Find out whether February is a good month to visit New Zealand, what you can do, where you can go, and what the weather is like in February.
February marks the end of summer in New Zealand.
Because the summer holiday for New Zealanders in December and January has come and gone, February is busy like January but not an extremely busy time to visit New Zealand.
Tourists are becoming more and more aware of the fact that while they might miss the hot weather of January, they can still catch its tail end in February because it is still summer in New Zealand.
So instead of visiting New Zealand in January, which is the peak summer month for New Zealand tourism, they are visiting New Zealand in February for the good weather that is still available in addition to the long daylight hours and fewer crowds.
If I had to choose a summer month to visit New Zealand, it would be either December or February with a slight preference for February because less rain tends to fall in February than in December or January.
Things to do in February in New Zealand
Any activity where dry and warm weather would be an advantage would be perfect to do in February.
Activities you can do in February include hiking, kayaking, swimming, sailing, mountain climbing, mountain biking, or scenic driving.
For example, February would be a very good month to do one or a couple of the nine great walks of New Zealand.
Places to visit in February in New Zealand
February is a good month to visit beaches, coastal areas, and areas that generally receive a lot of rain such as, for example, the West Coast or Fiordland National Park.
You can head to places like the Coromandel Peninsula or the Bay of Islands on the North Island, and to places like Abel Tasman National Park or the Marlborough Sounds on the South Island.
All of those places offer relaxed sightseeing or activities such as sailing, kayaking, swimming, or hiking. And of course you could also venture inland to do scenic drives or city strolling.
The places you could visit in February in New Zealand are countless, really. It is still summer, so almost every place is open, except for ski fields.
But even with the ski fields being closed, it is highly likely you can drive up or hike up to a ski area to enjoy scenic views from the top of a mountain.
New Zealand weather in February
February brings slightly cooler temperatures than January to New Zealand but warmer than March. However, the temperature difference between January and February is not that large (1 – 5 degrees Celsius difference).
Compared to January, February is drier, so it is the summer month with the least amount of rainfall.
Temperatures in February tend to fluctuate between 3 and 31 degrees Celsius (37 – 88 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on where you are located in the country.
But you can expect temperatures on the South Island to be lower at night than temperatures on the North Island.
Typically on the North Island, temperatures fluctuate between 8 and 31 degrees Celsius (46 – 88 degrees Fahrenheit).
On average, though, you should expect daytime temperatures to be in the mid- to high twenties. And for places like Wellington where there is almost always a cool breeze, daytime temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid-twenties.
The days are shorter in February than they are in January with the sun rising between 6:25 a.m. and 6:40 a.m. at the beginning of February and between 7:00 a.m. and 7:20 a.m. at the end of February.
The sun sets between 8:40 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. at the beginning of February and between 8:05 p.m. and 8:35 p.m. at the end of February.
So you have about 14 to 14.5 hours of daylight at the beginning of February and about 13.5 to 14 hours at the end of February.
The times mentioned above are for Wellington and Queenstown and may vary depending on your location in New Zealand.
This article falls under Travel Guide.
Note: This article was accurate when it was published. Please confirm all details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.