SUMMER: December / January / February

Summer burns hot under vivid blue skies. One look at the deep blue lakes, golden tussock covered mountainsides and it becomes abundantly obvious why this region is a favourite New Zealand destination. At the peak of summer temperatures can reach 30+ Celsius, 90 degrees Fahrenheit with zero humidity though temperatures average a comfortable 25 C/75F. Evenings are long and pleasantly warm. Fishing and water sports are at their peak during these months. Conditions are hot and dry..

AUTUMN: March / April / May

Rich golden days, warm shadow-dappled evenings. The vivid reds and gentle golds of a Central Otago Autumn permeate everything in this, the most scenic of seasons. Autumn is a wonderful time for trekking, biking, and horseback riding. Enjoy the wine harvests. Expect warm balmy days.

WINTER: June / July / August

Winter offers not only all the activities and fun of the other seasons but snow to boot! From June through to October, regular snowfalls coat the towering landscape in a white blanket, but is only fleeting within the Queenstown township and on the lakeshore at Blanket Bay. The days are clear and crisp. At higher altitudes ski field temperatures are generally several degrees cooler - so pack your woollies!.

SPRING: September / October / November

Spring is a most invigorating time in the region. Wild flowers appear along country roads, vineyards start to bud with next year's vintage, and rich, green pastures become peppered with newborn lambs, calves and fawns. The weather is often changeable. Enjoy a bike-ride, hike or take to the rivers, fresh with snow and glacier melt. Fishing season on most rivers opens November 1st.

• SUMMER: Temperatures range between 19 and 29 Celsius, (67-86 Fahrenheit).
• AUTUMN: Temperatures range between 15 and 25 Celsius, (59-77 Fahrenheit).
• WINTER: Temperatures range between 5 and 10 Celsius, (41-50 Fahrenheit).
• SPRING: Temperatures range between 9 and 15 Celsius, (48-59 Fahrenheit).

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