I’d always loved the idea of seeing New Zealand’s snowy peaks, but always thought that winter meant scary roads, closed hiking trails and generally very little to do if you don’t like snow sports. But when a travel bubble opened with Australia in 2021 (and we had the chance to leave the country for the first time in over a year) I decided it was time to check those snowy mountains out.
I even remember saying to Joe that it would be a relaxing holiday because we’d only really be looking at viewpoints! I had no idea. Nothing was as I imagined, apart from the mountains, they were indeed extra snowy and magical. New Zealand in winter was paradise and there is so much to do beyond skiing and snowboarding.
It quickly became my favourite season to visit - which was lucky because we ended up spending the entire three months of winter there - but that’s another story.
Here are all the reasons why visiting New Zealand in winter is an absolute dream come true, as well as some of the cons to make sure you have the full picture before booking those flights.
What it’s like in the winter in New Zealand
Before getting into the pros and cons, it’s worth pointing out that winter (June - August) varies significantly across New Zealand. The biggest difference tends to be around elevation - the low lying areas (especially on the coast) are mild and unlikely to see snow.
However, as soon as you head to mountainous areas on both the North and South Islands, the weather can become a lot colder and more volatile.
So working out whether winter is for you really depends on what you are looking to do and what your priorities are.
New Zealand in winter: the pros
1. There are no crowds
If you’ve been to New Zealand in peak season then you know things can get very busy. In fact, some parts can be so packed that even visiting places at sunrise still means having to share them with others, and I’m not even talking about the queues on Roys Peak!
Come in winter and it’s a whole different story. Yes some of the areas where there is skiing and snowboarding can be busy in the evenings, but if you’re not out on the ski fields you will find the other attractions are pretty quiet.
And if you avoid the winter sports areas completely, then you’ll find blissful peace and serenity in some of the country’s most visited spots.
There really is nothing like looking out at some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and then turning around and realising it’s for your eyes only.
2. Most things are open and more beautiful than ever
Contrary to what I thought before visiting, most things are actually still open in winter. When it comes to hiking there were still vast numbers of ‘proper hikes’ you could do, including to mountain peaks, and they were both more beautiful than ever and of course less crowded too.
You do have to check with the local DOC office if you’re planning to climb a peak with any avalanche risk, but almost every hike we wanted to do was safe and open, including Roys Peak and Isthmus Peak in Wanaka and Sealy Tarns in Aoraki Mount Cook.
I didn’t think it was possible for Mount Cook to be more spectacular, but in winter it really is next level. The extra snow makes even the easy Hooker Valley Track look like you’re off on a proper mountain climbing expedition.
Hiking aside, most other attractions will also be open, there might be a reduced frequency but it’s not really a big deal. There were few things that shut entirely.
Even walk up lookouts like those at Milford Sound are even more special when Mitre Peak is dusted with snow. Driving is also even prettier when everything looks like it should be on a winter wonderland postcard.
3. Everything is cheaper
New Zealand is an expensive travel destination, but everything becomes so much more affordable in winter. For some people that will just mean saving some money, but for others, like us, it meant staying in towns that we could not afford to in summer.
On previous trips we sometimes had to stay an hour away from where we really wanted to be in order to be able to afford the accommodation.
In winter we stayed in all the main tourist destinations, cutting down our driving time and giving us more time and energy to explore!
As well as much cheaper accommodation, you’ll also find deals on activities and car hire that you wouldn’t normally get in peak season.
The exception to the cheaper rule is really only in the ski destinations, but even there we found it cheaper than it normally is in summer.
4. The weather can actually be more stable in key destinations
Beaches aside the weather can actually be more stable in winter than at other times of year. Places like Franz Josef Glacier and Milford Sound actually see less rain and more clear days in winter than summer.
Obviously it will be colder, but if you wrap up, a bit of cold (and to be honest it’s not even that cold) is much better than endless cloud and rain.
We had five crystal clear days in a row in Franz Josef and three in Milford Sound. We’d visited both destinations twice before (in summer) and had nothing but rain.
Whilst you can’t predict the weather, we spoke to so many locals that said that winter weather was a best kept secret.
5. There are way less sandflies
If you haven’t been to New Zealand yet, then this may not seem like a biggie. Those in the know will tell you that sandflies can be the bane of your existence in some of the most beautiful spots in the country. The main reason is that sandfly bites are more aggressive than mosquitoes, and they can stay itchy for weeks (we’re not kidding!).
