New Zealand Tours

It begins to get warmer in NZ around October and cooler by the end of April. January to March is the height of summer and also the busiest, with locals taking every opportunity enjoy the long nights and sunny days along with travellers from around the world. You can still get rainy days (there's a reason why the countryside is so green) throughout the year, but during the summer period they don't tend to hang around for very long.

The shoulder months of September, October and April are also popular times to visit, with less travellers around and prices of tours generally lower as a result. It rains a lot less in the South Island (year round) and of course the winter months are very popular due to NZ's popularity as a ski destination.

If you're looking at exploring all of New Zealand in one go then you'll need to allow yourself at least two weeks to avoid being too rushed. If your plan is to visit one island at a time (they are so different) then a good week to ten days should be fine for each one.

That's a tough call that will entirely depend on what you're hoping to experience in paradise. The North Island is covered in native and ancient forests (we call it bush in NZ), pastoral farms, geothermal landscapes, glorious beaches and the largest and most populous cities (Auckland and Wellington). 

The South Island is more "Middle Earth", meaning spectacular mountain ranges, gorges and fiords and home to the adventure capital of the world - Queenstown. And it's a lot less populated with only 20% of the 5m Kiwi's located down south.

You're probably thinking of the TranzAlpine train journey. The TranzAlpine is one of the world's great train journeys covering 223 km's (139 miles) one-way, taking just under 5 hours. You’ll traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains, to the backdrop of the mighty Southern Alps - the journey of a lifetime.  Along this journey you’ll see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.

Another train journey to consider is the Coastal Pacific which runs daily throughout the summer season from Christchurch to Picton. With the sea stretching to the horizon in the east and the Kaikoura mountains stretching to the sky in the west, the Coastal Pacific is one of the most astonishingly beautiful journeys in New Zealand. 

The best thing about touring around New Zealand is the depth of "things to do" in such a geographically small destination. If adventure is your thing, both islands of the country have you covered. World renowned as the home of the bungy jump you can also experience off-road driving, canyoning, ziplining, mountain biking, zorbing, caving, rafting and jet boating - all while surrounded by NZ's natural beauty.