Aotearoa is an amazing destination to visit at any time of year, but for a truly unique experience, you should definitely visit New Zealand in Autumn. You may have heard of New England in the Fall or even Autumn in New York, but New Zealand in Autumn is right up there with the best places to visit in the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”.
Autumn in New Zealand is from March to May, and your Kirra tour offers a multitude of breathtaking sights and experiences for the season. Here are some of the things to look out for on your Kirra tour of New Zealand in Autumn.
Amazing colours and beautiful scenery
New Zealand’s landscapes are stunning year-round, but Autumn adds a special charm with deciduous trees changing colours. See the swathes of colour in Autumn, especially in places like Central Otago and the Southern Alps.
Look out for the native deciduous beech trees, which turn various shades of yellow, orange, and red in the Autumn in New Zealand. These trees are especially prevalent in South Island’s native forests.
Experience the joy of Autumn on a Kirra Tour
On your Kirra coach tour of New Zealand in Autumn, you’ll get the chance to visit the Whakarewarewa forest in Rotorua, North Island, where you can walk amongst huge and ancient Redwoods and Douglas firs, as well as New Zealand’s native Silver fern, which lasts into the Autumn too.
On the North Island, your Kirra tour includes a stay at a Maori cultural centre at Kohutapu Lodge on the shores of Lake Aniwhenua, which gives you another beautiful display of New Zealand’s Autumn colours. We visit the historic art deco-style town of Napier, with its tree-lined promenade making it another beautiful destination on your Autumn Kirra tour.
In the South Island, your Kirra Tour takes in the magnificent gardens with their Autumn blooms and colours at Lanarch Castle in the old Scottish settlement of Dunedin, and we visit Arrowtown alive in its Autumn splendour.
See more Autumn colours on a South Island Kirra tour, as you see the Fiordland rainforests with the spectacular Doubtful Sound. Your stay in Franz Josef provides another opportunity to enjoy the majesty of the rainforests in Autumn.
The spectacular TranzAlpine Express transports you serenely through the forests and plains from Greymouth, with the fantastic peaks of Aoraki (Mt Cook) and Mt Tasman as your backdrop.
Lovely mild weather in Autumn in New Zealand
Autumn in New Zealand brings milder temperatures compared to the hotter summer months, making it an ideal time for outdoor activities – without the summer crowds. You can enjoy hiking, biking, and other outdoor adventures comfortably.
It’s also a great time for nature watching. Your Doubtful Sound cruise by catamaran on your South Island Kirra Tour is the perfect place to spot seals, penguins and dolphins where they should be – in their natural habitat.
The way Kirra’s New Zealand Senior Bus Tours are structured is that there are plenty of opportunities for you to choose what you want to do in your free time and free days. So if you want an Autumnal hike, or to taste the Autumn hops on a craft beer tour, your guide can help you arrange a variety of extra optional activities.
Harvest time: when grapes turn into wine
If you enjoy a glass of good wine, Autumn is the harvest season for New Zealand’s vineyards. Regions like Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, and Central Otago are known for their wine production, and you can enjoy wine tasting and vineyard tours on your Kirra Tour.
On for example, the Ultimate New Zealand Tour, we take in a visit to Hawke’s Bay with a wine tasting and lunch at the beautiful Mission Estate winery in North Island with a Marlborough Cellar Door lunch and tasting at Blenheim in South Island.
Hiking & walking in milder weather
Autumn offers milder temperatures for outdoor activities. Explore New Zealand’s diverse hiking trails, such as Abel Tasman National Park which you can visit as an optional day trip from your escorted tour of the South Island.
Your Kirra Tour also takes in shorter walks which are beautiful in Autumn. The Autumn light makes the 2.6km walk around Lake Matheson, also known as the Mirror Lake, especially stunning, while the walk to the majestic Huka Falls or Haast River is another way to experience the amazing colours of Autumn.
Experience New Zealand’s most colourful season
New Zealand is a fantastic destination at any time of year. If you are planning your dream trip to Aotearoa, Autumn offers good value, fewer tourists, pleasant mild weather, and its own unique colours, atmosphere and experiences.
If you want to experience Autumn in New Zealand in all its glory, browse our tours and select a North Island or South Island tour or explore both islands to see it all in New Zealand. No matter the tour you select, it will be an unforgettable journey through “The Land of the Long White Cloud”. We are looking forward to welcoming you on board one of our premium coach tours.
