New Zealand Travel Blog

Downside Up New Zealand Blog

Welcome to our New Zealand Travel Blog DownsideUP

This blog is dedicated to inform and inspire you on all things to do with New Zealand..

Actually we write posts on anything that’s of interest in the South Pacific (our home) DownsideUP was started in 2008, to help people just like you, with planning the perfect NZ Self Driving experience.  

Winter fun at the Remarkables Ski Area
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

New Zealand weather in July

July is the middle of winter in New Zealand, so you can expect low temperatures, long nights and snow in some areas. Other regions, however, see more mild temperatures and some regions get a lot more rain than others

David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

Bay of Islands
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

New Zealand weather in January

New Zealand weather in January typically means long, sunny days and warm temperatures across the country. It’s an excellent time for outdoor activities and making the most of New Zealand’s natural beauty.

 

David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

Kayak Abel Tasman
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

December in New Zealand is the start of summer, and the weather is typically warm, dry and sunny in most parts of the country. There are some exceptions to this, but overall New Zealand weather in December is very nice.

David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

Hanmer Springs in Winter
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

August is winter in New Zealand, and depending on where you plan on visiting you can expect a combination of crisp days, sunshine, snowfall, long nights and low temperatures. There’s also plenty of rain in some areas, and more mild temperatures in others. 

David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

Tongariro Crossing
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie
Combining low-season crowds with pleasant, mild weather, April is a great time to visit New Zealand. Read on for everything you need to know about New Zealand weather in April and what else to expect.
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

April Tree Planting
Brent Narbey
By
Brent Narbey
The 8th of April 2024 marked another successful tree planting day, as part of our Carbon Offsetting efforts at First Light Travel. Once again we joined in to support the Arrowtown Choppers - a grass roots community initiative, with their planting day, and planted an impressive total of 3,000 seedling beech trees. With over 150 enthusiastic volunteers from the local community, the task was completed in just over three hours. It was heartening to see so many happy faces coming down the hill afterward.
Brent Narbey
By
Brent Narbey

Salisbury Falls Golden Bay
John Dunne - broadcaster, writer, skibum, sailor
By
John Dunne
Strap yourselves in for the ride of a lifetime! Imagine the world’s greatest physical features and adventure challenges all in one place, here on New Zealand’s South Island. You’ll be blown away by the formidable, snow capped mountain peaks and ranges, huge glacial lakes, imposing fiords, dense native rain forests, wonderfully wild isolation and to top it all off, we’ll strap you in a jetboat for a ride through a narrow river gorge, or tie you to a bungy chord and throw you off something! The locals are tame and very friendly, the countryside unique and at times almost frontier like, though best of all, it screams ‘come and play’.
John Dunne - broadcaster, writer, skibum, sailor
By
John Dunne

Jump for Joy in Milford
John Dunne - broadcaster, writer, skibum, sailor
By
John Dunne
If you’re looking for something a little different and outside the normal high seasons for travelling, well here’s a fistful of very compelling reasons to visit New Zealand’s South Island in Autumn. Imagine the colours of the trees in the hills of Old Vermont in the Fall, less crowds, rustic little towns, lofty mountain peaks, brooding lakes and fjiords, fine local wines and friendly locals. Then welcome to Autumn on New Zealand’s South Island.
John Dunne - broadcaster, writer, skibum, sailor
By
John Dunne

Lake Matheson with Southern Alps behind
John Dunne - broadcaster, writer, skibum, sailor
By
John Dunne
It’s correctly said the scenery of New Zealand’s South Island is that of a dozen countries rolled into one. Huge beaches and remote coastal expanses, rainforests, stunning lakes, lofty mountains, raging rivers and deep gorges, massive glaciers and lengthy, twisting fiords. Better still is that you can visit any time of the year and not be disappointed with what the seasons have to offer.
John Dunne - broadcaster, writer, skibum, sailor
By
John Dunne

Mt Tarawera helicopter landing
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie
If you’re wondering how much a New Zealand honeymoon might cost, then you’re in the right place. Read this article for a full rundown on what to expect when budgeting your dream New Zealand honeymoon.
David Mckenzie
By
David Mckenzie

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