They are worst on the West Coast of the South Island, but you’ll find them in many other places too, including on the North Island.
There’s nothing like settling down to watch the sunset at Milford Sound and not having to frantically swipe away all the feasting flies.
Of course sandflies are not a reason to avoid a summer trip, but the lack of them is most definitely a perk of visiting in winter.
6. Sunrises happen late!
Photography lovers or just lovers of sunrises in general will be pleased to hear that sunrise can be as late as 8-8.30am in winter depending on where you are.
We’ve never seen as many sunrises in our lives as we did during New Zealand winter.
We love the early morning light, but always struggle to get up, so the chance to see some amazing skies as late as 8.30am was a real novelty.
If you love photography it’s perfect, you can easily watch every sunrise and every sunset without exhausting yourself.
7. The roads are generally brilliant
Yes the odd closure can happen due to snow, but the roads tend to re-open quickly and road closures can happen year round due to landslides.
Ahead of our trip I wondered if we’d need a 4WD with snow chains, but for the majority of areas that simply isn’t necessary.
Places like Aoraki Mount Cook and Queenstown - which I thought might be risky - are ploughed and maintained really well. If you’re unlucky, you might get caught having to wait a little while (although that never happened to us) but overall the roads were amazing.
We got round everywhere we wanted to visit in the South Island in our tiny little rental car and never had an issue. It doesn’t mean it would never happen, but it’s not common and therefore you’ll find most places accessible whatever car you’re in.
Visiting New Zealand in winter: the cons
1. Shorter daylight hours
The reality is that with those late sunrises and early sunsets you are going to have less time to explore than in summer. However, you will still have a good nine hours, so if you use it wisely that is enough to see and do a lot.
To be honest, I am including it as a con as most people don’t like shorter days, but I loved watching sunrise, sunset and then heading out for a bit of early star gazing or glow worm hunting without getting too tired!
2. Some mountains hikes will close
Well when I say close, I mean become suitable for only those with experience using an ice axe and crampons (which I think rules most of us out)! This doesn’t affect all mountain hikes by any means, but it will put a few key ones out of action - most notably for us was Mueller Hut in Aoraki and Gertrude Saddle in Milford Sound.
There can also be avalanche risk on many other trails, so you’ll need to give the local DOC office a call ahead of your hike to make sure it’s not high risk.
Even if the DOC website says it has avalanche risk, that doesn’t mean every day, so definitely check beforehand. We did many hikes that technically could have been an issue but weren’t at that particular time as the snow fall was low.
We recommend bringing YakTraks if you plan on hiking in the winter, as some trails can suffer from patches of ice and snow. We used them a lot, and it made a big difference on even flat trails like the Hooker Valley in Mount Cook.
3. You can’t swim in any of those amazing blue pools
This was probably the only thing that I felt I missed out on a bit in winter. There were so many amazing swimming holes which I would have loved to have swum in, but they were basically like ice baths. It’s not the end of the world, but if you’ve always dreamed about swimming in the Blue Pools near Wanaka for example this isn’t going to be your time.
The ocean water is also cold although some people do still swim. You could swim anywhere with a wetsuit which I’ve seen done, but generally speaking swimming is off limits in winter.
4. It can be cold (although it’s not as bad as you think)
This one is fairly obvious, but if you don’t like spending time outside in the cold then you will miss out quite a bit in winter. Having said that, with the right clothing I actually don’t think it’s too cold in most areas.
You’ll want some quality thermals if you’re going to walk for any length of time in places like Aoraki Mount Cook, but if you have those you probably won’t find it too bad.
Sometimes we could even wear just a t shirt when going uphill!
As long as you bring the right clothes and stay in warm accommodation (this is crucial as some places we stayed were freezing which wasn’t great!) then you should be fine. I would read reviews of places you’re looking at staying which were written over winter so you can check that people weren’t cold.
It makes a massive difference coming back to somewhere warm if you’ve been outside all day. The few times we didn’t have adequate heating were when we didn’t feel like going back outside again the next day!
New Zealand in winter: the verdict
It probably doesn’t even need saying that for me the pros of visiting New Zealand in winter far outweigh the cons. I fell in love with the snowy landscapes, the lack of crowds, and even the weather, and this comes from someone who was apprehensive to visit in winter!
When winter turned to spring I loved the flowers coming into bloom, but I’m not going to lie, I actually missed winter’s magic.
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