What to pack for New Zealand in April (weather + travel tips)
Crisp sunny days mean April is an excellent month for hiking and other outdoor activities.
April in New Zealand is the swan song of summer, with pleasant days and cooler nights. This month is usually when fall colours start to show and the temperatures start to drop.
It’s one of my favourite months to travel New Zealand. It’s also by default one of the months I travel the most — Easter and Anzac Day public holidays mean this is when a lot of locals hit the road.
If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand in April and worried about the weather, all I can tell you is that it’s usually pretty good (if cold) but as always in Aotearoa, it can be wet, windy, freezing, sunny, hot, or any combination of these at any given time.
Temperatures in April
Here are some of the average high/low temperatures across the North and South Islands in April:
Auckland: 20° / 13° Celcius, or 68° / 55° Fahrenheit
Wellington: 17° / 11° Celcius or 62° / 52° Fahrenheit
Christchurch: 17° / 7° Celcius or 62° / 44° Fahrenheit
Queenstown: 15° / 4° Celcius or 59° / 39° Fahrenheit
April is a great time to visit New Zealand for outdoor activities
french ridge hut on a perfect sunny day in april — don’t let the sunshine fool you though, it was very chilly first thing in the morning
April is a great time to visit New Zealand, thanks to generally settled weather with plenty of sunshine, and mild temperatures across the country. Aside from the Easter holidays, April is also a quieter time to travel than in the summer months.
April is also the middle of autumn/fall in New Zealand, which means crisp days and in some areas, gorgeous golden colours.
New Zealand doesn’t have as pronounced seasons in other countries. In the North Island, sometime around the end of April, the temperature drops and it feels like New Zealand goes from summer to winter overnight.
Unlike many countries, fall in New Zealand isn’t marked by a significant change in tree colours. Our native forests are all evergreen, so there is little difference between summer and winter foliage.
However, the South Island has a longer autumn/fall period, and more introduced tree species like willows mean you’re more likely to see fall foliage painting the island in reds and golds.
Autumn colours are most visible around Queenstown and Central Otago.
a beautiful, crisp, april day near queenstown — this was cycling between vineyards along the kawerau river
This part of the South Island is also where you will feel the crisp, clear autumn weather, if you’re a fan of the season.
Further north fine days are still common in April but in my experience there isn’t the same distinct autumn feeling you get in Otago.
New Zealand weather in April
A Wanaka mountain sunrise in early April
In New Zealand, April temperatures swing between warm days and cool nights.
In my home region of the Coromandel, I’m usually still swimming in rivers in April.
Attending a wedding in Cromwell, Central Otago, in the middle of April, I was comfortable outside in a thin silk dress.
However, in the week prior, I had been hiking on the Routeburn and temperatures dipped below freezing at the Lake Mackenzie campsite.
I spent all of April ‘22 travelling the South Island in my campervan, and I was never too cold — my van didn’t have a heater, but I had good blankets and a hot water bottle.
As with most months in New Zealand, you should be prepared for a range of temperatures. Pack layers, and always be ready to strip off in the sunshine or throw on a warm, cosy jumper on cooler days.
The temperatures begin to cool down as winter approaches. In the North Island, average daytime temperatures range from around 15°C to 20°C (59°F to 68°F), with milder evenings.
In the South Island, average high temperatures range from about 10°C to 15°C (50°F to 59°F), with cooler nights.
In early April, the hour also changes in New Zealand. This means it gets dark earlier and days start to get shorter. Less light in the evening means you have to plan a little further ahead, especially if you’re camping.
I like to be all set up for the night before the sun sets, which is between 6pm and 5.30pm in April.
April is a top month for hiking in New Zealand. The days aren’t too hot, and the nights aren’t too cold, which means perfect hiking weather.
While you can wake up to a frost on the ground in the South Island in April, sunny days still warm up enough that you might consider a late summer swim.
