About
New Zealand

Vibrant culture

The people of New Zealand are considered some of the friendliest in the world, salt of the earth folks who fully embrace the spirit of hospitality. You’ll find we work hard and play even harder. The melting pot of Māori, European, Asian, and Pacific Island cultures gives New Zealand its diverse and vibrant social background.

Kiwi hospitality

Kiwis love hosting, and they love good food and drink! Just head to any of the many cafes, restaurants, and hospitality venues and you’ll see the friendly, warm, and welcoming attitude for yourself. New Zealand boasts world-renowned vineyards, fine dining restaurants, homegrown craft beer breweries, and a bustling café and barista coffee culture, all ready to serve up their take on the amazing local produce. The spirit of manaakitanga (Māori for hospitality) is found everywhere you go.

Māori culture

The Māori people settled New Zealand around 1,000 years ago, journeying in waka (canoes) from their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. Māori culture is an important building block for New Zealand’s culture as a whole, and you’ll definitely come across the language, the art, and the taonga (treasures) as you travel around Aotearoa. We love including a Māori cultural experience in our tours, so chat to us about adding something in!

Sports & outdoors

We kiwis love our sports! To get a real flavour of life in New Zealand, why not add in going to a rugby or cricket match while you’re here? Golf is also a popular sport, with hundreds of beautifully maintained courses spread around the country. Trout fishing in Lake Taupō is also a must-do for keen fishers.

Guarding nature

New Zealand is home to a unique range of native flora and fauna, many of which are found only here, and sadly many of these plants and animals are also endangered. There are ongoing efforts to look after these wonderful native birds, reptiles, plants and more, and to protect New Zealand’s natural beauty for generations to come. With such a diverse landscape in easy reach of most of the population – you can go from beach to alpine resort in under 2 hours – it’s easy to see why Kiwis love getting out into nature. As you travel you will encounter the spirit of kaitiakitanga, the Māori word for guardianship over nature. We encourage all our tour visitors to embrace this spirit as well.

Getting here

Flights to New Zealand

Depending on where you’re coming from, you might find it’s easier than you think to get over to New Zealand. Flights depart from most major international hubs, and can fly into Auckland (the main international airport), Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin or Queenstown. If you’re coming from Europe, expect around 24 hours flight time; America’s West Coast around 13 hours and East Coast 18 hours. New Zealand has its own airline, the highly rated Air New Zealand, so you can get a taste of the country before you even land.

Visa & entry

You might need to get a visitor visa to travel to New Zealand. If you’re from a visa waiver country, you’ll need to apply for an NZeTa instead – check which one you’ll need on the NZ Government website. You can stay up to 3 months on the NZeTa and 9 months on the visitor visa.

When to visit

You might be wondering when the best time to visit New Zealand is. The peak tourism season is our southern hemisphere summer – December to February – to make the most out of the warmer weather. Spring and autumn (fall) can be great too, as it’s usually a little quieter, the weather can still be nice, and it’s usually a bit less expensive. The winter season is great if you like snow sports, with skiing and snowboarding available around the country during the winter months.

Weather & climate

Want to make sure you pack the right clothes for your trip? The bad news is, the weather in New Zealand can change easily and varies a lot from north to south. The good news is, if you forget anything important, there is a fantastic range of local clothing stores and brands where you can pick up extra supplies! We like to say you can experience four seasons in a day here, so it’s best to be prepared for all types of weather and temperatures just in case.

If you’re sticking to the North Island in summer, you’ll probably be safe with mostly summer clothes – shorts, t shirts, a light sweater or two – as the weather is usually warm and dry. Thunderstorms can happen, so bring wet weather gear as well. Summer temperatures in Auckland can range from lows of 15 degrees C to 25 degrees C.

The further south you go, the colder it will get, even during summer. Average temperatures for summer in Queenstown vary from as low as 8 degrees up to 20 degrees Celsius. Nights can get very cold, so your best bet is to bring long trousers (pants) and warm sweater or two plus your raincoat, as it can be very wet even in summer.