14 Things to do this Summer in New Zealand

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New Zealanders love summer. The big cities clear out as people head away to their baches (holiday homes) and the beaches fill up. I’m actually not a huge summer fan and the beach isn’t my jam at all. However! There are definitely things to do this summer in New Zealand that I would absolutely be up for doing again (or for the first time).

This is by no means an exhaustive list; there will be things that I haven’t added that maybe you love doing during summer in NZ, and there are some things on this list that you might never do. And that’s okay. They’re just some ideas. But I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to drop your summer activities in the comments! Would love to hear about them.

Okay, let’s get into it!

Things to do this Summer in New Zealand

Hit the beach

Starting with perhaps one of the most obvious things to do this summer in New Zealand: hit the beach. And look, even if you’re like me and you’re not the biggest beach fan, there are so many beautiful spots up and down the country that you can visit that you’re bound to find one or two that you actually like.

I find that, even though I don’t like the sand-sea-salt sort of combo, I do love sitting on the grass under a tree, reading a book while everyone else gallivants on the sand or in the ocean.

Or the lake

But I have to say – I do prefer the lake. Luckily, New Zealand is covered in stunning lakes, both in the North Island and in the South Island. When I was a kid, we used to head to a lake over the summer holidays and camp. It’s definitely a fond memory!

A couple of lakes that are well worth checking out:

North Island

Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotoiti
Lake Taupō
Lake Waikaremoana
Kai Iwi Lakes

South Island

Lake Matheson
Lake Tekapo
Lake Wānaka
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Hawea

Check out this blog post from NZ Pocket Guide for more: 21 Mind-Blowing Lakes in New Zealand

Visit the Hobbiton movie set and tour

If you’re a Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit and you live in New Zealand then chances are you’ve already been here. But even if you’ve ticked it off your bucket list already, visiting Hobbiton (above) is something you can absolutely do more than once.

I’ve actually done it 2.5 times myself. The first was when I also did the huge dinner at the Green Dragon Inn afterwards, the second was with a friend visiting from the UK and we just did the normal tour. And then the .5 is just because I took my cousins there so they could do the tour, while I hung out at the cafe and shop for a few hours.

It’s a lot of fun, for old and new fans alike. Definitely worth doing in the summer in New Zealand, too.

Go berry picking

It’s probably a safe assumption that a highlight and joy of many people’s summer is the fact that berries are so readily available. And what’s better than just picking up a punnet at your local supermarket? Actually pick them yourself!

There are so many incredible berry picking spots around New Zealand that no matter here you are this summer, there’s bound to be one close by. One of the things I love about berry (or fruit!) picking is that you really get to decide how much or little you pick. Only want/need 1 punnet? Brilliant. Here you go. Need 10 punnets for some hosting you’re doing? Amazing! Off you pop and pick what you need.

Jump on a Great Journeys New Zealand Train Trip

When I was in high school, I remember doing part of the Northern Explorer Great Journeys Train Trip. And even since then I have wanted to do one of the other scenic train trips around Aotearoa. In the summer of 2023, my sister and I decided we’d get home to Christchurch by jumping on the ferry from Wellington and then getting the Coastal Pacific train journey down the coast. And it was awesome. This photo is from the train.

All of these train trips with Great Journeys are brilliant ways to see parts of the country you possibly wouldn’t if you weren’t on a train. You see the back-of-beyond and get to spot things that you wouldn’t if you were travelling by road. Highly recommend it if you can this summer in New Zealand.

Spend your morning lavender picking

There a lots of lavender-picking farms around New Zealand, but the two that I’ve been to are The Lavender Backyard Garden in the Waikato and the Wanaka Lavender Farm in, well Wanaka (above photo).

If you’re planning on heading to either of them (or any lavender farm in New Zealand!) then I recommend not waiting until the end of January. My sister and I visited The Lavender Backyard Garden a little too late in the season, and while the lavender was still there for the picking, it definitely wasn’t as vibrant or ‘fresh’ for want of a better term. I was at the Wanaka farm around New Year’s, and that was absolutely stunning.

