Autumn colours now on in Central Otago South Island NZ
Written on Monday, 12 April 2010 by NZTravelInsider
Learn how the autumn colours in Central Otago New Zealand are currently unfolding if you're planning a trip to see fall foliage on the South Island of New Zealand.
I left Twizel pretty early this morning to head down to Central Otago.
While it was not cold (12 degrees Celsius), it was pretty cloudy and the clouds were looking ominous.
But despite this, it did not rain, although rain had been predicted by Metservice.
Today was a day for scenic drives and scouting. If you don’t know what "scouting" means, it’s a term used by photographers to indicate exploring locations as a means to find good photo opportunities.
First I drove through Lindis Pass. The trees in the Lindis valleys are still greenish. While some have yellow tops, it will still take a week or so before the yellow colours really set in.
After Lindis Pass, I drove to Wanaka. From the photo below you can see that the autumn colours are well under way in Wanaka.
One thing to note is that the trees close to water (lakes and rivers) are more yellow than the ones that are located more inland. All in all, it won’t be long more before peak fall foliage is reached in and around Wanaka.
When you drive into Wanaka on Highway 84, you’re already greeted by red trees near the parking lots for the Mount Iron walk just opposite Puzzling World.
Next up was Arrowtown. When I arrived in Arrowtown, the place was packed with tourists. And with good reason!
The hillsides are already full of autumn colours. The organizers of the Arrowtown Autumn Festival were spot on to hold the event from 16 April to 25 April, because the colours are almost there.
I next drove to Queenstown. You can already have pleasant lakeside walks, because the trees are 60% into their autumn leaf colour change. Within approximately 3-5 days more they should be at peak fall foliage stage.
Next up was Cromwell, Clyde, and Alexandra. As you can see from the picture below, which was taken from the Clyde Dam Lookout, the autumn colours have started to become noticeable.
With this I’m marking 12 April as the day to head down to Central Otago for autumn colours. I have been here in previous years on this same day and have found the trees to be way passed their peak. Not this year, though.
If you’re still planning a trip to see autumn colours on the South Island of New Zealand and especially in Central Otago, you are not too late.
I expect the autumn colours to reach their peak anywhere from within 2 days to a week. So head over here if you still can!
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6 Responses to “Autumn colours now on in Central Otago South Island NZ”
Posted Tuesday, 13 April 2010
I am now really getting worried, do you think we should shift my trip to an earlier date? we have booked the flights, but not the accomodation, just not sure if there are tickets available though……
Xin
Posted Tuesday, 13 April 2010
The autumn colours have not reached their peak yet. Today I was in Wanaka and Queenstown again, and I think it will still take a day or 4-5 before all of the yellows set in. You might miss the reds in between, though, because those have already reached their peak. 24 April is a bit late for Central Otago, but if the colours take a week from now to really set in, you’d arrive only 4 days after they hit their peak. If the peak sets in earlier, you might wind up seeing mostly yellow and brown colours, though. Nature is unpredictable, so I cannot really say when the peak will hit. If you can move the flights to 5-6 days earlier that would be great. Otherwise, I’d just stick with the current plan if I were you. And if you do miss the autumn colours this year, the positive side is that there is always next year…
Posted Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Thanks for your advice. So am I right that at least we can see the yellow and brown colours, like the photo you took in central otago in your article’ Top 5 best place to visit to see autumn colors’ how long these colors will last?
Regards,
Xin
Posted Wednesday, 14 April 2010
I’m not sure which photo you’re referring to. If it’s the one of the foliage on the fruit trees, I can tell you that the fruit trees aren’t currently displaying that kind of colour. Somehow they have gone from green to brown. However, you should still be able to enjoy yellows in Arrowtown, Wanaka, and Queenstown. And don’t forget to drive up to the Clyde Lookout.
I don’t know how long the autumn colours will last – I wish I knew.
In general, peak autumn colour lasts approximately 1 week, but the peak has not yet arrived, because some trees still have many green leaves. It is rare to still see good colours at the end of April, though; most trees are then either brown or don’t have leaves on them.
I’m heading back home tomorrow. Have a good trip and I hope you get to enjoy the colours!
Posted Saturday, 17 April 2010
I’m off to Queenstown in a week, hope there are still some nice colours left! I wanted to avoid the Arrowtown festival due to the tourists, but I guess if that’s the peak time then maybe next year I’ll have to go earlier.
Posted Sunday, 18 April 2010
When I left, the colours in Queenstown were approximately 20% off from reaching peak. I think that for Queenstown itself, you’ll be fine. You should still get to see mostly yellows.
The trees on Highway 6 driving into Queenstown were not looking healthy to me, though. In addition, when I was there, it rained a lot and there were very high winds, which blew many leaves off the trees.
All in all, this autumn season was off to a slow start, so theoretically speaking it should still be displaying colour when you’re there.