On the search for cheap flights to New Zealand from Jetabroad or someone similar? You can find a great deal and still enjoy the lovely weather by visiting from September to November, just as New Zealand is blossoming into spring. Here’s a quick look into the two islands and some suggestions on how to make the most of your visit. Enjoy!
Climate
New Zealand has a temperate maritime climate, with average temperatures ranging from 10-16°C. Conditions tend to vary dramatically across regions from exceptionally wet on the West Coast of the South Island to nearly semi-arid in Central Otago and subtropical in the northern most point of the North Island. If you’re looking to capitalize on warmth and sunshine, stick to the northeastern areas of the South Island. Here you'll find the city of Christchurch, the driest of the country’s largest seven cities.
Explore the Outdoors
Roughly the size of the UK, with 15,000 km of coastline and a third of its land dedicated to parks and reserves, you'll never be short of nature to explore. Due to its remote location, New Zealand has developed an extremely distinctive biodiversity of both plant and animal life. Bird lovers should be sure to visit Kapiti Island, just north of Wellington and home to a nature reserve that protects some of the rarest birds on the planet. Here visitors will be able to marvel at Saddlebacks, Kakarikis, Wekas, the flightless Takahe and the nocturnal Kiwi bird.
Up for a bit of hillwalking? Mount Aspiring National Park is home to one of the country’s highest peaks and is popular for walking and mountaineering. Many sites around Glenorchy village, such as Lothlorien and Amon Hen, were filming locations used in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you'll be hopping about cities, make sure to take advantage of the hills and their spectacular views. Mount Victoria in Wellington, Flagstaff Hill in Dunedin and Port Hills in Christchurch all offer breathtaking vistas.
If you find yourself in central North Island, don’t miss Rotorua, a geothermal area and the heartland of Maori culture. Visitors will be met with hot mud pools as well as several geysers; most noteworthy is the impressive 20 metre high Pohutu geyser in Whakarewarewa. There are also 16 lakes in the area, 11 of which allow fishing and are stocked with rainbow, brown and tiger trout.
Festivals and Events
Spring in New Zealand is a vibrant time of year, bringing countless festivals and events for locals and visitors alike. Plant lovers will enjoy the Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival in addition to the traditional blossom festivals dotted around the fruit-bowl regions of Alexandra and Hastings. For those seeking international creativity at its finest, the World of WearableArt Awards show in Wellington should not be missed.
If you’re looking to indulge in local seafood, get yourself to the Kaikoura Seafest for some unforgettable cuisine and entertainment. The Kaikoura region is located on the eastern coast of the South Island with the festival kicking off on the first Friday of October. Wine connoisseurs will delight at the acclaimed Toast Martinborough event, where they'll be joined by 10,000 others in celebrating the area’s best wineries.
Getting Around
The country has a wonderful public transportation system, with two railways on the South Island and numerous bus and coach options for getting to popular tourist destinations via major cities. Both islands offer several domestic scheduled air services as well as charter flights. Renting a car is always an option, while many visitors opt to rent motor homes to cover their transportation and lodging needs.
This article was written by Sarah B. originally published on www.etravelblog.com. Read the original here.
*Image of lake Wanaka and Mt Aspiring, New Zealand via Shutterstock
*Image of Southern Alps, New Zealand via Shutterstock
