Ahh ‘Spring’ – you big, beautiful, blooming beast you. Often overlooked for your colder and warmer counterparts in the form of Summer and Winter, you manage to stay off the radar as the preferred time of year for most tourists in most parts of the world. But actually, you’re one of our preferred periods of time here in NZ, and for a couple of specific reasons.
Firstly, Spring is the precursor to Summer. OK, that doesn’t sound like such a great compliment, but hear us out. Winter can quite often drag a little bit, particularly for those of us that live here full-time. Snowboarding and Skiing is great, but after a long and cold couple of months, you’re often quite willing to say ‘goodbye’ to having to layer-up the clothing and boil the kettle for the hot water bottle. The body can be tired and stiff, your outer-wear (and inner-wear for that matter) is starting to develop that season-long odor that we know all to well, and you’re just dying for a sleep-in on the weekends, instead of having to wake up at 7am to look at every available weather and mountain report. Spring means that the warmer Summer months are just around the corner, and that is OK by us.
Secondly, Spring means slushy snow. Now, the piste-skiers might have a different opinion on this, but anyone who snowboards or enjoys the park/free-riding terrain LOVES Spring. The warmer temperatures tend to mean softer snow (and riding in t-shirts), which means that the conditions are more conducive to ‘hucking your meat’ and maybe trying to few more adventurous tricks or lines you’ve been considering for the season. Got a rail-combo on that stair set that was too scary a month ago? Give it a bash! See that chute line over there that has always looked a little firm? Now’s the time to give it a go! Soft snow means soft landings, which also means soft crashes, and that can mean the difference between riding away and a broken collarbone. Trust us on that one…
Thirdly, it’s quieter! And that goes for the whole country, not just our little corner of it. Remember how we said most people prefer Summer or Winter? Well that means that September, October and November are yours to take advantage of. Don’t like queues? No problem. Prefer to leave things unplanned and go with the flow? Perfect. Like to save a little on retail rates on just about everything from accommodation to tours to flights? Well this is the period for you. Hell, just check out our rates over this period as an example, let alone the cheaper flight options available to and from NZ at this time of year.
Finally, if you’re a flower-buff this is definitively your time of year! NZ has a substantial volume of stunning public gardens and walks, all of which are littered with any number of stunning flora to enjoy. Queenstown Gardens in full bloom is a sight to behold, and since it’s a little quieter you can actually enjoy it almost entirely to yourself at certain times of the day. Grab a frisbee and a beer, go for a round of ‘Frolf’ (Frisbee Golf), and lay back in the sunshine whilst you bask in the natural beauty surrounding you. Word of warning though – if you’re the sort of person who suffers from hayfever, stock up on medication, as the same local flora that you’re admiring will give you a snout full of pollen for your troubles.
So, long story short, don’t discount Spring as a pretty wicked time to drop in to Aotearoa for a visit – if you’re anything like us, you might just enjoy it!
