What's it like in New Zealand?

Question

Is it anything like Hawaii? What are the main things I should know? When is a good time to visit?

Answer 1

Hi I live in New Zealand!!! :)
(I live in Hamilton which is in the middle of the North Island.)

If you want nice beaches, don't bother going to NZ. Sure, there are some really nice places (Pauanui, Mt. Maunganui, Piha etc). but all the really nice beaches are in Australia! Especially the Sunshine/Gold Coast. Although if you like beaches with a gloomy, wild beauty come to NZ :)

The best time to visit NZ is definitly in the summer. It can get cold in the winter but only snows in the South island and on some mountain areas in the North.

It only has one amusment park and it's pretty boring.

But the sights you can see in New Zealand... amazing! Especially down south (South Island), you can see amazing mountain ranges and beautiful fjords. NZ isnt called the Norway of the Pacific for no reason.

Rotorua is quite popular, think boiling mudbaths, hotsprings etc.

The maori culture is loved by tourists, but personally I don't like it because it's shoved in our faces all the time :P

It's nothing really like Hawaii at all I don't think... maybe the dark skinned people or something but other than that nothing.

There's Waitomo caves with it's glow worms, you can go Black Water Rafting (going through a water cave system in a tyre tube)

Mt. Ruapehu is quite cool (snow, skiing etc)

Raglan beach is very popular with the surfers and for people who have never seen Black Sand before

Ummm shopping in Auckland, you're overseas dollars are worth a lot more than NZ dollars!!!!

PS: Summer starts 1st of December and ends 1st of March. Expect rain during summer though!!! It rains all the time here in NZ :P

Answer 2

I haven't been to Hawaii, but I'd assume Auckland (the biggest city with a third of the population) would be similar to Hawaii in one way: it's a mix of White, Asian and Polynesian peoples with about 45% of the City having non-white blood (either fully or partially). That's somewhat Whiter than Hawaii, but as close as you'd come in demographics.

Like the other poster said, the whole of NZ is incredibly varied geologically; it's said to be 'the world in one country'. You've got Australian-like sand dunes and desert in the North, Norwegian-like fjords in the South, alpine territory, rainforests, glaciers, geothermal activity (geysers, mudpools, hotsprings), volcanoes (some are even active), rivers, waterfalls, and coastal rock formations galore; everything you could think of. The South Island is a bit better than the North for scenery.

Any time is good other than the large school holiday break (the second half of December and all of January) when much of the country goes on holiday too. As for the question of seeing NZ in the summer or winter, there's no right answer; I think you need to make two trips : )

Answer 3

New Zealand is beautiful. It maybe cold to an Australian, but it is definitely beautiful. There's good reason it was chosen as the place to film the Lord of the Rings movies!

New Zealanders are the nicest nationality of people I have ever met -- And I've met quite a few! Just don't be on a bus tour -- The New Zealanders will still be nice, but a bus tour tends to make the tourists a bit edgy and irritating.

I love the fjords on the South Island -- especially Milford Sound!

Barjesse37

Answer 4

Not really like Hawaii - although the native Hawaiians and the NZ Maori cultures are quite similar in some ways. Climate-wise is variable, but not like Hawaii. Auckland (near north of North Island) is sub-tropical - warm, but rain or showers quite often and very humid during summer (top temp about 28 degrees celsius during summer days). East coast of both North & South Islands is usually quite dry and can get pretty hot in summer (up to 35 degrees on some summer days, but is usually VERY dry so don't feel the heat quite as much). Down in Central Otago it's very cold in winter (sometimes doesn't make it above 0 degrees on some winter days - but usually about 10 degrees) but can be hot in summer (again up to 25 or 30 degrees). The one thing about NZ climate is that it's very changeable... we have a saying... 'four seasons in one day' (actually it's a song lyric from a NZ band called Crowded House) .... i.e. you can never be sure what the weather is going to do... one minute is sunny, the next is raining, or even snowing in some places! If you go 'tramping' (i.e. hiking/trail walking in the bush/woods/forest - which I recommend you do as is very beautiful) you need to be well prepared as conditions can change very quickly and many tourists have been caught unprepared with dangerous consequences.
NZ is generally thought of to be very friendly to tourists, but as with almost any country, hitch-hiking is not considered safe. South Island is more scenic than North, but North is more populated, with bigger more 'metropolitan' cities (Auckland, Wellington) and better Maori (indigenous population) culture.

Answer 5

Best time to visit is usually late Jan, February, March. Kids are back in school from February, so campgrounds etc are not as busy, and weather is usually more settled. If you prefer skiing, then June through August is usually peak winter weather. Come any time and you'll have a great travel experience.

Answer 6

Well ive been there..if you've ever been to ireland its kinda like that except warmer and the people are more friendly..

Also extremly pretty scenery..make sure you check out Russel, a seaside town at the very tip of the north island..its really beautiful and you can swim with dolphins and orca's there.

Answer 7

nicely, technically "previous Zealand" is in Holland. at the same time as the Dutch landed in New Zealand, Tasman categorised the islands on his map as Staten Landt after the States-regular of the Netherlands. It change into later replaced with the aid of Dutch cartographers to Nova Zeelandia (in Latin), from Nieuw Zeeland, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. After slightly more desirable than one hundred years, Europeans got here visiting and Captain James practice dinner "britishized" it with the aid of calling it New Zealand.

Answer 8

i have been there 4 years ago, and go back next march, it is awesome, you basically have all of the climates in one country (rainforest, desert, beaches, mountains...), it is really amazing, the people there are sooo nice and helpful...
check out queenstown if you are more of a wild person, or cathedral cove (in the north) if you want something really romantic, just plan to go there for at least 3 weeks, there is just soo much to see and do

mail me if you want to know more

Anne

Answer 9

I live in Australia, and I can tell you the weather is usually cold there. The weather's nothing like Hawaii... like I said, it seems to be usually cold! Since I haven't been there, check the other answers.