Best Time To Visit New Zealand

KIA ORA!
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First of all... before you wonder who is this person writing/blogging about New Zealand here...
(If you ever wonder...hehe)...just a short and nice thing about ME...hehe

"Dira" is what people call me... from Malaysia... came to live in New Zealand a year ago... maybe still a new comer but that's more than enough to make me fall in love with this Kiwi Land... I love traveling (I'm sure everyone too right...hehe) I'm a nature and outdoor person... enjoy very much hiking/tramping.. dirty and muddy is not an issue for me..
 
Having said that, that's why New Zealand is like "Heaven on Earth" for me... Every where you go there's always trails for you to explore... Best part when you go tramping in good weather; you won't get sweaty and sticky... and another plus point... New Zealand has a small number of poisonous animals and no "Pacat" I tell youuuuu...haha 

Told myself "Wish one day I can write a blog about this beautiful country"... I'm not a professional writer but sharing stories has always been my passion... and one day... Syukur Alhamdulillah... "Dreams can become reality when you get the opportunity....just grab it!" when I met this lovely Malaysian couple who has lived in Auckland since years ago... They have lots of tips when it comes to traveling in New Zealand.
 
​The owner of Ikhlas Tours Limited (you can explore their website for more details... cewahhh "iklan" jap) and they are looking for someone to share stories about traveling in New Zealand in their website. With lots of experience living in New Zealand, I learned a lot of tips when they shared their stories.

So here I am...Writing/blogging in my own way what I've experienced, observed, heard and learned from people around me... "Good things are to be shared right?" And this time I want to share about the "Best time to visit New Zealand"

Whatipu - Waitakere Ranges...bush and coastal hike

I’m sure a “common” question we always have is… “When is the best time to visit?” Always hard to decide right… cause each one of us has different wish lists when we travel. As usual we want to cover as much as we can but with limited time. But then again, holiday is always the time for us to relax and enjoy our journey. Plan it wisely to create wonderful memories and don’t rush to do everything. New Zealand is a gorgeous country that can be visited anytime throughout the year.  Every season is unique in its special way…

Best to have these 3 main things first to consider :
 
1.   The seasons 

Just a short summary about the seasons… I will share with you from time to time for each season in more details ya…so wait for my next topic please...
 

• Spring       –  September to November
• Summer   –  December to February
• Autumn    –  March to May
• Winter      –  June to August

 
Spring is definitely everybody’s favourite season! You can visit cities where flowers are blooming. Christchurch is one of those cities to visit in spring. Snow can still fall in early spring, so it’s the perfect time to see snow on the mountains.

​​Summer can be seen as the peak tourist season here. Most activity providers are open for business and it is the perfect time for adventure, hiking, day walk, scenic drives, picking fruits, etc. Just bear in mind “It’s usually going to be bright SUNNY Day!” Don’t’ forget to put your sunblock ya…
 
Autumn is another favourite season… Yellow Orange Red are great combo that make such colourful views. The best locations for colours of autumn in New Zealand are Mackenzie Country from Tekapo to Omarama, the Southern Lakes region (Wanaka, Queenstown and Arrowtown), and parts of Central Otago. There can be early snow in autumn, but generally not enough for winter sports.

Winter as you know...the coldest season of the year and snowing in certain areas of New Zealand especially in the South Island. Weather can be unpredictable and short day light time. The mountains are generally snow-capped and snow covered in some parts of South Island.  Sometimes some places and roads are closed in South Island. In other words, it is not really the best time to visit South Island in winter. But if you plan to cover just North Island this could be a great time for skiing or snow boarding at Mount Ruapehu. Accommodation will be cheaper during winter too.

2.   Purpose to visit/what activities you want to do

This is the hardest part I must say… haha… I can totally understand cause there are too many things to do in very limited time! Ask yourself "What activities you want to do"... but not all at the same time ya... you will need months or years to cover all... hehe.. Seriously there are too many exciting things you want to do here...

From what I observed and what people shared, especially those who have used Ikhlas Tours services... the famous/common activities you want to do when you visit New Zealand are :

Adventure Tourism.... for nature, extreme sports and outdoor lovers... this will be a country you don't wanna miss and definitely should be in your bucket list. Bungy Jumping, Skydiving, Water Rafting, Mountain Biking, Hiking and Tramping... Goshhh I can go on and on... haha... I was soooo amazed with the nature's beauty... Subhanallah... it's beyond words!!! Even pictures can't capture the real beauty... You must come and witness with your own eyes...

Sightseeing.... Top on the list ! Gorgeous... Magnificent... Picturesque... Beautiful... Amazing VIEWS!!! You just need to really take your time when driving (follow the speed limit of course..not too slow...haha) and pleaseeee enjoy your ride... I can guarantee there will be lots of pit stops... so plan your journey wisely... don't rush!
  
Tips : Make sure you know the distance from one place to another. Driving in New Zealand might take hours to go from one place to another plus… your eyes will be amazed with the views throughout your road trip. Again season is another factor when you drive, in winter days are shorter, so you can’t drive for long hours as it will get dark by 5.30pm… 5.30pm winter time can be like 8.00pm ya. Certain activities you can only do in certain seasons, so if you’re coming to New Zealand to be able to do a particular activity, the season might affect your choice on when to visit.

Education Trips... given the country is one of the top education systems in the world...people from all over the world come to learn from the experts here...

Work related or Business Trips... some might need to come for an official trip...in between you can usually include some site visits and (sambil menyelam minum air) explore the nature's beauty...

Well… I can just share a short summary of activities that can help you to have something in mind. And definitely you can use Ikhlas Tours services to help you plan your journey since they are the experts in this and have done lots of it with their clients. Ikhlas Tours can customize the packages to fit your wish list.... at the same time check out also the standard packages available.

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3.   Your budget 

Accommodation can affect your budget too, depending on seasons. For example, in New Zealand summer time accommodation can shoot up due to peak season. Kiwis always take long leaves during that time. But you can counter that with free outdoor activities New Zealanders style…
 
Ikhlas Tours can advise you the best time to visit New Zealand to suit with your budget. If your budget is quite limited, avoid peak summer season. Winter is the cheapest because demand is low... but it depends on whether you are okay with cold weather and want to do winter activities.... alternatively you could consider shoulder season... that is, between winter and spring, or end of autumn before winter.


Additional points to put into consideration :
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The other main thing to note about holidays in New Zealand is that during the Christmas and New Year period, almost all businesses are shut down for a couple of weeks, so you’ve got this massive amount of New Zealanders who are on holiday in December and January. It can get very crowded in some areas, especially where there’s water (beaches and lakes), because Kiwis enjoy water activities a lot.
 
Having said that, New Zealand population currently is about 4.6 million so even if the entire country went on holiday, it would still not get super crowded; and you’d still be able to find places where there isn’t a single soul around. The only issue would be finding accommodation in popular regions such as Queenstown.

Contact us at Ikhlas Tours... InsyaAllah we will always get something to offer...Hope to see you in New Zealand!

"Create your journey moment..." Picture: Tongariro Crossing, North Island