5 Reasons You Need to Experience New Zealand in Spring

New Zealand is the kind of country that you can visit at pretty much any time of year and still enjoy the journey, but for many travellers it’s hard to pass up this South Pacific treasure in the springtime. Trade in the chill of winter and summer’s crowds for a season bursting with new life. Spring brings an explosion of green to this already verdant nation, while rivers come to boisterous life and snow still entices adventurous travellers to the peaks. Curious about what the year’s freshest season has in store for you? Below we delve into where to go and what to do when springtime rolls around in Middle-earth.

The Great Walks

New Zealand is known the world over for its spectacular natural vistas, and setting out on one of the country’s ‘Great Walks’ is the perfect way to place yourself right in the centre of all this majesty. Many of the tracks become a lot more challenging to traverse in winter and attract large crowds in summer, so tackling a Great Walk in spring strikes the perfect balance. It’s well worth preparing for wet weather as New Zealand’s springtime isn’t a particularly dry season, but sometimes this can make for even more impressive sights. On the Milford Track, for example, rainfall brings massive temporary waterfalls which cascade down rainforested cliffs.

Whitianga Scallop Festival

Pick up an Auckland campervan rental and then abandon the big city for rustic coastal New Zealand at its best. Whitianga is a small town on the idyllic Coromandel peninsula, and every year as spring arrives it hosts one of the country’s finest celebrations of seafood. The Whitianga Scallop Festival brings together entertainment, live cooking demonstrations from some of New Zealand’s best chefs and of course deliciously fresh seafood and fine wines. As the weather begins to warm up, the beautiful beaches of the Coromandel start to become a whole lot more appealing, so consider exploring a little more of the region before heading onwards after the festival wraps up.

Agrodome

Image: Robert Linsdell (CC BY 2.0)

The Agrodome, set just outside the city of Rotorua, is quite possibly the best place in New Zealand to get a taste for life in its rural heartland. Families will love the Agrodome’s world-renowned Farm Show which not only lets you witness live sheep shearing and the magic of farm dogs at work, but also gives you the chance to get hands-on feeding baby lambs or hand milking a cow. Agrodome shows run year round but spring is a particularly good time to see newborn baby animals at their most adorable and admire the seemingly endless lush green fields which New Zealand is known for.

Alexandra Blossom Festival

There’s nothing that says springtime quite like plants and trees bursting into colour after winter’s long hibernation. In Alexandra, a South Island town which sprang up during New Zealand’s gold rush, the Blossom Festival has greeted each spring since 1957. The fest lasts three whole weeks, so it’s easy to fit at least a bit of it into your travel plans - attractions and events vary from year to year, but you’re likely to encounter live music, circus entertainers, flower shows, street food and much more - all topped off by the traditional annual parade. To get the most out of your travels in the area, pick up a Queenstown campervan rental and take your time meandering around the lower half of the South Island - you won’t regret it!

White Water Rafting

If you’ve come to New Zealand seeking adventure, it won’t be hard to find - and one of the best ways to spike your adrenaline in springtime is going white water rafting. River levels rise as the snow melts, creating perfect conditions for surging down rapids and plunging over waterfalls. There are places all over the country where you can pit yourself against roiling river waters, but a few stand out from the bunch. Tackling the Shotover River, several kilometres north of Queenstown, will start with a journey up the rugged Skippers Road before hurtling down grade 3-5 rapids, while in the North Island the Tongariro River presents a full range of rapid types, from tranquil to extreme.

While the events and activities above represent a few of the fun adventures visitors can discover in New Zealand’s springtime, the only real way to find out what’s in store is by arriving in the country, picking up your motorhome rental, keeping your eyes open and seeing where the road takes you. Don’t miss out on this wonderful season - start planning your spring escape today.