Visit a sunflower farm

I mentioned visiting a sunflower farm as something you could do in New Zealand this summer, but honestly, you could visit just about any flower-picking spot around the country and have a great time.

The Taupiri Sunflower Farm is the one that I have visited, and it was so much fun to wander through the sunflowers taking photos and enjoying the cherriness of it all, while also grabbing some secateurs and choosing a few stems to take home. Whether you’re there for the ‘gram or you’re there to pick up some sunflowers for your home, it’s such a great way to spend a few hours of summer.

Check out some exhibitions

Now this may not seem like a brilliant one to include in a list of things to do during the summer, as you want to be outside enjoying the sun. However! We know that New Zealand weather is ever-changing and it can go from sun to pouring rain in seconds (Auckland, I’m looking at you). So it’s good to have some alternative options if you need to change plans.

Many of the museums around the country have exhibitions over the summer months, and I often find myself getting tickets to Te Papa events in Wellington or checking out what is happening around Auckland.

Check out the Hamilton Gardens

I love the Hamilton Gardens, a lot. If you’re in the North Island, or you happen to be driving by, then a stop in at the Hamilton Gardens (pictured above) this summer is so worth it.

The gardens are vast, with lots of green spaces, flowers, a lake … but the real beauty of them is the individual gardens that you can walk through. They have mini-gardens from countries all over the world – Japan, India, England – as well as ones like the Tudor Garden, the Modern Garden, Tropical Garden, and the Kitchen Garden (to name a few!).

They are often working on new gardens, too, and my friend and I love to venture down from Auckland when a new one opens. You probably need to allocate a good morning or afternoon to explore the gardens, and you can take a picnic with you to have by the lake or grab something at the cafe.

Check out the Big Things

What on earth are the ‘big things’, you ask? If you’re road-tripping around New Zealand then it’s very likely you’ll come across some rather large monuments or structures. These are the ‘big things’. I’m talking giant carrot in Ohakune, Paeroa’s L&P Bottle, and the Taihape gumboot … which all sound incredibly weird if you have no idea what I’m talking about.

But if you’re road-tripping with the family, they’re actually a lot of fun to stop in at along the way. You can find a list of some of the New Zealand Big Things here.

Book your spot for a visit to Gibbs Farm

And you really do have to book! There are only so many open days for Gibbs Farm, but if you can nab a spot you’re in for a treat. The farm is about an hour’s drive (on a good day) north of Auckland, and if you can get a ticket, then it’s a good half-day excursion.

Across the rolling hills of Gibbs Farm (above) are sculptures. But not like the ones you might put in your garden. These ones are ginormous. Like, huge. You can see some of the photos from my own visit to Gibbs Farm here. As you make your way around the farm, you can experience the sheer size of them, but also visit some of the animals that are there, too. Yes, there’s a giraffe and a zebra or two. Definitely a brilliant visit!

Head to other sculpture trails

Speaking of art, I don’t think I really knew that sculpture trails were a ‘thing’ until I lived in Auckland, and had pretty close access to trails like Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. I’ve actually been twice now, and the beauty of it is that they change up the sculpture so you can go time and time again and see something new.

The trail is boardwalk or gravel so it’s pretty good to do in all weathers (especially if the New Zealand summer has turned against you for the day!), and you can end you walk by trying some of the wine at the vineyard and/or grabbing a bite to eat.

Visit one of the surrounding islands

There are hundreds of islands around New Zealand, and getting out to some of them is a brilliant way to spend the summer. Whether that be popping over to do wine tours on Waiheke, taking a hike on Kapiti Island, or joining the postal run over to Kawau (above photo from Kawau) … There are lots of islands that you can easily visit in just a day. Or go further afield and check out the Chathams or Stewart Island.

Head to a festival

New Zealand summer means festivals. A lot of them. There are so many epic festivals held between December and February that you may be hard pressed to find just one or two to narrow it down to. From music festivals to art and culture, there is literally something for everyone. The best way to find a festival near you is to have a google, but you can check out the 10 top music festivals here.

So what do you think? Going to spend your summer in New Zealand doing some of these things? Let me know in the comments!