 15°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Treble Cone, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 72°f | 72°f | 68°f | 61°f | 54°f | 46°f | 46°f | 50°f | 55°f | 61°f | 64°f | 70°f |
| 22°c | 22°c | 20°c | 16°c | 12°c | 8°c | 8°c | 10°c | 13°c | 16°c | 18°c | 21°c |
| 50°f | 50°f | 48°f | 43°f | 37°f | 32°f | 32°f | 34°f | 37°f | 43°f | 45°f | 48°f |
| 10°c | 10°c | 9°c | 6°c | 3°c | 0°c | 0°c | 1°c | 3°c | 6°c | 7°c | 9°c |
Average Rainfall for Treble Cone, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 75mm | 52mm | 84mm | 67mm | 81mm | 74mm | 58mm | 59mm | 77mm | 90mm | 65mm | 69mm |
Weather Averages for Wellington, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Wellington, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 64°f | 64°f | 63°f | 57°f | 54°f | 50°f | 48°f | 50°f | 52°f | 55°f | 59°f | 63°f |
| 18°c | 18°c | 17°c | 14°c | 12°c | 10°c | 9°c | 10°c | 11°c | 13°c | 15°c | 17°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Wellington, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 70°f | 70°f | 68°f | 63°f | 59°f | 55°f | 54°f | 55°f | 57°f | 61°f | 64°f | 68°f |
| 21°c | 21°c | 20°c | 17°c | 15°c | 13°c | 12°c | 13°c | 14°c | 16°c | 18°c | 20°c |
| 57°f | 57°f | 57°f | 52°f | 48°f | 45°f | 43°f | 45°f | 46°f | 50°f | 52°f | 55°f |
| 14°c | 14°c | 14°c | 11°c | 9°c | 7°c | 6°c | 7°c | 8°c | 10°c | 11°c | 13°c |
Average Rainfall for Wellington, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 67mm | 48mm | 76mm | 87mm | 99mm | 113mm | 111mm | 106mm | 82mm | 81mm | 74mm | 74mm |
Weather Averages for Mount Cook, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Mount Cook, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 61°f | 63°f | 61°f | 55°f | 54°f | 50°f | 48°f | 50°f | 52°f | 54°f | 57°f | 59°f |
| 16°c | 17°c | 16°c | 13°c | 12°c | 10°c | 9°c | 10°c | 11°c | 12°c | 14°c | 15°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Mount Cook, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 66°f | 66°f | 64°f | 61°f | 57°f | 54°f | 52°f | 54°f | 55°f | 57°f | 61°f | 64°f |
| 19°c | 19°c | 18°c | 16°c | 14°c | 12°c | 11°c | 12°c | 13°c | 14°c | 16°c | 18°c |
| 55°f | 57°f | 55°f | 50°f | 48°f | 46°f | 43°f | 45°f | 46°f | 48°f | 52°f | 54°f |
| 13°c | 14°c | 13°c | 10°c | 9°c | 8°c | 6°c | 7°c | 8°c | 9°c | 11°c | 12°c |
Average Rainfall for Mount Cook, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 67mm | 48mm | 76mm | 87mm | 99mm | 113mm | 111mm | 106mm | 82mm | 81mm | 74mm | 74mm |
Weather Averages for Whakapapa, New Zealand:
Average Temperatures for Whakapapa, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 57°f | 57°f | 55°f | 50°f | 45°f | 41°f | 39°f | 41°f | 45°f | 48°f | 52°f | 55°f |
| 14°c | 14°c | 13°c | 10°c | 7°c | 5°c | 4°c | 5°c | 7°c | 9°c | 11°c | 13°c |
Average High/Low Temperature for Whakapapa, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 68°f | 68°f | 64°f | 57°f | 52°f | 46°f | 46°f | 48°f | 52°f | 55°f | 61°f | 64°f |
| 20°c | 20°c | 18°c | 14°c | 11°c | 8°c | 8°c | 9°c | 11°c | 13°c | 16°c | 18°c |
| 46°f | 46°f | 46°f | 41°f | 37°f | 34°f | 32°f | 34°f | 36°f | 39°f | 41°f | 45°f |
| 8°c | 8°c | 8°c | 5°c | 3°c | 1°c | 0°c | 1°c | 2°c | 4°c | 5°c | 7°c |
Average Rainfall for Whakapapa, New Zealand
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 80mm | 61mm | 78mm | 69mm | 97mm | 101mm | 101mm | 92mm | 91mm | 83mm | 75mm | 102mm |
HOLIDAYS
January - New Year's Day1
January - Day after New Year's Day1
February - New Zealand & Waitangi Day
March - Children's Day
March - Good Friday - Easter Monday
April - ANZAC Day
May - Labour Day
May - Mother's Day
June - Queen's Birthday
November - All Soul's Day
December - Christmas Day1
December - Boxing Day1
1 New Year's Day and the day after are moved to the Monday (and Tuesday) following if they occur on a weekend. If Saturday or Sunday is New Year's Day, then Monday and Tuesday are holidays. If Friday is New Year's Day, then Monday is given in lieu of the 2nd day holiday.
The same rule applies to Christmas and Boxing Day.
Weekend: Saturday, Sunday
