When to go & weather

Weather

Stewart Island’s changeable weather can bring four seasons in one day. Frequent downpours create a misty, mysterious air and lots of mud, making boots and waterproof clothing mandatory. Nevertheless, the temperature is milder than you’d expect, with winter averaging around 10°C and summer 16.5°C.

The Chatham Islands are very exposed but have a temperate climate. Average daily temperatures vary from 12°C to 18°C in February and 6°C to 10°C in July. The best time to visit is in December and January, when temperatures reach 23°C.

Tokelau has a tropical climate, with an average temperature of 28°C and heavy, but irregular, rainfall. Tropical storms are rare but occasionally wreak havoc.

Climatic conditions for the utterly remote can be summed up as tropical for the Kermadecs and wet, cold and windy for the Sub-Antarctic Islands.