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Planning a New Zealand Vacation with
with AdventureSmith
From Auckland on the North Island all the way down to Milford Sound and the sub-Antarctic islands, AdventureSmith’s New Zealand trips let you experience this diverse country in an active, efficient way via adventure cruising. Why choose to book your New Zealand vacation with us?
Personalized
Prepare for your New Zealand trip by working with one dedicated U.S.-based specialist.
Selection
Our expertise is at sea, aboard small ships hosting as few as 16 & only up to 126 guests.
Experience
We partner with reputable New Zealand operators for tried & trusted travel options.
Active
Our trips include guided hiking, skiff rides & even flightseeing & scuba diving.
Planning a Trip to New Zealand
While New Zealand is a relatively small country, it still involves quite a bit of travel planning to experience it right. At AdventureSmith Explorations, our forte is small ship cruising so you will find that our New Zealand travel options lean heavily toward experiencing this destination by sea. There are incredible fjords, bays and islands that can only be reached by boat, so use our expertise to best navigate to an option that best suits your interests. Our expert team is here to help you choose your New Zealand vacation to visit this magical land with a small group and naturalist guide.
From Volcanos to Glaciers & Parrots to Penguins
A New Zealand expedition can include everything from volcanos and tropical beaches on the North Island to penguins on the South Island’s east coast to giant glaciers on the west coast. A few of our adventure cruises even dip south in New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands to continue on to cruise Antarctica. New Zealand’s 120 million years of isolation from the super continent Gondwana has resulted in a mythical and ancient circumstance where an incredible diversity of endemic birds have evolved to fill the niches of mammals. Are you seeking to spot the iconic kiwi, perhaps the world’s rarest penguin (the yellow-eyed) or even the world’s only alpine parrot (the kea)? New Zealand’s birdlife awaits to surprise you. And sheep—lots of sheep! Let our experts know your New Zealand vacation ideas and we can assist turning them into reality.
“A New Zealand expedition can include everything from tropical beaches on the North Island to penguins on the South Island.”
New Zealand Travel
Temperature & Rainfall
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. High (F) | 71 | 71 | 66 | 59 | 53 | 47 | 46 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 64 | 68 |
| Avg. Low (F) | 49 | 49 | 45 | 39 | 36 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 39 | 42 | 47 |
| Avg. Rain |
2.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
The New Zealand Travel Climate
Be prepared for virtually any weather in New Zealand since the landscape and microclimates are so diverse. Regional variations can be considerable, with the North Island being subtropical and the South Island temperate. Mountain ranges running north to south along both islands, cast long rain shadows over the country, making the eastern side considerably drier than the wetter west coast. Our New Zealand trips mainly operate in the austral summer (November through April) when temperatures are warmer and there is less rainfall. Note that the climate data referenced above is for South Island’s Queenstown, a common gateway for accessing Milford Sound cruises.