I have hiked in Mount Aspiring National Park in April and had a glorious week of blue skies, when I hiked trails like Cascade Saddle, which is notoriously dangerous and requires a streak of dry days to attempt.
dart glacier viewed from cascade saddle
I’ve also hiked Kahurangi National Park a lot in April, enjoying clear days at the peak of Mount Owen and places like Sylvester Hut in the Cobb River Valley.
However, I have also huddled in my van in Golden Bay as April showers drenched the area.
So, expect a bit of everything — as is typical of the weather in New Zealand.
What to pack for New Zealand in April
If you’re visiting New Zealand in April, you’ll want to pack a mixture of summer and winter clothing. Lighter shirts and even shorts for the day, with warm clothes for the evening.
In Auckland and the upper half of the North Island, you can get away with wearing summery clothes most of the time, with one pair of jeans, a warm jumper, and a rain jacket.
Further south is a different story — even Wellington can be a lot colder than Auckland.
If you’re planning on visiting the South Island in April, I would recommend at least one cosy, warm layer as well as a wind/waterproof jacket to throw over that one.
The Patagonia fleece I’m wearing here is one of my all time favourite pieces of clothing — I wear it a lot in photos, but I wash it I promise.
One of my most worn items of clothing while travelling New Zealand in April was my Patagonia fleece, which I bought when I arrived in Wellington from Auckland. Living out of a van, I spent a lot of time outside, so having a snuggly fleece to throw on in the evening was a lifesaver, but this is a good thing to have anywhere you’re staying.
An insulated puffer jacket is a good idea when visiting any part of the South Island at any point in the year, and especially from April onwards.
If you do any higher altitude hikes, or even activities like a jet boat, you’ll want a woolly hat to keep warm and possibly gloves as well.
Warm, woolly socks and merino base layers are great basics to have in your autumn wardrobe. I love walking in a long-sleeved merino base layer in the shoulder season, as it helps keep the sun off during the day but is still nice and warm if you throw a mid-layer over it.
Some cosy trackpants are always good (I love my Lululemon Align Trackpants). I wear these everywhere, nowhere in New Zealand is too fancy for trackpants.
Pack lightweight and breathable tops, t-shirts, and shorts for the warm days.
Bring a couple of long-sleeved shirts for sun protection and cooler evenings.
Travel tips for visiting New Zealand in April
While April is shoulder season in New Zealand, between the highs of summer and the ski season in winter, Easter and school holidays often land in April, as well as the public holiday Anzac Day on 25 April. This means a lot of New Zealanders take time off to travel in April and soak up the last of the good weather. If you plan on travelling between the North and South Islands on the ferry, it’s a good idea to book your spot in advance.
Outside of the public holidays, April can be a nice and quiet time to visit. It’s the last month of the Great Walks season, so it’s worth checking to see if there are any open spots in the huts in late April, which is a less popular time to tackle these hikes.
Resources for planning your New Zealand trip
A little quick fire round up of some of my top planning websites and resources.
Immigration New Zealand’s information on the NZeta
For money while travelling — I use Wise, including in New Zealand (I love the way it helps me track my spending)
For travel insurance, I recommend World Nomads (it’s what I use outside of New Zealand — when I’m here, I only occasionally get a cheap plan to cover rental cars).
RentalCars.com for comparing the prices of rental cars
Motorhome Republic for comparing the prices of campervans (see my advice for travelling New Zealand in a campervan)
Booking.com is my preferred website for finding hostel or hotel accommodation in New Zealand, but it’s also worth checking Vrbo when you’re looking for places to stay outside of towns (some of the best places to stay are more remote). Canopy Camping is great for a special stay.
Viator is an easy way to book tours (as a disclosure, I have written for them before!).
Rankers is my favourite app for finding campgrounds in New Zealand.
Metservice is New Zealand’s main weather site, but NIWA provides good mountain forecasts if you’re going hiking. I also love YR.
First Table is a great site which lets you book meals for 50% off.
TripIt — an all-in one travel organiser for when the number of bookings starts to get overwhelming.
For tailored advice — Book a call with me! If you need feedback on your itinerary or personalised travel tips, feel free to put some time in my calendar and let’s chat.
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