The festival in the Coromandel area celebrates the start of the scallop season with around 60 food and wine stalls, cooking demonstrations and scallop shucking competitions. Empty beaches, empty mountains, empty tourist sites, it was awesome! The four seasonal weather changes in NZ are spread across months of the year as follows: From September to November is the season of spring in NZ. The further south you go, the colder you will get - temperatures are significantly lower in Queenstown than in Auckland. Love it. Cutting it close, I know! After a quick lesson that consisted mostly of “hold on tight,” we were off. Yeah it’s no where near as cold as other places, like it’s rarely below freezing during the day. "Women's rights are an essential part of the overa, Wow how time flies! The snow topped ranges provide a stunning backdrop to the scenery and the choices of winter sports are in abundance. After living in Spain for the past few years and returning home for a stint, I then quit my job and moved to New Zealand and I've been here ever since. Dunedin is the home of Cadbury World, where you can take tours, learn about chocolate making, and eat chocolate (duh!). My first day of lessons I told my amazing instructor that before closing day I wanted to be able to go up the chairlift and come down. The world of fresh fruit and vegetables has become such that many products are now available year round. On my own, 10 years and 50 something countries later, my wanderlust has only grown and the list of countries I want to visit longer. So the very last week of the season. Go to the festival to find out. Your Trip to New Zealand: The Complete Guide. For a thrill, try heli-skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing or sledging. I think a lot of times you can’t even see them with your naked eye but they show up on long exposures on the camera. The West Coast of the South Island is the wettest part of the country and experiences heavy rainfall in winter. Check out where else you should head for winter in our article: 5 Places to Visit in Winter in New Zealand . There are many annual events that happen in July, including International Tartan Day in the small Scottish town of Waipu as well as Auckland's Matariki Festival, otherwise known as the Maori New Year. When winter finally hit Wanaka, I was so excited! I always ask about off season rates, especially as a solo traveler. You’re welcome! However, there is higher rainfall in July, so you may want to be flexible or have backup options if you're planning outdoor activities. There are live music and comedy acts to enjoy in the evening. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience on this site. You can still go to the beach even! While the North Island is warmer in winter, it is also wetter, with high average rainfall in July and August. From June onward the mountains turn white and the snow line drops lower and lower giving the already beautiful mountains a bit of a makeover. After a quick lesson that consisted mostly of “hold on tight,” we were off. So much easier to talk to people when there aren’t a lot of people around, that’s one of my biggest tips as a solo traveler. And if you don’t see one advertised, ask anyways. The 10-day event is full of fun/daft competitions, such as the dog derby, dog barking, dodgeball, iHeart Radio Day on the Bay and 70’s disco workout. When I moved to New Zealand, I really thought I would be struggling with the reversed seasons. We experienced weather warm enough to be in shorts though... and of course, still got to see a bit of snow on the Southern Alps and while driving across Lewis Pass.New growth can be seen in the New Zealand seasons spring with budding flora adding the sp… More opportunities to catch up with the locals. What better way to warm yourself up than pulling some shapes at a music festival and eating obscene amounts of chocolate? As a ski hub, you'll find the towns bars and restaurants packed in the evenings though, so there are plenty of places to warm up and enjoy an apres-ski. Winter.