When to go
New Zealand in May: the quiet bargain
May is the month nobody markets, which is the point. The summer people have gone, the ski people have not arrived, and the country belongs to whoever turns up. Prices are the lowest of the year, the autumn colour hangs on in Central Otago for the first fortnight, and the whales off Kaikoura are joined by the first migrating humpbacks. The cost is daylight: it is dark by half past five.
The case for May
| Place | Typical high | Typical low | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 17 | 10 | Mild, showery, green |
| Wellington | 15 | 9 | Crisp, the first southerlies |
| Christchurch | 15 | 4 | Clear frosty mornings, still afternoons |
| Queenstown | 12 | 2 | Cold nights, calm days, snow on the tops |
- Prices. May, June and August are the three cheapest months for flights and beds, and May keeps the autumn scenery the other two do not.
- Space. Milford Sound at 11am in May is the fiord as it was before the coaches; the Hooker Valley is a walk rather than a procession.
- Whales. Sperm whales are off Kaikoura all year; from late May the humpbacks pass through on their way north, and the mornings are often calmer than summer.
- The Bluff Oyster and Food Festival, held on a Saturday in the second half of May, with the 2027 date to be confirmed by the organisers. Oysters are in season from March to August and Bluff is the place.
If you would rather have a viewpoint to yourself than a warm sea, May is your month.
What changes on 1 May
The Coastal Pacific train stops for the winter after 30 April, the overnight Milford cruise has finished, and the ski fields are still six weeks from opening. May is the gap between seasons, which is exactly why it is cheap and quiet.
The case against, told straight
- Daylight. Sunset is around 5.20pm in Queenstown by the end of the month, and the driving days need to finish by four.
- Cold in the high country. Queenstown, Tekapo and Mount Cook sit near freezing overnight, and the first snow closes the Crown Range for a few hours at a time.
- Seasonal closures. The Great Walks, the Coastal Pacific and the overnight cruise are done, and a few small operators take their own holiday.
- Rain in the north. Auckland and Northland get their wettest months from May to July.
How to play the month
Go south for the scenery and north for the warmth, and keep the driving days short so they finish in daylight. The first fortnight still has autumn colour in Arrowtown and Wanaka; the second has the humpbacks at Kaikoura and the oysters at Bluff. Book nothing more than a few weeks out except the festival weekend.
The Taste of the South Island is the short loop at its cheapest; the Southern Lakes and TranzAlpine Circuit puts the train in a May week; and the Taste of the South luxury version is the month the lodges have rooms.
Where to be in May
Go south for the scenery and north for the warmth. The Mackenzie Country and Fiordland are at their emptiest, Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula suit a month of short days and good restaurants, and Kaikoura has the humpbacks from the last week. In the North Island, Rotorua’s steam is starting to look its best in the cooler air and the hot pools earn their keep; Northland stays mild and green. The one thing May cannot do is a multi-day walk, because the Great Walks huts are in winter mode. Day walks from the road ends are the answer, and they are empty.
Quick answers
Trips that fit
Taste of the South Island
8 days across the South Island, starting and ending in Christchurch, self drive, with every night booked ahead. Strong on classic driving tours.
Southern Lakes and TranzAlpine Circuit
6 days across the South Island, round trip out of Christchurch, driving yourself, with the route planned for you. Strong on adventure.
A Taste of the South Luxury Self Drive Tour
8 days across the South Island, a loop from Christchurch, at your own pace behind the wheel. Strong on classic driving tours.
